market experience in melbourne

unlike markets in singapore, those in melbourne or, for that matter, in australia are not conveniently open 7 days a week. even queen victoria market - the one known to most visitors to melbourne - is closed on wednesdays and thursdays. some markets are held weekly, some, monthly and there are the 3, 4 or 5 day-a week markets.

the once-a-month market at red hill in the mornington peninsula, which i visited, has the atmosphere of a food-cum-fun fair. although billed as a craft market, the number of food stalls clearly outnumber the number of craft stalls.



the casual and colourful atmosphere lend itself to attract people who come in their heritage cars and some who come with their canine friends, even though there is an explicit notice stating that dogs are not allowed. not all, however, come with the intention of buying something; some are there just to browse and to soak in the atmosphere.

besides food, clothing and household stuff, you can also get potted plants and colourful flowers from this market. the prices of these garden organisms are generally lower than those at the nurseries.

like a fair, you have people, in the form of acrobats, jugglers or musicians, providing almost free entertainment.

the interest, need and education of young children are also taken care of. apart from the usual farm animals and pets, there were also some unusual animals on display at the red hill market.



how can a market in australia be complete without some spirits or booze? as this is a community market, a lot of the local produce is on sale at the market. you can get products like strawberries and jams which come from the well-known sunnyrise strawberry farm nearby as well as wine from the wineries in that district like red hill and t'gallant.

markets in melbourne

most visitors or tourists to melbourne would have heard about or made a visit to queen victoria market. the locals refer to it as 'vic mart'. when i first heard it sounded like 'big mart' to me. unlike markets in singapore, the markets here are not open every day. victoria market is open 5 days a week; it is closed on monday and wednesday. most of the markets in the suburbs are open on selected days, generally about 2 or 3 days a week. the ones i normally go to are the carribean market and the dandenong market.

there are also some theme or specialised markets like the st kilda arts and craft market, the book market at federation square and some markets that sell farm produce only, like the mulgrave farmers' market held on sundays.



the carribean market is located in an area which, i think, is about half the size of bukit panjang housing estate. it has a huge lake called the carribean lake and in the gardens there are facilities for children to play like chair lift, train ride and a jungle cruise. the wide and expansive parkland is also a popular venue for barbeques and picnics.


the carribean market, which has more than 1000 stalls, operates on wednesday, friday and sunday. on sunday, you have to pay an admission charge, normally $2.50. dandenong market, on the other hand, operates on tuesday, friday and saturday. because some of the stallholders move from market to market, you may find fewer stalls at either market on a friday.


at both markets, you find undercover and outside stalls. i suppose the undercover stalls pay a higher rental fees than those outside, in the open. apart from a wide range of local produce, you can get a wide variety of general goods at these markets. these may include stuff like antiques, bric-a-brac, clothes, plants, books, arts and craft material, computer paraphernalia and household tools.


generally, things are cheaper at these markets than at the supermarkets and department stores. my daughter tells me that the best bargains can be had at around 2.00 p.m. when the stall-holders are about to call it a day.