New Zealand's busy season is about to start. Apple and pear thinning peaks in November and December, cherries come in around Christmas, and shops hire casual staff for the holidays. Then from February, the big harvests begin: apples, pears, kiwifruit and grapes, running through to May or June.
That's a lot of work, and a lot of it is short. Some jobs last a few weeks; others last a whole season. Many start with almost no experience needed. So seasonal work suits students on their summer break, people between jobs, working holidaymakers, and anyone who wants to try something new before committing to it.
This guide covers when and where the work is, what it pays, the rules that protect you, which visas allow it, and how to get hired. Every rule and figure is from an official or industry source, linked where it's used.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change, so check the linked pages before you rely on them.
What's on the SmartCVs job board right now
On 13 October 2026, we went through the 3,168 jobs listed on the SmartCVs job board. It collects jobs from employers' own career sites, so it shows what employers are advertising themselves. Here's the seasonal work we found:
- 83 Christmas, holiday and seasonal casual jobs in retail. Cotton On, Platypus, Connor, Strandbags, H&M, Nike, Foot Locker, T2 and others were hiring across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga, Hamilton and smaller centres. Browse retail assistant jobs and sales assistant jobs.
- 14 summer internships for 2026-27, at employers like Fonterra, AgResearch, Comvita and Zuru. Most are for students, so check the requirements first.
- A handful of orchard, berry and vineyard jobs, from casual work at Northland Berries in Kerikeri to a vintage cellar hand role at Delegat in Hawke's Bay and Mr Apple's horticulture internship.
- Lifeguard jobs at councils and pools ahead of summer.
Notice what's thin: fruit picking. Those jobs are mostly advertised elsewhere, and Work and Income and the industry bodies point to Pick NZ. More on where to look below.
When seasonal work happens in New Zealand
The season moves around the country with the crops. These are the peak months from Work and Income's seasonal work calendar (opens in a new tab), updated in July 2026:
- Apples and pears, Hawke's Bay: thinning from September to December, at its busiest in November and December. Picking from February to May. Stonefruit (apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums) is picked from January to March.
- Apples and pears, Nelson and Tasman: thinning from September to January, busiest in November and December. Picking from February to May, and pruning in winter.
- Kiwifruit, Bay of Plenty: picking peaks from March to May, and pruning from June to August.
- Cherries: December in Central Otago, and December to January in Marlborough and the Queenstown Lakes.
- Central Otago summerfruit: stonefruit picking peaks from January to March, and apples and pears from February to May.
- Hops, Tasman: picking peaks in March and April.
Away from the orchards, Work and Income says tourism is busiest from November to February (opens in a new tab), and ski field work runs from June to September.
Fruit picking and thinning
New Zealand Apples & Pears (opens in a new tab) says growers need thinners in November and December and pickers from February to May. The five main growing regions are the East Coast, Hawke's Bay, Tasman, Canterbury and Central Otago. Pickers are usually paid per bin, and thinners per tree.
If you're looking for summer fruit picking jobs, thinning is the work available now. It means taking excess fruit off the trees early so the rest grows bigger. Picking starts after the new year.
Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit is the biggest single harvest. New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc says the peak harvest from March to June needs around 22,000 staff (opens in a new tab) on orchards and in packhouses. Work and Income's calendar lists the kiwifruit work in the Bay of Plenty. Packhouse jobs, grading and packing fruit indoors, are a good option if you'd rather not work up a ladder.
Grapes and vintage
Vintage, the grape harvest, lasts 6 to 12 weeks between February and May (opens in a new tab), depending on the region, according to New Zealand Winegrowers. Wineries hire cellar hands for vintage.
Christmas casual and summer jobs
Retail is the biggest source of Christmas casual jobs, as our job board shows. Hospitality, tourism, lifeguarding and events also hire for summer. If you're at university, look at summer internships too, and check each one's closing date.
What seasonal work pays
The adult minimum wage has been NZ$23.95 an hour (opens in a new tab) since 1 April 2026, before tax. The starting-out and training minimum wages are NZ$19.16 an hour. Every seasonal job, including picking, must pay at least the minimum wage that applies to you.
Many picking jobs pay piece rates: an amount for each bin you fill, rather than for each hour. That's legal, but Employment New Zealand is clear that employees paid per piece must still get at least the minimum wage for each hour worked (opens in a new tab). If your bins for the day don't add up to the minimum wage for your hours, your employer has to top up your pay.
How much can you earn? Work and Income says that picking fruit or vegetables for 30 hours a week, you could earn around NZ$700 a week before tax, or more (opens in a new tab). Fast pickers on piece rates can earn more than the minimum wage.
Your rights in a seasonal job
Short jobs come with the same basic rights as long ones:
- A written employment agreement. Every employee must have one (opens in a new tab), including casual and seasonal workers. Read it before you start, and keep a copy.
