Apple Picking Jobs Nelson (February

Apple Picking – Seasonal Orchard Work (February – April)

Join our team and help bring in Nelson’s premium apple harvest. As an apple picker, you’ll work outdoors in our orchards, carefully selecting fruit that meets our standards for size, colour, ripeness, and quality. You’ll pick into comfortable shoulder-slung buckets, which are then emptied into large fruit bins holding around 380–400 kg of apples.

Your work will be checked by a Quality Controller or Orchard Supervisor to ensure we’re delivering the very best fruit to our customers. The role involves using ladders to reach fruit at different heights, so confidence and safety awareness when working off the ground is important.

This is a physically active job, so you’ll need a good level of fitness and strong colour vision to assess fruit quality accurately. If you enjoy working outdoors, being part of a supportive team, and taking pride in a job well done, we’d love to have you on board.

Attention to detail – able to select fruit that meets exact standards for size, colour, ripeness, and quality.
Good colour vision – essential for assessing fruit maturity and ensuring correct colour selection.
Physical fitness and stamina – able to work on foot for extended periods while carrying a picking bucket.
Safe ladder use – confident and careful when working at heights.
Efficiency and consistency – maintains a steady picking pace while meeting quality requirements.
Careful handling – avoids bruising or damaging fruit during picking and emptying into bins.
Ability to follow instructions – listens to and applies guidance from supervisors and quality controllers.
Teamwork – works cooperatively with others to meet harvest targets.
Adaptability – able to adjust technique for different apple varieties, weather conditions, and orchard layouts.
Positive work attitude – takes pride in delivering high-quality fruit and supporting the harvest team.

Apple Picking Application

Please note: Filling out this form is part of the application process only and does not guarantee a job.

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First name: *

Surname: *

Address: *

Phone number: *

Date of birth: *

Gender: *

Email: *

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Date available to start work: *

Do you have reliable transport? *

Nationality: *

Have you worked for Wai-West Horticulture Ltd before? *

When were you employed? *

What were you employed to do? *

Are you registered with Work and Income (WINZ)? *

Work and Income (WINZ) client number: *

Cover letter: (if available)

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Resume: (if available)

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Evidence of your identity and entitlement to work in New Zealand: *

New Zealand driver's licence number: *

New Zealand birth certificate number: *

Passport nationality: *

Passport number: *

Are you a citizen or resident of NZ? *

Visa type: *

Visa number: *

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Have you had an Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claim for any injury: *

What for? *

Have you had or do you suffer from an injury, strain, or pain of the finger/wrist? *

Have you had or do you suffer from an injury, strain, or pain of the neck/shoulder or back? *

Have you had or do you suffer from an injury to limbs? *

Have you had or do you suffer from a hernia? *

Have you had or do you suffer from skin rashes, dermatitis or eczema? *

Have you had or do you suffer from asthma or bronchitis? *

Have you had or do you suffer from epilepsy or blackouts? *

Have you had diarrhea in the last month? *

Do you suffer from deafness? *

Have you ever contracted HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)? *

Have you ever contracted TB (Tuberculosis)? *

Have you ever contracted Hepatitis C? *

Have you had or do you suffer from high blood pressure? *

Have you had or do you suffer from a heart complaint? *

Do you suffer from colour blindness? *

Do you suffer from diabetes? *

Have you had any recent illness or accident? *

What recent illness or accident have you had? *

Do you suffer from any allergies? *

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Do you suffer from any other ailments? *

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Do you take any medications? *

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Emergency contact details:

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Relationship to you: *

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Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence? *

Please give details of your criminal record: *

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Do you have any relevant training or experience?

Supervising *

Tractor *

First aid *

Chainsaw *

Forklift *

Growsafe *

Heavy vehicle *

Other *

Please list your other training or experience: *

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By submitting this form I hereby declare that, to the best of my knowledge, the answers in this application are accurate. I understand that providing false information or omitting material facts may result in my application being rejected, or if employed, I may face dismissal. I acknowledge that I currently have no work-related injury or ACC claim that would hinder me from performing the tasks for which I would be required for this position. I understand that the personal information provided in this form is collected for the purposes of evaluating this application and, if employment is offered, it may be used utilised as needed for all employment-related matters with Wai-West Horticulture Ltd.

Wai West

Locations

Our orchards span nine properties on the Waimea Plains, all within a short drive of no more than 12 minutes from Richmond.

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