The Scene at Sydney’s Weekend Markets

Winter in New South Wales, Australia for me resembles spring or autumn – often even summer. Accustomed to temperatures on the United States’ Eastern Seaboard so brutal they kill, it’s refreshing to walk around outside in Sydney and its environs during the deepest, darkest wintertime months without fighting to stay alive in the ice. Where I come from, winters don’t just kill, they shut life down for months. In Sydney’s wintertime world, life hums along as it simply cannot back home, with sailboats gliding through the harbour, ferries transporting people to and fro and – and another great warm air treat – scads of markets busily buzzing. I made a point of visiting many of these markets in Sydney. Here’s what I found.

Oxford Street Farmer’s Market – While setting off to explore some of Sydney’s weekend markets one Saturday, I accidentally walked straight into a tiny farmer’s market on Oxford Street while on my way to another market (which I never found). Here I met a girl named Sarah, who would capture the heart of many a travel blogger, as she quit the corporate world three years ago to pursue her dream of – second in importance only to travel – food! She created and cooks a saucy line of uniquely flavored sauces called Relish This, several of which she spread on crackers for me to sample. I loved them all and would have bought her outrageously delicious Beetroot Apple-n-Orange, if I hadn’t been traveling on so soon.

Sydney Fish Market – Apparently I love dead fish heads. I noticed this about myself at the Sydney Fish Market, where I couldn’t stop taking photos of the severed skulls arranged in many and varied positions on ice. Yum. What to do next? Eat, of course. Several little restaurants fill the buildings that comprise this chaotic market, but prices seemed steep everywhere. You might as well order something anyway, because you sure can’t take dead fish home with you on a plane.

Paddy’s Markets – This large indoor market is near Darling Harbour, a busy, busy super-touristy area which, inexplicably, I just really like. The market itself reminded me of an indoor souk without the sales pitch pressure. I mean this in a positive sense. I like souks. I think it was the enormous mish-mash of tables and goods on stands crowded together along with the hundreds of numb people flocking past. My personal highlight was standing and poking toothpicks into raw seafood to taste tiny samples. Paddy’s Markets was actually one of my favorite markets in Sydney.

The Rocks Weekend Market - This is an upscale spot, not far from the Sydney Opera House. It is also quite vast, with tables that run around and over the exclusive small underground shopping area called The Rocks Centre. I was in a little bit of a hurry, as I was on my way to meet a girl named Dina so we could watch bats flying past the moon in the Royal Botanic Garden. I did find one un-upscale and somewhat disturbingly quirky item at this market in Sydney, though – plastic pig masks, along with other animal faces to fit over your own. For Halloween, I hope.

Surry Hills Markets - I was really glad I was around for this Sydney market, open a mere once a month. Located in a small park, I saw a goodly share of clothes, books, jewelry and cute stuff. I found love, though, at a food stand. Turkish Gozleme – a dish I’d never before heard of – was being concocted on a griddle in the middle of the park. Folded over and stuffed with stuff, it looked so delectable I realized I would regret passing it by. I ordered a plate of this flat, soft, hot dough filled with lamb, spinach and cheese and wound up experiencing the best meal I’ve had in Australia