- Fixed-term or casual. A fixed-term job ends on a set date or event, and the employer needs a genuine reason for it. Employment New Zealand gives seasonal work like fruit picking (opens in a new tab) as an example of a genuine reason. A casual job usually has no guaranteed hours and no expectation of ongoing work (opens in a new tab), and the agreement should say so.
- Holiday pay. In a fixed-term job of less than 12 months, or a job too irregular for normal annual leave, your employer can pay holiday pay as you go (opens in a new tab). It must be at least 8% of your gross pay, agreed in your employment agreement, and shown separately on your payslip.
- Public holidays. Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026 and New Year's Day is Friday 1 January 2027. Boxing Day and the day after New Year's Day fall on Saturdays, so they move to Monday 28 December and Monday 4 January if you don't normally work Saturdays (dates (opens in a new tab)). If you work a public holiday, you're paid at least time and a half (opens in a new tab). If it's a day you'd normally work, you also get an alternative holiday: a paid day off later.
Tax and your IRD number
Give your employer your IRD number and a tax code when you start. If you don't, Inland Revenue's IR330 form says your employer must deduct tax at the non-notified rate of 45% (opens in a new tab).
If you're only doing casual agricultural work, Inland Revenue says to use the CAE tax code (opens in a new tab). That's for casual seasonal work on a day-to-day basis for up to 3 months. If seasonal work is a second job alongside your main one, you'll usually use a secondary tax code (opens in a new tab) instead.
Safety on orchards
Orchards and farms have real hazards. WorkSafe assessed 659 horticulture businesses (opens in a new tab) between July and September 2025 and found the main risks were vehicles, machinery and hazardous substances. On quad bikes, WorkSafe says to always wear a helmet (opens in a new tab), and riders must be trained or supervised. Ask for a safety induction on your first day. A good employer gives one anyway.
Help with costs if you move for seasonal work
If you're on a benefit or looking for work, Work and Income's NZ Seasonal Work Scheme (opens in a new tab) can help you take up seasonal horticulture or viticulture work:
- Accommodation: up to NZ$200 a week for up to 26 weeks, if you move away from home for the work.
- An incentive payment: NZ$500 halfway through the job and NZ$500 at the end.
- Other costs: help with transport, gear and clothing, moving and training.
The job must last at least 6 weeks, at 30 hours a week or more. Apply before you start, because the scheme won't pay for costs you've already paid. Call Work and Income on 0800 779 009.
If you came off a benefit for seasonal work and lose pay because of bad weather, Seasonal Work Assistance (opens in a new tab) can pay up to NZ$2,754 in a 26-week period.
Visas for seasonal work
New Zealand citizens and residents can do any seasonal job. Others need a visa that allows the work:
- Working Holiday visa. If you're 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 for a few countries, a Working Holiday visa (opens in a new tab) lets you work here, usually for up to 12 months. Canadians can stay up to 23 months, and UK citizens up to 36 months. You can't take a permanent job.
- The Working Holiday extension. If you've done at least 3 months of seasonal horticulture or viticulture work, the Working Holiday Extension work visa (opens in a new tab) gives you up to 3 more months. The 3 months don't have to be continuous or with one employer. It costs from NZ$800, and you can only get it once.
- Student visa. Since 3 November 2025, eligible students can work up to 25 hours a week (opens in a new tab) during term. Most student visas also allow full-time work in the summer break. Check your visa's conditions.
- Supplementary Seasonal Employment work visa. If you're 18 or older and already in New Zealand on a visitor or student visa, this visa (opens in a new tab) lets you plant, maintain, harvest or pack crops for an approved employer for up to 6 months. It costs from NZ$1,355, and you can only get it once.
- Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme. Approved horticulture and viticulture employers recruit workers from Pacific countries (opens in a new tab) through this scheme, which has up to 20,750 places a year. The employer recruits and supports the visa. Individuals can't apply for it themselves.
The new seasonal visas
Since 8 December 2025, there are two new seasonal visas (opens in a new tab) under the Accredited Employer Work Visa:
- The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa is granted for 3 years, for people with at least 3 seasons of experience in the last 6 years. Holders must spend 3 months a year outside New Zealand.
- The Peak Seasonal Visa lasts up to 7 months, for people with at least 1 season of experience in the last 3 years.
These are for specific roles (opens in a new tab), like winery cellar hands, shearers, wool handlers, meat and seafood process workers and snow sports instructors. Fruit picking isn't one of them. For more on employer-backed visas, see our guide to visa sponsorship jobs in New Zealand.
Where to find seasonal jobs
- Pick NZ. Work and Income points people to Pick NZ (opens in a new tab) for horticulture and viticulture jobs, and Summerfruit NZ sends job seekers there too.
