9 Picture-Perfect Places To Pick Sunflowers in Australia

Let brilliant blooms light up your life with the country’s best seasonal sunflower-picking spots.

The most feel-good flower of them all, sunflowers burst with golden optimism. It’s why sunshine-flushed fields, awash with rows of the beloved yellow blooms, are the stuff of dreams, creating ethereal backdrops as you snap photos or snip a bunch to take home.

Most sunflower farms across the country open their gates for just a small period at a time, ensuring the seasonal destinations are well-trodden no matter where they’re located. Here, we collate the best sunflower-picking spots in Australia to help you catch them when you can.

1. Sunflowers on Kents, Qld

Sunflowers love the sun (crazy, right?) so it makes sense that Australia’s Sunshine State keeps them blossoming longer than other states can.

a sunflower farm in full bloom — Sunflowers on Kents flourish during summer. (Image: Bonnie Kittle)

At Sunflowers on Kents in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, pretty petals flourish during summer but also at other times throughout the year.

Located in the farming town of Kalbar, home to an annual Kalbar Sunflower Festival and several other sunflower-picking fields, this place features a coffee van that also serves snacks so it’s a fabulous morning out.

a bee pollinating a sunflower — Snap photos of these beloved yellow blooms. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Best time to visit: It’s open for various windows throughout the year, so check their Instagram for details.
Price: $15 per person, which includes five sunflowers to take home.
Address: 10 Kents Lagoon Road, Kalbar

2. Farm & Co, NSW

Committed to keeping their sunflowers thriving all year round, the team at Farm & Co rotate their crops so there’s always new growth gearing up to bloom. Located in Cudgen, within the Tweed Shire on NSW’s north coast (and very close to the NSW-Queensland border) this hot spot isn’t just a magnet for flower fans.

the sunflower field at Farm & Co, NSW — Sunflowers thrive all year round at Farm & Co. (Image: Sal Singh)

Its restaurant is one of the best farm-to-fork dining experiences in the region and the farm itself is also dotted with macadamia trees (you can crack their shells right on site) and farm animals, making it extremely family-friendly.

sunflowers at Farm & Co, NSW — Farm & Co is a magnet for sunflower fans. (Image: Sal Singh)

Best time to visit: All year round, however January to March brings the best conditions for growth.
Price: $7 per person, and it’s $4 per stem to take home.
Address: 529 Cudgen Road, Cudgen

3. The Paddock, WA

The team at The Paddock have created the ultimate Instagram moment, building a sunflower-emblazoned door into their flourishing sunflower farm.

a sunflower-emblazoned door at The Paddock, WA — Spot a sunflower-emblazoned door at The Paddock.

The south west WA hot spot near Busselton is only open for a flash in the heat of summer so plan ahead to catch the sunnies in all their towering glory. Cold drinks and snacks, including locally cooked pastries, are also on hand to help quench January’s heat.

touching a sunflower at The Paddock, WA — Catch the sunnies in all their towering glory.

Best time to visit: It’s open for a small window each January, so check the website for details.
Price: Choose from a $10, $20 or $30 donation per bucket of stems you snip.
Address: Boyanup Picton Road, Crooked Brook, two hours south of Perth

4. Majura Valley Sunflower Maze, ACT

For about three weeks each year, the Majura Valley Sunflower Maze opens its doors at the Majura Valley Free Range Eggs farm in Canberra.

An incredible outdoor adventure for nature lovers, it’s wheelchair accessible however be warned that the track isn’t always even.

a woman strolling along the Majura Valley Sunflower Maze — Swoon over golden-topped blooms at the Majura Valley Sunflower Maze. (Image: Tourism Australia)

There’s also a produce store to help you stock up on fresh farm goodies, plus you can bring a picnic rug and supplies (for a fee) if you’re keen to stay a while.

the produce store at the Majura Valley Sunflower Maze — Find fresh farm goodies at the produce store onsite. (Image: Shots By Sal Photography)

Best time to visit: It’s open for a small window around March, so check the website for details.
Price: $10 per person, and it’s $3 per stem to take home, with no more than five stems per person.
Address: Majura House, 728 Majura Road, Majura

