One of the secrets to creating exceptional fruit platters lies in understanding seasonality. When you choose fruits at their peak season, you get the best flavour, the best texture, and often the best prices. Seasonal fruits haven't travelled thousands of kilometres or spent weeks in cold storage—they're at their natural best, bursting with the sweetness and juiciness that nature intended.
For Australian entertainers, understanding local seasons is particularly important because our calendar is reversed from the Northern Hemisphere information that dominates much of the internet. Our summer stone fruits arrive in December, our citrus peaks in winter, and our berry seasons don't align with what you might read on American food blogs. This comprehensive guide breaks down the Australian fruit calendar month by month, helping you plan stunning platters that showcase the very best of what each season offers.
Summer Abundance (December - February)
Australian summer brings the most spectacular bounty for fruit platter creators. This is the season of stone fruits, tropical treasures, and berry abundance. If you're hosting Christmas lunch, New Year's celebrations, or Australia Day gatherings, you're in luck—the fruit options are at their peak.
December Highlights
December marks the beginning of stone fruit season in Australia. Cherries from Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills hit their stride, with their deep red colour and sweet-tart flavour making them perfect for festive platters. Early season peaches and nectarines start appearing, though they often reach peak quality in January.
Mangoes, particularly the popular Kensington Pride (Bowen) variety, become increasingly available as the month progresses. Queensland and Northern Territory mangoes flood southern markets, bringing that unmistakable tropical sweetness perfect for summer entertaining. Watermelons reach peak season, and their bright pink flesh makes a stunning visual statement on any platter.
For a showstopping Christmas fruit platter, combine cherries, watermelon wedges, and green grapes to create a festive red and green colour scheme. Add some white-fleshed dragon fruit for a holiday-themed masterpiece.
January and February
These months represent peak summer fruit season. Stone fruits—peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums—are at their absolute best. Australian-grown berries, particularly strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, offer excellent quality and competitive prices. Tropical fruits including mangoes, papaya, and lychees remain abundant.
This is also the season for some lesser-known treats. White peaches and donut peaches (also called saturn peaches) appear at farmers' markets and specialty stores. Passionfruit vines are heavy with fruit, and the pulp makes an excellent topping or sauce for fruit platters. Figs have their second season (the first being late autumn), offering a luxurious addition to more sophisticated arrangements.
Autumn Transition (March - May)
Autumn sees the gradual shift from summer abundance to the more limited winter selection. Strategic shopping during these months allows you to extend your enjoyment of summer favourites while embracing early autumn arrivals.
March: The Last of Summer
Early March still offers good stone fruit options, though quality and variety diminish as the month progresses. This is the tail end of mango season—look for late-season varieties like Calypso and Honey Gold. Grapes hit their peak, with both table grapes and wine grapes being harvested across Australian regions. Green and red seedless varieties are particularly good value during the March harvest.
- Grapes - peak season March through May
- Figs - second harvest in late March/early April
- Persimmons - arriving in April
- Quinces - available for poaching from April
- Apples and pears - local harvest begins
April and May
Apple and pear season kicks into high gear during autumn. While these fruits are available year-round thanks to cold storage, newly harvested specimens from regions like Batlow, Shepparton, and the Adelaide Hills offer superior crunch and flavour. Pink Lady, Fuji, Jazz, and Royal Gala apples all shine during this period.
Persimmons, both the crisp Fuyu variety and the softer Hachiya type, become available from April. Their vibrant orange colour adds warmth to autumn platters. Pomegranates, with their jewel-like arils, also arrive in autumn—they're stunning scattered across a platter or piled in a small bowl as a centrepiece.
Winter Months (June - August)
Winter presents challenges for fruit platter creators, but it's far from impossible to create beautiful presentations. This is the season to embrace citrus, explore stored fruits, and appreciate the bounty that cold weather brings.
