Plum picking near Melbourne is centred on the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, about an hour east of the city, with a second option down towards Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula. The plum season typically runs from December to February, peaking in January alongside the district's other stone fruit, so it overlaps with the summer school holidays. Tuckerberry Hill Berry Farm at Drysdale is worth the Bellarine detour, growing stone fruit alongside its blueberries and strawberries, though pricing isn't published online so it's best to check its social media fruit reports before heading out. Closer to the city, Rayner's Orchard at Woori Yallock offers plums as part of its guided u-pick tractor tour rather than a free-roam patch, so factor in a booking rather than turning up on spec.
3 farms
Wallington · Geelong & the Bellarine
Around Geelong, about an hour south-west of Melbourne
Woori Yallock · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Drysdale · Geelong & the Bellarine
Around Geelong, about an hour south-west of Melbourne
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The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, about an hour east of the CBD, are the main plum-growing area, with Rayner's Orchard at Woori Yallock among the standouts. Further south-west, on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong, Tuckerberry Hill Berry Farm and Lomas Orchards also grow plums alongside their berries and apples.
Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges orchards are about an hour from the Melbourne CBD, while the Bellarine Peninsula option near Geelong is a similar drive to the south-west. Both are comfortable as a single day trip, though picking a direction rather than trying to cover both saves a lot of driving.
Plums around Melbourne are typically ready from December to February, with January the usual peak alongside apricots and other summer stone fruit. It's a hot-weather crop, so bring water and sun protection, and call the farm close to your visit since a heatwave can bring the harvest forward or finish it early.
Rayner's Orchard runs its plum picking as part of a guided tractor tour and needs booking online in advance through the farm's website. Bellarine Peninsula farms like Tuckerberry Hill Berry Farm are more casual pay-by-weight visits, though it's worth checking their current fruit availability on social media before driving out.