5. Warraba Sunflowers, Qld

A family-run hot spot in rural Toowoomba, Warraba Sunflowers is a sunflower-picking farm that lets visitors take home as many as they can carry.

a family enjoying sunflower-picking at Warraba Sunflowers, Qld — Pick Warraba Sunflowers during peak season. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

As a reward for all that hard work, you might even find woodfire pizza ovens roasting up an assortment of delectable varieties — the team have been known to bring in the snacks when peak sunflower season rolls around.

a woman picking sunflowers — Take home as many sunflowers as you can carry. (Image: Mish and Kirk)

Best time to visit: It’s open for various windows throughout the year, so check their Instagram or website for details.
Price: $10 per person, and you can pick as many sunflowers as you can carry.
Address: 439 McNallys Road, Cambooya

6. Pick Your Own Sunflowers, Vic

One of the few destinations in Victoria to let you get your sunflower on, Pick Your Own Sunflowers is a farm that’s open once a year. But don’t go thinking the quality of its crop isn’t as mighty as those found further north.

a woman holding a bunch of sunflowers at Pick Your Own Sunflowers, VIC — Get your sunflower on at Pick Your Own Sunflowers farm. (Image: Ballarat City Council)

Located in Dunnstown, just outside Ballarat, the farm is robust and grows ridiculously tall blooms, much to the delight of thick crowds who swarm when the timing’s right.

a close-up shot of a sunflower at Pick Your Own Sunflowers, VIC — Pick Your Own Sunflowers grow ridiculously tall blooms. (Image: Frank Carol)

Best time to visit: It’s open for a small window between February and March every year, so check the website for details.
Price: $10 per person, and it’s $4 per stem to take home.
Address: Corner Howards Road and Navigator Dunnstown Road, Dunnstown

7. Atkins Farm, SA

Make your day out in the Adelaide Hills even more special during the summer months with a visit to Atkins Farm in South Australia.

the sunflower field at Atkins Farm, SA — Atkins Farm is awash with rows of golden blooms.

The sunflower-picking farm is open for a couple of weeks at a time with the most vibrant blooms ripe for snipping during early mornings or late afternoons.

A ticket will give you 50 minutes to stickybeak the golden-topped stems with photography highly encouraged.

Woman at the Atkins Farm sunflower farm in Adelaide Hills — Pick Atkins Farm’s most vibrant blooms in early mornings or late afternoons. (Image: @our_wandering_life)

Best time to visit: It’s open for a small window each January, so check the website for details.
Price: From $32 per person, which includes a bunch of stems to take home.
Address: Near Meadows, Adelaide Hills

8. PetTeet Park, WA

Their sunnies only bloom once a year but PetTeet Park in Western Australia’s Gilgering on the Great Southern Highway is a great day out for plenty of reasons. Home to bright yellow canola fields, the farm is also known for its fresh produce store and kid-friendly farm animal encounters.

a vast sunflower farm — The sunflowers at PetTeet Park are picture-perfect. (Image: Josh Geelen)

To get amongst the very rare experience of sunflower picking on this side of the country though, you’ll need to wait until Easter.

a close-up shot of a sunflower — Sunnies only bloom once a year at PetTeet Park but they’re worth the wait. (Image: Aaron Burden)

Best time to visit: It’s open for a small window around April, so check the website for details.
Price: $20 per person, and sunflower picking is only allowed at the end of the seasonal window.
Address: 1625 Qualen West Road, Gilgering

9. Glenbernie Family Farms, NSW

A totally slick spot for sunflower picking in NSW, Glenbernie Family Farms is a one-hour drive from Sydney and worth every inch of effort. They tend to open for a few weeks in the cooler months and when they do, expect all the bells and whistles to help celebrate their field of dreams. A jumping castle, farm animal encounters, firepit sessions, great coffee and hot food are typically onsite.

a woman exploring Glenbernie Family Farms, NSW — Make your sunflower fantasy come to life at Glenbernie Family Farms.

Best time to visit: During winter and spring, but check the website for specific details.
Price: $10 per person, and it’s $5 per stem to take home.
Address: 610 Bells Line of Road, Kurmond

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

9 picture-perfect places to go sunflower picking in Australia