PASSPORT COLLECTIVE| Apple Picking in Bacchus Marsh: Guide to the 2 Best Orchards

Apple picking in Bacchus Marsh is a great day trip from Melbourne. As the weather cools and the apples come into season, there’s nothing quite like heading to Bacchus Marsh Victoria and wandering through the orchards – and of course, coming home with plenty of delicious apples!

Fruit picking in Bacchus Marsh is one of our family traditions. It’s a fun Melbourne day trip. We love sharing the farm to table experience with the kids. We’re lucky that when it comes to fruit picking, Victoria is home to many wonderful orchards. Bacchus Marsh is home to two large orchards. Naturipe Fruits and Paynes Orchards. Find out what to expect from each orchard and discover the best Bacchus Marsh fruit picking experience for you.

OUR GUIDE TO APPLE PICKING IN BACCHUS MARSH

If you’re in Melbourne and wondering where can I go, fruit picking near me? – Bacchus Marsh is an excellent option. It’s easy to get to, and there are more than just apples to pick! Naturipe Fruits and Paynes Orchards are open all year round, and depending on the season; you can pick berries, cherries, stone fruit and apples.

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Where is Bacchus Marsh Victoria?

Bacchus Marsh Victoria is 45minutes northwest of the Melbourne CBD. Once you’re out of the city, take the M8 Western Freeway, then exit C802. You can also get to Bacchus Marsh by road and rail; however, the car is best a day out apple picking in Bacchus Marsh!

When is the best time to visit a Bacchus Marsh apple farm?

The apple season in Melbourne runs from February to April. The most popular varieties in Victoria are fuji and golden delicious. Fuji apple picking is best later in the season – late March and April. When it comes to golden delicious Melbourne apples come into harvest a little earlier in February.

If you want cooking apples, Granny Smiths are later to harvest and are best in April. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a summer day trip from Melbourne then the sweet Royal Gala apples will be waiting for you.

When it comes to apple orchards, Victoria offers a great selection. The best thing about apple picking in Bacchus Marsh is that there is at least one variety available across the season. These are the best months to go apple picking in Bacchus Marsh based on seasonality.

Royal Gala (February)
Golden Delicious (March)
Early Fuji (late February)
Late Fuji (April)
Pink Lady (April to May)
Granny Smith (April)

Paynes Orchards

Paynes Orchard is a family run business that has been operating in Bacchus Marsh since the 1950s. This Bacchus Marsh apple farm is one of the few small family run orchards in Victoria. It has a wonderful friendly family feel and lots and lots of fruit!

What is apple picking like at Paynes Orchards?

Paynes Orchard is a working orchard with areas open to the public. Once you’ve collected your bucket at the fruit shed, you’ll walk along a dirt track to reach the picking area. The road is rough in sections as tractors have run over it whilst muddy. We visited when the path was dry and had no issues wheeling a pram along the pathway.

How do I pick the fruit?

The apple trees at Paynes Orchard are low to the ground compare to some orchards. At the most, they’re around 2 meters high. There is plenty of fruit to be picked without having to climb a ladder. Ladders are available, and you can move them to your chosen tree as you desire. The ladders are hip height at most, so they are safe for children to climb with a careful eye.

Only specific rows of the orchard are open for picking, and staff are positioned throughout to assist. The trees are under netting, so you will need to duck and climb a little to reach the fruit.

Once you’ve picked your fill, take your bucket back to the fruit counter for weighing. Unlike some orchards where you can eat whilst you pick, you must pay for all fruit, so you’ll have to resist the urge to chomp into an apple whilst you’re still picking!

Can I buy apples without having to pick them myself?

Yes, if you’re short on time and you’d like to enjoy the spoils of fruit picking in Bacchus Marsh, but without venturing into the orchard, you can buy fresh fruit from the fruit shed. It’s located just off the car park. You’ll also find a range of fresh produce from the region for sale too.

