Stonefruit Thinners

McIntosh Orchard Ltd; Alexandra; On-site; NZD 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite training for thinning, ladder

Friendly, multicultural workplace

Opportunity to return each season

Meaningful experience in horticulture

Job summary

McIntosh Orchard Ltd in Alexandra is seeking Stonefruit Thinners for the 2026/27 season. This outdoor horticultural role finishes just before Christmas and offers hands-on thinning experience to help produce high-quality fruit.

As a Stonefruit Thinner, you will remove fruitlets, carry ladders all day, and work with a thinning partner in hot sun, strong winds, and cool mornings. A positive, detail-focused team player is valued.

Qualifications

• Ladder confidence and physical fitness required.
• Attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience thinning fruit trees is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Remove fruitlets to ensure high-quality fruit.
• Carry ladders and use ladder safety practices all day.
• Work in hot sun, strong winds and cool mornings.
• Thinning with a partner to achieve the target fruit set.
• Maintain high attention to detail in fast-paced conditions.

Skills

Ladder confident

Physical fit

Attention to detail

Comfortable with wind/heat

Team player

Motivated by daily goal

Fruit thinning experience

Job description

McIntosh Orchard is a family-run orchard established in 1881 that has delighted customers with our exceptional fruit for many years. We are based in Earnscleugh, Alexandra, which has amazing views of the entire basin, and is only an hour's drive to Queenstown and Wanaka.We are seeking Stonefruit Thinners for the upcoming 2026/27 Stonefruit Season. This role would be perfect for someone wanting an outdoor horticultural experience that finishes just before Christmas.

As a Stonefruit Thinner, you will be responsible for

• Removing fruitlets to ensure the production of high-quality fruit.
• Carrying and using ladders all day
• Working in the hot sun, strong winds, and cool mornings
• Working with your thinning partner to effectively thin the tree correctly
• Attention to detail in a high-paced environment

Our ideal candidate would be:

• Ladder Confident
• Physical fit for ladder work and above head work
• Excellent attention to detail
• Comfortable working in harsh wind or hot sun
• Positive team player in a multicultural environment
• Motivated by smashing the daily goal set for the thinning team!!
• Comfortable working in the wind or heat of the day
• Experience thinning fruit trees before

What we offer:

• Onsite training for thinning, ladder use, and food safety
• Friendly, inclusive, and multicultural workplace
Opportunity to return each season
• Meaningful experience in the horticulture sector

We can only accept applications from people who have the right to work in New Zealand.