Northern Delights
FOOD
Northern Delights Soak up the varied flavours of Darwin’s Asian-influenced local markets.
M
useums tell a lot about a city, but in Darwin it’s the markets that give the greatest insight into this unique frontier town. A microcosm of the Top End’s people and culture, they are an open-air melting pot of artists, fresh food producers and exotic cuisine, where you can eat, shop and soak up the atmosphere.
Parap Village Markets
Slurping over a bowl of laksa at Parap Village Markets on Saturday morning is a Northern Territory tradition, and Mary’s, operating since the market first started in 1982, is the local’s pick. Parap is a food onslaught, offering something to tantalise every tastebud, from Asian hawker food and Lebanese stuffed flatbreads to raw cakes and tangy fresh-fruit lassis. The market’s 80-odd stalls sprout around the village shops, filling the carpark and walkways with fragrant morsels, fresh produce, crafts and artisan curios. Vibrant cuttings of heliconia draw the eye through the smoke of a Korean barbecue, a busker croons to a Rod Stewart classic, and diners dab at their chins over plates of stuffed chicken wings and delicious Cambodian rice balls. Saturday 8am–2pm, Parap Rd, Parap; www.parapvillagemarkets.com.au.
Mindil Beach Sunset Markets
With a diversity of flavours that would rival a meeting of the UN General Assembly, Mindil market is all about the food. Nowhere else will you find croc burgers and barramundi served up alongside the likes of yiros, mee goreng, quesadillas and halal delicacies. On Thursday and Sunday nights, a fusion of aromas carries on the tropical breeze as some 200 stallholders and up to 10,000 people gather under the acacia trees and coconut palms. People sprawl on
picnic blankets across the foreshore, entertainers enthrall the crowds, and goods traders — offering everything from sarongs and herbal remedies to crocodile skulls and didgeridoos — jostle to sell their wares. At dusk, the masses spill onto the beach to watch the sun dissolve into the ocean, signalling curtain up for a troupe of fire performers. Thursday 5pm–10pm, Sunday 4pm9pm, 27 April to 26 October, Maria Liveris Dr; www.mindil.com.au.
MARCH 2017 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
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FOOD Malak Marketplace
The new kid on the block, Malak twilight market, started in 2015 and already has a strong following loyal to its unique brand of wholesome, organic trade. Malak takes over a carpark each Saturday afternoon during the dry season with fresh fruit and vegetables, health and wellness products, crafts, entertainment and dishes from around the world. There’s also a pop-up flea market, but what you won’t find is soft drink. The market has banned the sale of fizzy drinks as part of its ‘live well’ ethos. Instead, there’s a delectable assortment of food and a chilled family-friendly vibe that is less frenetic than Mindil and the perfect wind-down after a busy day of sightseeing. Saturday 4pm–9pm, late April to October, Chambers Cres, Malak; www.malakmarketplace.org.au.
Rapid Creek Sunday Markets
Parap Village Market is known for its laksa, but some locals will tell you Rapid Creek is where you’ll find the city’s best. Rapid Creek is a distinctly local market, and Darwin’s oldest, with a laid-back food scene and village atmosphere. Enter the arcade, a classic Asian market, and squeeze through a narrow corridor of leafy greens and bain-maries, flanked by stores selling fresh fish and spices. At one end, a Thai masseuse pummels her elbows into the shoulder blades of a woman stretched out on a mat, while nearby traders sell rice wrapped in banana leaves. Sunday 6.30am–1.30pm, 48 Trower Rd, Millner; www.rapidcreekshoppingcentre.com.au. GETTING THERE TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS TO DARWIN, VISIT WWW.VIRGINAUSTRALIA.COM OR CALL 13 67 89 (IN AUSTRALIA).
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Nightcliff Markets
Nightcliff is a local village market made for lingering. There are about 75 permanent stalls selling the usual — food, fresh produce, crafts and clothes — but it’s the atmosphere that is the top drawcard here. Moving to a relaxed Sunday-morning pace, Nightcliff is ideal for families and friends, who gather in the shade amid weeping fig trees to enjoy a coffee, read the paper and catch up on the week’s news. A children’s playground occupies a space in the centre of the market square, bordered by stalls and shops. Little ones work up an appetite on the climbing equipment under the watchful eye of their parents, who tuck into dumplings, crepes and lattes to the soulful tunes of live singers. Sunday 6am–2pm, Pavonia Way, Nightcliff; wwwnightcliff markets.com.au.
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MARCH 2017
WORDS CATHERINE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Malak Marketplace has a ‘live well’ ethos; the locals’ favourite laksa at Rapid Creek; crepes being prepared; a man sells dresses at the Nightcliff Markets. PREVIOUS PAGE FROM LEFT A seafood dish at Parap Village Markets; the sunset markets at Mindil Beach.
