Hauptstadt der Kirschen

Young

After a few rainy days in Canberra, we head to Young. Young is a small town with a population of 7,170 people. Young is located between Sydney and Canberra in New South Wales. We make our way to the Hallmark office. Hallmark Cherries is one of the largest cherry producers in Australia. Young and the Hilltop region are known for their unique climate, where a lot of wine, cherries, and other stone fruits are harvested. In Australia, Young is considered 'the capital of cherries' and everything seems to revolve around cherries here. We have heard indulgent stories from other backpackers, so we are motivated and ready for the next cherry season.

First, we take care of the paperwork at the office and get our buckets that we will use for picking. Then, we are given directions to the campsite.

We arrive at a huge brown, dry field. There are two other caravans on the gigantic site besides us, and to our left is a stone house that houses the toilets and showers. A small man with a cowboy hat introduces himself as Hobbit, the campground supervisor. Surprisingly, it turns out to be quite difficult to find a spot for us. There's nobody around, but Hobbit leads us through the steppe and repeatedly tells us where we can't camp. Eventually, he shows us a spot next to a thin, half-dried tree that hasn't been reserved yet. After about half an hour of abstract discussions about people who might come later, we are finally allowed to set up our tent under a tree. After we move in, we look for the kitchen that was promised to us but unfortunately, we can't find it. Hobbit explains to us with a smile that the kitchen will probably be delivered next week and offers to let us use his fridge in the meantime.

Later, we receive an email from Hallmark informing us that we will have to wait at least three more days before we can start picking. These three days are very uncomfortable. It's only 15°C, it's raining, and the wind is blowing coldly against us. Since we don't really know what we can do in and around Young, we spend most of the time in the car, the only place that is somewhat warm. Day by day, more backpackers arrive, all eagerly waiting for the season to start. We meet Josh, a Brit we met in Tasmania, again.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, we start! We all work in teams of two, four people always get a row, with each team working together. We pick all the cherries hanging on the tree and practice something called bunch picking. In bunch picking, every cherry goes into the bucket, it doesn't matter if they are spoiled, stemless, or hanging together. Hallmark has a machine in the packing house that sorts out all the bad cherries.

From the bucket strapped to our waist, the cherries are carefully poured into larger buckets on the ground. One of these buckets weighs around 14kg and we earn $12.75 from it, minus taxes. If we pick 20 buckets at 14kg each, we earn more than the minimum wage. Hallmark is known for its long and good season. We expected to easily pick more than 20 buckets. Quickly, it becomes clear to us that this is probably not possible. With our kitchen, which actually arrived functional after a week and a few days, worries start to arise. Discontent spreads among the French Canadians and disappointments grow. The cherries are small, have short stems, and break very difficultly.

The days get hotter and the wind blows the dry earth into our eyes and ears. We have over 40°C almost every day, which doesn't make the situation any easier. Every morning it becomes harder to get up and find motivation. I often catch myself making plans and looking for excuses not to have to go to work. I try not to stress myself too much and pick what I can without using too much energy.

Most afternoons, we hide in the kitchen, as there is air conditioning there, and play board games with Josh.

We don't hear much about the wildfires raging in New South Wales and around Sydney. Some days, the smoke sits thick above us, protecting our skin from the piercing sun, otherwise we only see the devastating fires on the news.

In early December, the International Cherry Festival takes place in Young, where the cherry is the center of attention. There are cherry pie eating contests and cherry pit spitting competitions. People sell cherry liqueur, cherry jam, and cherry books. The whole thing is crowned with a typical Australian parade. Everything, really everything that has at least one wheel is driven honking through the main street of Young. Starting with police officers and firefighters, going through the supermarket truck, and ending with twenty tractors from farmers in the region, everything rolls waving and smiling down the street. A handful of music clubs accompany the honking with Scottish bagpipe music and a single cherry marches amidst all the cars and exhaust fumes.

We work for Hallmark Cherries for two more weeks. The once rich region is devoured by the drought, and when it does rain, the dry earth breaks and immediately drains the little water.

After five weeks of working in this hot and dry environment, we leave Young. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The whole atmosphere at the campsite and within the team weighs heavily on me, and I feel depressed and uninspired. Nevertheless, or maybe because of that, the anticipation of returning to Tasmania is even greater.