Raspberry picking within reach of Melbourne means a run out to the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong's Bellarine hinterland or further east into Gippsland, all doable as a day trip inside about 90 minutes. The patches run from spring into autumn, roughly November through to April, with fruit at its thickest in December and January before a smaller autumn flush on some farms. Expect to pay by the kilo once you're through the gate, with entry fees on top at the family-oriented farms. Wandin Yallock Farms, picking raspberries at Warratina Lavender Farm in the Yarra Valley, is a good one for a first visit: kids three and under are free, and take-home raspberries are sold by the half-kilo. Bring an esky, since fruit softens fast in the car on a warm Melbourne day.
17 farms
Woori Yallock · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Avonsleigh · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Silvan · Yarra Valley
About an hour north-east of Melbourne
Silvan · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Silvan · Yarra Valley
About an hour north-east of Melbourne
Cockatoo · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Wandin North · Yarra Valley
About an hour north-east of Melbourne
Red Hill · Mornington Peninsula
About an hour south of Melbourne
Main Ridge · Mornington Peninsula
About an hour south of Melbourne
Trafalgar South · Gippsland
An hour or more east of Melbourne
Wandin Yallock · Yarra Valley
About an hour north-east of Melbourne
Erica · Gippsland
An hour or more east of Melbourne
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Silvan · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Wandin East · Yarra Valley
About an hour north-east of Melbourne
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Wandin East · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Silvan · Dandenong Ranges
About an hour east of Melbourne
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Boolarra South · Gippsland
An hour or more east of Melbourne
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
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The main clusters are the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges around Silvan and Wandin, the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong's Bellarine hinterland and pockets of Gippsland further east. All sit within about a 90-minute drive of the CBD, so most visitors pick one cluster rather than trying to string several together in a day.
Silvan and Wandin in the Yarra Valley are about an hour from the CBD on a clear run; the Mornington Peninsula and Geelong's Bellarine are similar. Gippsland farms are the furthest, closer to 90 minutes each way, so allow for traffic on weekends when everyone else has the same idea.
Most Melbourne-area patches open from November and run through to April, with December and January the reliable peak. A few Yarra Valley growers get a second, smaller flush from autumn-fruiting canes into May or June, but that later window is weather-dependent, so it's worth calling ahead before banking on it.
It varies by farm. Some of the smaller family operations, like Kookaberry Strawberry Farm, ask that you call ahead to check picking is on, while larger set-ups such as Chapmans Berry and Fruit Farm run as walk-up, pay-on-weight visits. Ringing first also confirms which patches are ripe that weekend.
Expect an entry or container fee at most gates, often in the $5 to $12 range per person, then the fruit itself charged by weight once you check out. Wandin Yallock Farms, for example, sells take-home raspberries by the half-kilo on top of its per-person entry, which is a typical structure across the region.