Plum picking near Sydney has two main options: Bilpin in the Hawkesbury foothills, about 90 minutes north-west of the city, and Canoelands, a little closer in towards the Hills District. The season starts early here, generally from October through to January, with the Bilpin district's blood plums often the first stone fruit ready each year, well ahead of peaches. Canoelands Orchard is a clear-pricing option, charging $8 for adult entry and $6 a kilo for what you pick, with a family ticket available too. In Bilpin, growers including Pine Crest Orchard and Bilpin Springs Orchard fold plums into their broader stone fruit picking, usually charging a small per-person entry fee. Either drive suits a half-day trip rather than an overnight stay.
4 farms
Bilpin · Bilpin & the Hawkesbury
About 90 minutes north-west of Sydney
Canoelands · Sydney Basin
Around the Sydney basin
Darkes Forest · Illawarra & Southern Highlands
In the Southern Highlands and Illawarra, around 90 minutes from Sydney
Bilpin · Bilpin & the Hawkesbury
About 90 minutes north-west of Sydney
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
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Canoelands Orchard, in the Hills District north-west of Sydney, and the Bilpin orchards in the Hawkesbury foothills, including Pine Crest Orchard and Bilpin Springs Orchard, are the main options. Both areas grow plums as part of a wider stone fruit season and sit within about 90 minutes of the CBD.
Canoelands is a shorter drive, around an hour from central Sydney via the Hills District, while Bilpin is closer to 90 minutes north-west along the Bells Line of Road. Both make an easy half-day trip, so it's worth checking which farm has ripe fruit before choosing a direction.
Plums are typically the earliest stone fruit ready in the Sydney area, with picking starting as early as October and running through to January at farms like Canoelands Orchard. Bilpin orchards follow a similar window. As ever, ring the farm close to your visit, since an early or late season can shift these dates.
Generally no. Canoelands Orchard and the Bilpin growers are walk-up, pay-for-what-you-pick farms rather than ticketed experiences, so booking isn't usually required. It's still sensible to call ahead, particularly early in the plum season, to confirm the orchard is open and has fruit ready that day.