Payne's Orchards

Payne's Orchards is a genuine small family orchard on Bacchus Marsh's Avenue of Honour, where generations of the Payne family have grown fruit on the same fertile river flats. Picking here runs as relaxed 40-minute sessions, which keeps the orchard uncrowded and the experience personal.

What You Can Pick

• Cherries - November to December
• Berries and apricots - December to January
• Peaches - December to February
• Nectarines - February to March
• Apples - February to June

All fruit is paid by weight at the checkout as you leave.

Activities

• Group tours and school programs by arrangement
• Seasonal events through the picking season
• Farm shop at the checkout

Good to Know

Entry is $5 per person aged 12 and over, $2 for children 3-11 and free for under 3s, among the cheapest picking entries near Melbourne, and VIP email-list members get their entry refunded at checkout. Sessions start on the hour between 9am and 3pm and must be pre-booked online via TryBooking. The orchard closes over winter once apple season ends around June. The Avenue of Honour setting adds history to the visit, with memorial elms planted after the First World War lining the road to the gate.

Pro tip: book a morning session; fruit picked early keeps best on the drive home.