Australia’s top 10 farmers markets worth a visit

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Visiting the local farmers’ market has become the cornerstone of a foodie’s weekend (and a nicer way to get your groceries than the supermarket). Stock up your pantry at these top 10 outings.

1. Adelaide Farmers’ Market Adelaide, SA

Marketplace details:

Adelaide Farmer's Markets.
A glimpse into Adelaide Farmer’s Markets.

Held outdoors at Adelaide Showground every Sunday from 9am – 1pm.

Market fact:

 

Each week cooking demonstrations are held inside the Market Kitchen at Adelaide Farmer’s Markets , using local produce to create mouth-watering dishes. You may recognise some of the faces from MKR and MasterChef.

Market special:

 

Ice-cream in flavours such as lemon myrtle, native mint, lilly pilly and wild ginger from Bushtucker Ice-cream.

 

2. Collingwood Children’s Farm/Melbourne Farmers’ Markets, Abbotsford, VIC

Marketplace details:

Melbourne Farmer's Market at Collingwood Children's Farm.
Delicious raclette cheese available at Melbourne Farmer’s Market at Collingwood Children’s Farm.

Melbourne Farmers’ Markets is held outdoors at Collingwood Children’s Farm on the second Saturday of each month, 8am – 1pm. There’s a $2 entry fee per adult (children are free), which supports projects at the farm. The kids will love getting to know the farm animals.

Market fact:

 

It’s completely plastic bag-free here, so don’t forget your canvas shopping totes.

Market special:

 

The pancake stall is run by volunteers and all funds raised support the Young Farmers program. Tuck in for a feel-good breakfast.

 

3. Eveleigh Market, Eveleigh, NSW

Mushrooms Eveleigh Markets.
Mushroom out from beneath the shade: Eveleigh Markets, Sydney.

Marketplace details: Undercover at Carriageworks, every Saturday (rain, hail or shine), 8am – 1pm.

 

Market fact: Eveleigh Market features well-known Sydney eateries Bourke Street Bakery, Sonomo and Billy Kwong have stands here – you may even see Miss Kylie Kwong herself serving up steamed pork buns!

 

Market special: Honey pollinated around the city from The Rocks to Marrickville at The Urban Beehive.

 

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4. Farmgate Market, Hobart, TAS

Marketplace details: Outdoors at Bathurst Street every Sunday (rain, hail or shine) from 8:30am – 1pm.

Farmgate Market in Hobart, Tasmania.
People perusing Farmgate Market in Hobart, Tasmania.

Market fact: At Farmgate Market , everything sold must be grown or produced in Tasmania and only the people who grow, raise, produce, extract or pluck the goods can trade.

 

Market special: Sourdough donuts filled with apple and cardamom jam or dark choc and salty pistachio.

 

5. Noosa Farmers’ Market, Noosa, QLD

Marketplace details: Outdoors at Noosa Australian Football Club every Sunday (rain, hail or shine), 7am – 12pm.

Noosa Farmer's Markets.
Fresh produce from Noosa Farmer’s Markets.

Market fact: Noosa Farmers’ Market organisers are also behind the Noosa Food ETrail – a website showcasing a behind-the-scenes-style exploration of the local food region through fruit picking, farm tours, cooking schools. Plus markets and farm gates.

 

Market special: Handmade quality olive oils, olive tapenade and fresh olives from Fat Hen Farm.

 

6. Capital Region Farmers’ Market Canberra, ACT

Marketplace details: Undercover at Exhibition Park, most Saturdays from 7:30–11:30am.

Canberra Farmers Markets?
Why not pick up a gooey brownie from stallholder, The Hungry Brown Cow at Capital Region Farmers’ Market Canberra?

Market fact: At Capital Region Farmers Market , the majority of produce at the market (excluding some specialty products) comes from less than 300 kilometres away. The distance travelled by each stallholder is listed on the market website.

 

Market special: The pâtés of Fine Terrines & Pâtés come in all sorts of flavours from free-range chicken to Porcini and port – but if those don’t tickle your fancy, they’ll try to make one especially for you.

 

7. Talbot Farmers’ Markets, Talbot, VIC

Marketplace details: Talbot Farmers’ Market is held outdoors at Scandinavian Crescent on the third Sunday of each month, from 9am – 1pm.

Talbot Markets in Victoria.
Browse vintage finds at Talbot Markets in Victoria.

Market fact: The Town Hall Market is held on the same day just adjacent to the farmers’ market – it sells books, toys, crafts, clothing and more.

 

Market special: The award-winning Cooks Treat Ripper Relish and BBQue Brew (both gluten free, too!).

 

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8. Margaret River Farmers’ Markets Margaret River, WA

Marketplace details: This market is held at the Margaret River Education Campus on the third Sunday of every month, from 9am – 1pm.

Margaret River Farmer's Market.
Pick up a treat at Margaret River Farmer’s Market.

Market fact: Stalls at Margaret River Farmers’ Market are given priority based on how ‘local’ the produce is: if it’s made by farmers within the Margaret River Region with their own produce, it takes priority over residents of the Margaret River Region using local produce and those who use products from outside of the area and so on.

 

Market special: Bahen & Co’s factory is not open to the public, so get your hands on the artisan chocolate handmade using cacao beans and raw sugar.

 

9. Barossa Farmers’ Markets Barossa Valley, SA

Marketplace details: Barossa Farmers’ Markets is held undercover in the Vinters Sheds, Angaston, every Saturday from 7:30–11:30am.

Barossa Valley Farmer's Markets.
Barossa Distilling Company flavouring the farmer’s markets.

Market fact: The farmers travel an average of just 15 kilometres to get here, so you know all the produce is local and super fresh.

 

Market special: Fill up for breakfast on the delicious egg and bacon Market Burger.

 

10. Gold Coast Organic Market, Miami, QLD

Marketplace details: Outdoors at Miami High State School every Sunday, 6–11:30am.

Gold Coast Organic Market.
Delicious freshly made Organic Vegan Museli, Bowls from Gold Coast Organic Market.

Market fact: All produce at Gold Coast Organic Market must be straight from the farm and Certified Organically grown. But it’s not just the food that’s organic, there are also cleaning products, cosmetics, clothing and bedding.

 

Market special: The fermented beverages from Buchi Kombucha, made from organic white, black or green teas (or a blend), organic raw sugar, and a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, are meant to be ‘ridiculously good for you’. To sweeten the deal, they come in a variety of flavours including Ginger and Tumeric, Coffee, and Hibiscus Galangal Lime.

 

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What it’s really like to stay on the world’s largest sand island

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
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    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.