Just a couple of miles down the road from us, here at the corner of Canberra Avenue and Dominion, past Manuka, Kingston, and the train station, are the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets. Inconspicuously settled amid warehouses and industrial parks, Fyshwick Markets do not conform to the image that typically forms in the mind when one thinks of local farmers markets, but give it a chance. If not in a typical setting, they also present more than your typical wares. These markets, open Thursday to Sunday, have wholesale and retail fruits and vegetables in seemingly endless variety with callers to advertise their goods (Try our Forbes nectarines, so SWEET and JUICY! Fresh, tasty rockmellon! Minty sweet rockmellon!).

Mangoes at Fyshwick

Sun Gold mangoes

mangosteens

Fruit Caller

pineapples

Then, organic and gluten-free butchers, fishmongers, an oriental foods store, deli gourmets with cases piled high with cheeses and charcuterie, shelves stacked with local olive oils, jams and goodies of every description.

Meat Market

There are several coffee shops/cafes, a restaurant with cooking school, a health food store, and The Nut Shop, whose name completely undersells the wonder of their offerings. Not only do they have shelves loaded down with huge bags of (for the area) reasonably price nuts, there a also bins full of loose, shell-on nuts, giant bags of flours, grains (beautiful black quinoa that would cost you your first born in D.C.), spices, herbs, and loads of middle eastern speciality foods and ingredients.

The Nut Shop

Also in the market is Plonk, a bottle shop with more that 800 beers (including gluten-free), ciders, and an entire section devoted to the wines of the Canberra region, Crust, a bakery with a pretty decent loaf of gluten-free bread, and, strangely, a pet store.

Crust

If you are ever in Canberra this market is definitely worth a stop; be sure to go early in the day if possible (shopping at any grocery outlet in Canberra between the hours of 4 and 6:30 is fairly hectic, and not a good experience for those who value orderly conduct and personal space).