To Market, To Market - Again

Riccarton Rotary Market, April 2008. Ajr

Waking to discover I had an extra hour up my sleeve thanks to the end of daylight saving and with nothing better to do, I set off to visit the Riccarton Rotary Market. Supposedly the largest outdoor market of its kind in New Zealand, this extravaganza of the nifty and the peculiar unfurls every Sunday morning at Riccarton Racecourse. If you want the bargains it pays to get there early but I wasn’t in a spending mood – which was probably just as well because I found little to tempt me. Over 300 stall holders offer everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to secondhand goods, collectibles, clothing, furniture, art, accessories, food and a whole lot of ghastliness that defies description. That aside, it’s a quirky, relaxed atmosphere and on this particular mellow autumn day, it felt like an okay place to sprawl out on the grass with dozens of others, drinking coffee and listening to a rather strange yet beguiling selection of free music. www.riccartonmarket.co.nz