Citrus Season Glory
Australian winter is citrus season, and the variety available is remarkable. Naval oranges from Riverina and Queensland offer sweetness and easy peeling. Blood oranges, with their dramatic burgundy flesh, make a striking visual statement. Mandarins—Imperial, Afourer, and Murcott varieties—provide convenient snacking portions.
Beyond the familiar options, explore specialty citrus during winter. Cara Cara oranges have pink flesh with berry overtones. Finger limes, native to Australian rainforests, contain caviar-like vesicles that burst with citrus flavour. Meyer lemons, sweeter than regular lemons, can be thinly sliced and used as a garnish.
When featuring citrus on platters, consider supreming oranges and grapefruits—removing individual segments from the membrane—for easier eating and more elegant presentation. Keep the pith and membrane for other uses like marmalade or composting.
Other Winter Options
Kiwifruit, both green and gold varieties, are at their best during Australian winter. They're grown domestically in regions like the Atherton Tablelands and are also imported from New Zealand during their peak harvest. Their vibrant green or gold flesh adds colour to otherwise muted winter palettes.
Bananas remain available year-round from North Queensland, though prices may fluctuate with weather events. Apples and pears from cold storage maintain good quality through winter. Dried fruits and nuts, while not fresh, can supplement winter platters beautifully—consider dried apricots, dates, and figs alongside sliced manchego or other cheeses for a more substantial offering.
Spring Renewal (September - November)
Spring signals the gradual return of variety. While early spring can feel limited, by November the first hints of summer abundance begin appearing.
September and October
These months often feel like the most challenging for seasonal fruit platters. Citrus is waning, summer fruits haven't arrived, and options can seem limited. Focus on the best of what's available: late-season oranges and mandarins, quality apples and pears, and the first strawberries of the season starting to appear.
Look for locally grown rhubarb, which while technically a vegetable, makes wonderful compotes and stewed accompaniments for fruit platters. It pairs beautifully with early strawberries and adds a sophisticated element to spring entertaining.
November: Summer Preview
November brings exciting previews of summer bounty. Early cherries from Young and Orange in New South Wales start appearing, commanding premium prices but offering a taste of the abundance to come. Strawberry quality improves significantly, with Victorian and Queensland farms hitting their stride.
Early mangoes from the Northern Territory begin their journey south. While November mangoes can be inconsistent, by late month you'll find increasingly reliable options. Melons, both watermelon and rockmelon, start appearing with better quality than the off-season imports that fill gaps during winter.
Year-Round Standbys
Some fruits remain available throughout the year, though quality and price may vary with season. Bananas, thanks to continuous production in Far North Queensland, are always an option—they're budget-friendly and universally appealing, especially for family platters.
Grapes, through a combination of Australian production and imports from the United States during our off-season, maintain year-round availability. Quality peaks during the Australian harvest from February to May, but acceptable options exist year-round. Similarly, apples and pears, stored in controlled atmosphere facilities, provide consistent quality throughout the year, though newly harvested autumn fruit will always taste superior.
Visit farmers' markets when possible—you'll find seasonal produce at its peak, often at better prices than supermarkets. Growers can tell you exactly when fruit was picked and offer varieties you won't find elsewhere. Building relationships with local producers pays dividends for year-round platter success.
Making the Most of Each Season
Understanding seasonality is just the first step—applying that knowledge elevates your entertaining. Plan your platters around what's genuinely at its best rather than forcing out-of-season options. A March platter showcasing peak-season grapes, late figs, and early persimmons will always outshine one featuring imported, flavourless berries and mediocre stone fruits.
Embrace each season's unique character. Summer platters can be abundant and tropical. Autumn arrangements might feature warm colours and heartier options. Winter calls for creativity with citrus and stored fruits. Spring platters celebrate renewal with the first tender strawberries and early stone fruits. By aligning your entertaining with nature's calendar, you'll create platters that taste better, cost less, and showcase the remarkable diversity of Australian produce throughout the year.