We were driving down from Queensland and Coffs Harbour was just a stop along the way, but we’d read somewhere there was a lychee farm nearby, so we figured we’d swing by. Worth saying upfront: it’s not really worth a special trip just for the lychees, no matter how good they are — but if you’re already passing through Coffs Harbour, it’s absolutely worth the detour.
We rocked up around 4pm. The owner — we think the farm is known as Knoblock’s Farm, though we couldn’t confirm that’s the official name, there are a few old news articles online with interviews with a Mr Knoblock — told us picking properly happens in the morning. We had plans the next day back in Queensland though, so he let the kids duck into the orchard and pick a handful anyway. Not a full picking session, but enough to say we’d actually done it.
The lychees themselves were $15/kg, and honestly worth it — properly sweet, skin a soft pink, flesh completely translucent underneath. A whole kilo disappeared between the kids in about five minutes flat.
Where to pick lychees in NSW
The farm is at 169 South Boambee Road, Boambee, just south of Coffs Harbour — as far as we know it’s the main pick-your-own lychee option in NSW, and it’s been growing lychees there since the 1970s, well before most Sydney or Brisbane families had tried a fresh one. It’s also the southernmost commercial lychee orchard in the country, which is part of why the season here runs later than you’d expect.
When is lychee season?
Late December-ish through to February, roughly, with January being the main stretch. About 6-8 weeks total, give or take, because it really just depends on the weather that year. We got lucky with the timing but honestly could’ve just as easily turned up too early or too late — there’s no fixed date, so ring ahead if you can before you commit to the drive.
What it’s actually like
Don’t expect a “farm experience” with a café and gift shop and someone handing you a bucket. It’s just an orchard, a few rows of trees, and whoever from the family happens to be around that day. We paid cash, no eftpos, nothing fancy. Honestly felt more like turning up at someone’s actual property than a tourist thing, which we kind of liked.
How far is it from Sydney and Brisbane?
Depends which direction you’re coming from. Sydney side, you’re looking at 5.5-6 hours. From Brisbane it’s closer, more like 4-4.5. Either way it’s not a quick in-and-out, which is really the whole point above — don’t drive up JUST for lychees. We only did it because we were already passing through on our way home.
Bring cash, and bring an esky if you actually want the lychees to survive the rest of your drive — ours barely lasted the five minutes it took the kids to eat them, let alone a hot car for hours. And if you can get there in the morning rather than 4pm like we did, do that — you’ll get the proper picking instead of whatever the owner takes pity on you for.
Not into lychees? We’ve got a whole Sydney fruit picking guide — cherries, figs, the lot, sorted by season.
A family orchard at 169 South Boambee Road, Boambee, near Coffs Harbour — as far as we’re aware, the main pick-your-own lychee option in the state.
Further north in Queensland it can start as early as November, but at Boambee — the southernmost lychee-growing area in the country — the season generally runs from late December to February.
It’s worth checking first. Picking tends to happen in the mornings, and the season depends on the weather rather than a fixed calendar date.
We paid $15/kg — pricing may vary by season, so it’s worth confirming before you drive up.
It’s the best-known pick-your-own option. Most other lychee growers, mainly further north in Queensland, sell wholesale rather than offering u-pick access.