Markets in Tropical Australia a Magnet!

Markets in Tropical Australia are a way of life, with fresh home-grown produce providing inexpensive and healthy alternatives to supermarket offerings. Rusty’s in Cairns is like a magnet for residents and visitors alike.

But as well as home-grown produce, many items of art and craft offered at local markets are produced and offered for sale,along with hand made soaps, silk scarves, akubra hats, plants, books, pearls and novelties.

Colourful rambutans

Delicate orchids

Markets in Tropical Australia include Rustys, The Esplanade Markets and the Cairns night market, which caters mainly for tourists as does Kuranda, while Yungaburra on the Tablelands holds a very successful monthly event, appealing mostly to locals.

Port Douglas markets are not to be missed!

Held on Sunday mornings, the market-by-the-sea offers a plethora of stalls from hemp clothing and coconut jewellery, fortune telling, orchids or freshly squeezed juice to high quality hand-crafted toys, glass, cards, pottery, photographs or ocean paintings.

Although the rule is that all items must be made by the stall holder, I think that the rules are bent a little in some cases with some stalls even offering items made in nearby Asian countries.

The Toyman

Fresh pineapple crush

Ron and Anne Edwards set up their stall under the banyan tree for many years. Selling original acrylic and watercolour paintings and reproduction prints, they also had a huge array of Ron’s illustrated books on bushcraft, cooking, painting or children’s stories, printed by their own Ramskull Press, from which to choose.

Sadly, Ron passed away in 2008 and is greatly missed by market stall owners and visitors alike.

Right on the water’s edge, artist Cara Stevens is to be found. The clean, crisp lines of her small paintings are evidence of strong design skills and her interest in ocean and forest subjects. These are paintings with a difference that you will treasure once they are on your walls!

Wander further along the inlet towards the stinger park, under the shady mango trees and your eye will be caught by Robin Ayers as she busily photographs and sketches portraits of children and couples.

Of late she is concentrating on conte and charcoal sketches - so line up for a very special souvenir of your holiday!

Linoprint artist, Anna Curtis , has a good range of her beautiful, original relief prints on display in her little 'gallery at the markets' (below, left). So drop by for a visual treat; you will find her in the first row of stalls, just across the road from the Court House Hotel.

Anna Curtis

Jan Graham

As you can see, there are 'regulars' who display their artwork at the same markets every week.

But others, such as painter, Jan Graham (above, right), 'sets up shop' at various markets in the Cairns region but also at inland towns during her many painting trips. So look out for her interesting small paintings (just the right size to pop under your arm (or in the caravan!).

Market stalls line the beach in Port Douglas - what a location!

Of all the markets in Tropical Australia, Port Douglas seems to have it all: a pleasant and interesting morning’s entertainment…fresh fruit and veg…cool coconuts with their tops lopped off, the sweet milk ready to drink. Musicians…clothes…masseurs …delicious Asian food in little banana leaf parcels…toys…jewellery…the list goes on…

Whatever you do - don’t miss these cotters' markets located in such a beautiful waterfront setting.

Top of Markets in Tropical Australia
Robin Ayers'
  Ron Edwards
Cara Stevens' Collages
Karin Dorn's Coconut Jewellery
Art in Tropical Australia Home Page