Northern Delights Soak up the varied flavours of Darwin’s Asian-influenced local markets.
M
useums tell a lot about a city, but in Darwin it’s the markets that give the greatest insight into this unique frontier town. A microcosm of the Top End’s people and culture, they are an open-air melting pot of artists, fresh food producers and exotic cuisine, where you can eat, shop and soak up the atmosphere.
Parap Village Markets
Slurping over a bowl of laksa at Parap Village Markets on Saturday morning is a Northern Territory tradition, and Mary’s, operating since the market first started in 1982, is the local’s pick. Parap is a food onslaught, offering something to tantalise every tastebud, from Asian hawker food and Lebanese stuffed flatbreads to raw cakes and tangy fresh-fruit lassis. The market’s 80-odd stalls sprout around the village shops, filling the carpark and walkways with fragrant morsels, fresh produce, crafts and artisan curios. Vibrant cuttings of heliconia draw the eye through the smoke of a Korean barbecue, a busker croons to a Rod Stewart classic, and diners dab at their chins over plates of stuffed chicken wings and delicious Cambodian rice balls. Saturday 8am–2pm, Parap Rd, Parap; www.parapvillagemarkets.com.au.
Mindil Beach Sunset Markets
With a diversity of flavours that would rival a meeting of the UN General Assembly, Mindil market is all about the food. Nowhere else will you find croc burgers and barramundi served up alongside the likes of yiros, mee goreng, quesadillas and halal delicacies. On Thursday and Sunday nights, a fusion of aromas carries on the tropical breeze as some 200 stallholders and up to 10,000 people gather under the acacia trees and coconut palms. People sprawl on
picnic blankets across the foreshore, entertainers enthrall the crowds, and goods traders — offering everything from sarongs and herbal remedies to crocodile skulls and didgeridoos — jostle to sell their wares. At dusk, the masses spill onto the beach to watch the sun dissolve into the ocean, signalling curtain up for a troupe of fire performers. Thursday 5pm–10pm, Sunday 4pm9pm, 27 April to 26 October, Maria Liveris Dr; www.mindil.com.au.
MARCH 2017 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
045
FOOD Malak Marketplace
The new kid on the block, Malak twilight market, started in 2015 and already has a strong following loyal to its unique brand of wholesome, organic trade. Malak takes over a carpark each Saturday afternoon during the dry season with fresh fruit and vegetables, health and wellness products, crafts, entertainment and dishes from around the world. There’s also a pop-up flea market, but what you won’t find is soft drink. The market has banned the sale of fizzy drinks as part of its ‘live well’ ethos. Instead, there’s a delectable assortment of food and a chilled family-friendly vibe that is less frenetic than Mindil and the perfect wind-down after a busy day of sightseeing. Saturday 4pm–9pm, late April to October, Chambers Cres, Malak; www.malakmarketplace.org.au.
Rapid Creek Sunday Markets
Parap Village Market is known for its laksa, but some locals will tell you Rapid Creek is where you’ll find the city’s best. Rapid Creek is a distinctly local market, and Darwin’s oldest, with a laid-back food scene and village atmosphere. Enter the arcade, a classic Asian market, and squeeze through a narrow corridor of leafy greens and bain-maries, flanked by stores selling fresh fish and spices. At one end, a Thai masseuse pummels her elbows into the shoulder blades of a woman stretched out on a mat, while nearby traders sell rice wrapped in banana leaves. Sunday 6.30am–1.30pm, 48 Trower Rd, Millner; www.rapidcreekshoppingcentre.com.au. GETTING THERE TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS TO DARWIN, VISIT WWW.VIRGINAUSTRALIA.COM OR CALL 13 67 89 (IN AUSTRALIA).
046
Nightcliff Markets
Nightcliff is a local village market made for lingering. There are about 75 permanent stalls selling the usual — food, fresh produce, crafts and clothes — but it’s the atmosphere that is the top drawcard here. Moving to a relaxed Sunday-morning pace, Nightcliff is ideal for families and friends, who gather in the shade amid weeping fig trees to enjoy a coffee, read the paper and catch up on the week’s news. A children’s playground occupies a space in the centre of the market square, bordered by stalls and shops. Little ones work up an appetite on the climbing equipment under the watchful eye of their parents, who tuck into dumplings, crepes and lattes to the soulful tunes of live singers. Sunday 6am–2pm, Pavonia Way, Nightcliff; wwwnightcliff markets.com.au.
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MARCH 2017
WORDS CATHERINE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Malak Marketplace has a ‘live well’ ethos; the locals’ favourite laksa at Rapid Creek; crepes being prepared; a man sells dresses at the Nightcliff Markets. PREVIOUS PAGE FROM LEFT A seafood dish at Parap Village Markets; the sunset markets at Mindil Beach.
