On board
Virgin Blue flight DJ917 bound for Brisbane, my sister Kate, best friend Lauren and I couldn’t have cared less there were headphones available. Ahead of us lay a whole weekend dedicated to our two biggest guilty pleasures in life: food and wine, and all we wanted to do ogle over the list of award-winning restaurants on our itinerary. A hostess walking past even stopped to have a look at the pieces of paper causing so much of a kerfuffle. “You girls are going to have the best weekend,” she smiled as she flicked through them. Coming from a local, we took that as good omen. We made a pact then and there for the next few days: eat and drink whatever you feel like. No diet. No restrictions. Experience everything.
The first stop after our smooth landing was
Manly. Not to be confused with the stretch of beach north of Sydney, Brisbane’s counterpart is 40 minutes from the CBD and a pretty bayside suburb full of wooden houses locals endearingly call “Queenslanders”. People flock here once a month for the
Jan Powers Farmers Markets and one whiff of the air as we slam the car doors reveals why. It’s an olfactory melting pot of a hundred different smells, scents and aromas – everything from sizzling German sausages and fresh crusty bread to the rich, creamy fragrance of liquid chocolate.
As we wander around leisurely sipping beautifully-brewed coffee, we stop every now and again to sample the gooiest of local Brie by
Kingaroy Cheese, herb-crusted salmon smoked and my favourite,
Dello Mano brownies – honestly the best I’ve tasted in my 25 years. I look down at my handbag and suddenly wish I’d brought a proper shopper – it’s just not big enough for everything I want to buy.
One thing that strikes all three of us is just how friendly and relaxed an atmosphere it is here. Markets in Sydney are code for stress, crowds and a less than appealing experience. Furthermore, I’ve never seen such a variety of food in one open-air space – who knew fresh cuts of meat and seafood in refrigerated trailers could coexist next to a home-made Turkish delight stand, next to farmer Joe’s fruit and veg picked early this morning. This is definitely something Sydney doesn’t have and because of this, I spend the next hour in my own little bubble completely soaking up the experience.
Details: Jan Powers Farmers Markets
Head here: At Manly on the third Saturday of every month (at other Brisbane locations throughout the month)
Address: Manly Esplanade, Manly (between Cambridge and Cardigan Parades)
For more information, click here.To uncover what Brisbane has on offer and take advantage of great Blue Holidays deals to experience it yourself
click here.- Jessica Montague