Magazine

How to get a picking day right, season by season and state by state, plus recipes for what you bring home.

Practical guide When is strawberry picking season in New Zealand? Strawberry picking runs November to February in New Zealand, starting in the north. When each region opens, what a punnet costs, and how to pick a strawberry that keeps.

Practical guide When is blueberry picking season in New Zealand? Blueberry picking runs December to March, the longest self-pick season in New Zealand. Where the farms are, why the season lasts so long, and how to pick fruit that keeps.

Practical guide When is cherry picking season in New Zealand? Cherry picking runs December and January, peaking at Christmas. Central Otago is the cherry country, with a shorter run in Canterbury and Marlborough. When to go and what to expect.

Practical guide What to take pick your own farming, and what to expect What to bring to a New Zealand pick-your-own farm, how payment usually works, whether to book, and the etiquette that keeps farms opening their gates.

Practical guide Pick your own with kids: which crops actually work Strawberries and blueberries work with small children, cherries and apples less so. How to plan a picking day that does not end in tears, and what farms expect of you.