Hi we are new members and have read alot about picking fruit and veg in the great book, The grey Nomads. We have been on the road and doing the harvest trail in NZ for the past four years, we now are heading to Australia (to be with our family) and want to continue. We have always worked in the packhouse, where the fruit gets graded and packed for export or distrabution around the country. Can anyone help with information as to the set up in Australia. We have set ups for onsite living here at the orchard or packhouse.
Work can last from anywhere up to 3months, paid on an hourly rate.
We are looking forward to a new chapter in our life, in a better climate, meeting new friends and a lot of laughs. Have enjoyed viewing this forum, good idea, keep it going.

well I guess we should welcome them (they are kiwis so a bit of a quandry here) Oh bugger it, welcome to our little forum on life and everything, "the great book" I like that, I and my wife have done A LITTLE of the fruit caper but the system is very much the same, here as in N.Z. I suppose, we concentrated on oranges for a while in waikerie and grapes in the clare valley, if you look up "harvest trail" then you will find a lot of employment oppurtunities in that, the packing sheds are identical to N.Z. perhaps a little more backward to what you are used to, and the picking , I think, the same so as an experienced shed handler you should be right up there with what the block owner requires, if you have your own accomodation then you should get an immediate start, try to steer clear of the sheds that want you to go through an employment agency, they normally pay less than decent wages and want more than reasonable work for it, the oranges and other fruit grown along the murray will be slow owing to the drought, but the further up the murray you go there should be more work, you didnt say which part of our great land you are coming to, each state has different fruits and berries, with the berries, make sure the vines are a decent height otherwise it is blue murder on your back, anyway welcome and good luck to you, oh and we are coming up to the pruning part of the wine growing process, that is not too bad either, pay is reasonable, but again check the rate first, it varies greatly with each contractor

Thanks for that daveo6, great to get some help. Thanks for the welcome, didn't like to say that we are poms, with Aussie children, and NZ citenzenship we would stand no chance of getting any help at all. We will be setting up with a caravan and vehicle when we arrive  in Adelaide.
We will check out the south australian sceane before venturing out into the mulga. Sorry to read about the drought, if there's one thing NZ has got its water, never stops raining.  (wont rub it in).
Thanks again.

oh jeeezzz!!! is it too late to take the welcome back, no all welcome here, bring some of that water across with you

Hye welcome! Basil hunts through his box of Kiwi Jokes.....Na that would be cruel... I like the NZ PM though; Hillen Clarke, sort of a rotweiller with lipstick....And the sheep are fun, especially the ones you find nonchalantly wandering the steets of Dunedin....

Hmmmm!!! sheep in dunedin, I've only seen pictures, are they the ones with high heels and eyeshadow and a very well dressed herdsman