- Industry bodies. New Zealand Apples & Pears (opens in a new tab) and NZKGI (opens in a new tab) list ways into orchard and kiwifruit work.
- Work and Income. Your local office knows who's hiring nearby, and runs the support above.
- Employers' own career sites. Retailers, wineries, packhouses and councils post their own vacancies. The SmartCVs job board collects them in one place, so you can browse by region, from Hawke's Bay and Marlborough to the Bay of Plenty, Tasman and Otago, or by field, like hospitality and labouring.
Our guide to finding a job in New Zealand has more on where jobs are advertised and how to search well.
How to get hired for seasonal work
Seasonal employers are hiring quickly, often from a short application or a phone call. Make yours easy to say yes to:
- Say when you're free, in exact dates. "Available 16 November to 20 February, full time, including weekends." Growers and shops plan around their busiest weeks, so a worker who'll stay to the end is worth a lot. If you can work Christmas and New Year, say so.
- Show you can handle physical, outdoor work. Sport, labouring, farm work, hospitality shifts: anything that shows stamina and turning up on time counts. One line is enough.
- List the practical things. A driver licence, your own transport, a forklift or tractor licence, first aid, and any crops you've worked with. Orchard managers look for these.
- Keep your CV to one page. Most recent work first, no photo, no date of birth. Our New Zealand CV format guide shows the layout employers here expect.
- Use the right example. The orchard worker CV example shows how to describe picking, thinning and pruning, and there's a cover letter example to match. For Christmas retail, see the retail assistant CV example and cover letter. For hospitality, the kitchen hand and waiter examples. For packhouses, the warehouse worker example.
- Students and graduates: seasonal work counts as real experience. Our graduate CV guide shows how to describe it for your next job, and the graduates page has more.
Turn one season into the next job
Seasonal work can lead to more. The orchard worker CV example follows someone from picker to team leader over a few seasons. Before you finish, ask your supervisor for a reference, and write down what you did while you remember: bins a day, the size of your team, the training you got. Those numbers make your next CV stronger.
Watch out for scams
Paying for a job is illegal in New Zealand. Under the Wages Protection Act 1983 (opens in a new tab), no employer, or anyone acting for one, may ask for or take a premium for employing someone. Be wary of anyone who wants a fee for a job, or who won't give you a written employment agreement. To report exploitation, call Employment New Zealand on 0800 200 088.
How SmartCVs helps
Seasonal jobs fill quickly, so it helps to send a clear, tailored application soon after a job is advertised.
Browse the job board for jobs from employers' own career sites, by region and field. When you find one, choose Tailor my CV for this job. SmartCVs writes a CV and cover letter for that job from your profile, in its words, and shows which of its requirements you already meet. It won't invent experience you don't have. Save keeps each job in your job tracker, so you can follow several applications at once.
The free plan gives you 3 job scans a week, each with a tailored CV and cover letter. Not sure how your CV reads? Start with the free CV check.
Frequently asked questions
When is fruit picking season in New Zealand?
It depends on the crop. Cherries are picked around December and January, stonefruit from January to March, and apples and pears from February to May. The kiwifruit harvest peaks from March to June. Before picking, apple and pear thinning runs from about September to January, busiest in November and December.
How much do fruit pickers earn in NZ?
At least the minimum wage, which is NZ$23.95 an hour for adults from 1 April 2026. Many pickers are paid per bin, but piece rates must still add up to at least the minimum wage for each hour worked. Work and Income says 30 hours a week of picking pays around NZ$700 a week before tax, or more.
Can I do seasonal work on a Working Holiday visa?
Yes. A Working Holiday visa lets you take temporary work, including seasonal jobs. If you do at least 3 months of seasonal horticulture or viticulture work, you can apply for a Working Holiday extension of up to 3 more months.
Where can I find seasonal work in New Zealand?
Pick NZ lists horticulture and viticulture jobs, and industry bodies like New Zealand Apples & Pears and NZKGI point to more. Work and Income can help locally. For Christmas casual, hospitality and summer jobs, check employers' own career sites, which the SmartCVs job board collects in one place.
Do I need experience for seasonal work?
Often not. Many thinning, picking, packing and Christmas retail jobs train you on the job. Employers look for reliability, fitness and availability for the whole season, so put those on your CV.
Do seasonal workers get holiday pay?
Yes. In a fixed-term job of less than 12 months, your employer can add holiday pay to your wages as you go, at no less than 8% of your gross pay, shown separately on your payslip. It has to be agreed in your employment agreement.
What tax code do I use for seasonal work?
If you're only doing casual agricultural work, Inland Revenue says to use the CAE tax code. If it's a second job alongside your main one, you'll usually use a secondary tax code. Without an IRD number and tax code, your employer must deduct tax at 45%.