Does Paynes Orchards have on site parking?

We found Paynes Orchards to be accessible for prams. During wet or rainy weather, the track to the orchard could get muddy, so check with the orchard directly if you have specific accessibility needs.

Paynes Orchard has a gravel car park. It can get busy during peak times. You can also park along Bacchus Marsh road if the car park is full.

Is Paynes Orchards accessible?

We found Paynes Orchards to be accessible with a pram. We visited on a warm day, and the track was not muddy. If you are visiting after rainy weather or have specific accessibility needs, please contact the orchard directly.

Why we love Paynes Orchards

Fruit picking in Bacchus Marsh is a great family day out. The low hanging fruit and shorter trees make this a great orchard to bring young children to. There are plenty of apples to pick and lots of friendly staff to help you. We accessed the orchard easily with a pram. Our son loved the ladders and climbing to pick fruit.

Key Information for your visit

Where: Paynes Orchard, 372 Bacchus Marsh Road, Bacchus Marsh

Entry: Adults (12+) – $5 Children (3-12) – $2

Open season: The orchard is open to the public from November to May

Opening hours: For up to date opening hours, follow Paynes Orchard on Facebook

Naturipe Fruits

Naturipe Fruits is a family-run orchard. When you think about apple picking Bacchus Marsh comes to mind. The apple orchards are just part of the farm. They also have fields of strawberries, cherries, peaches and nectarines.

The variety of fruit on offer means there is plenty to pick or to buy from the farm shed from November until May.

What is apple picking like at Naturipe Fruits?

Naturipe Fruits is set up with the visiting public in mind. Their farm shed is located close to the car park. There is no entry fee to visit Naturipe, so all you need to do is collect your bucket.

It is an easy walk to the orchard. A clear path is marked between the strawberry patches. The path is grassy, although it can get a little muddy after rain. The pathway is wide enough and smooth enough for prams.

How do I pick the fruit?

Fruit picking in Bacchus Marsh doesn’t get much better than at Naturipe. The trees are grown tall here and once you’re in the orchard you’re in a sea of green. The trees aren’t netted here. Instead, there is a larger netting structure that covers parts of the orchard.

The taller trees mean that you’ll need to climb a ladder to pick much of the fruit. The ladders are on wheels and are about 2 metres tall – significantly taller than at Paynes Orchards. The ladders have platforms and rails, so even our young son had a marvellous time climbing (with us there to spot) to the top and reaching for apples.

There are thousands of apple trees in this orchard, so if heights aren’t your thing, no worries. There are plenty of apples at standing height and on the ground below. You’ll easily fill your bucket without climbing a ladder if you wish.

Once you’ve finished picking and exploring the orchard, head back to the farm shed to pay. The apples are $3.50 per kilogram and you can pay by cash or card.

Can I buy apples without having to pick them myself?

As well as pick your own, Naturipe Fruits has a large farm shed. You can buy in-season fruit as well as frozen fruit and local produce.

Does Naturipe Fruits have on site parking?

Naturipe Fruits has a large gravel car park. It’s easily visible from the road. When it comes to fruit picking Bacchus Marsh can get busy so during peak times you can park on the main road if needed.

Is Naturipe Fruits accessible?

We found Naturipe Fruits accessible with a pram. For specific wheelchair and other access please contact Naturipe Fruits directly.

Why we loved Naturipe Fruits

Naturipe Fruits is an incredibly beautiful orchard. Of course, it has great apple picking, but in addition to that is a wonderful location for family photos. If you are looking at making apple picking a family tradition, this is the orchard for your lovely family shots.

We loved climbing the tall ladders and picking apples up high. The lack of nets also made the apples easier to access. The taller trees make it feel like you’re in a maze. Children love to run between the trees and duck and weave between the branches. Playing in the orchard is a lot of fun.

If you’re looking at making apple picking in Bacchus Marsh a family tradition, this orchard is our pick.