Goondiwindi is a smallish outback country town located in southern Queensland, right near the border of New South Wales and it has an approximate population of 5,600.

Its postcode is 4390, which makes it an area eligible for backpackers and people wanting to come and work and travel Australia to extend their Working Holiday Visa to an Extended Working Holiday Visa.

It is situated in the fertile 'Darling Downs' region, and is directly on the banks of the Macintyre River. It is at the heart of one of Australia's largest cotton producing areas. It is situated in high country and is approximately 215 meters above sea level.

Goondiwindi is an aboriginal word meaning "the resting place of the birds".

It is located about 365 km's from Brisbane, which would take you about 5 hours to drive, and about 750 km's from Sydney, which would take you about 7.5 hours to drive.

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Best time to find fruit picking work in Goondiwindi

In terms of harvest work, Goondiwindi is only really known for growing cotton.

It is unlikely you will find any other fruit picking work in the area, although you may find other types of farm related work available throughout the entire year.

The work season basically breaks down like this: March you may find work, and April and May are the busy two months when most of the cotton picking and ginning is done.

Work is scares to non-existent the rest of the year, do NOT just turn up and expect to be able to find work!

	Jan	Feb	Mar	April	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cotton:

 Generally lots of work.  There may be work.  Generally no work.

Weather in Goondiwindi

And here you can see the average temperatures in Goondiwindi over the year, it may influence you decision on if you want to work in the area.

December - February
June - August
December - February

44.2°C in November 2006
44.2°C 1992

How to find fruit picking work in Goondiwindi

Firstly have a look on the Jobs Board, specifically the Fruit picking & Harvest jobs in Queensland section.

Then have a look at the Employment agencies in Australia section. Simply select Brisbane and Queensland as your Location and Agriculture & Rural Services as your Speciality when using the search form to get a complete list of companies who may have job listings.

If there isn't anything on there that interests you, here are the details for one of the biggest companies in the area, it is always a good idea to contact them and see if there is any work in the area:

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And there is the National Harvest Labour Information Service (run by the Australian government):

Where to stay in Goondiwindi

There are a number of motels, a hotel, caravan parks and a hostel in town. You may be able to camp on the farm you are working on, but you should check before hand. Either way it is a good idea to bring your camping gear.

For more information you can contact the local Tourist Information centre.

How to get to Goondiwindi

It is 365 km's to the west of Brisbane on the Cunningham Highway and 132 km's north of Moree on the Newell Highway from New South Wales. Due to its isolated location your best option is the drive or take a bus.

What to do in Goondiwindi

Goondiwindi hosts the Natural Heritage and Water Park, a 210 ha recreational water park opened in early 2004. It also has an active sporting community, with rugby union, cricket, rugby league, tennis, AFL, netball, golf, etc, and there is a large indoor gymnasium for use by the general public.

For the nature lovers Boobera Lagoon is a permanent water hole to the west of the town and Bendidee National Park is located a short drive to the north east of the town. Camping, fishing, water sports, etc are all on offer in or around the town.