Parap and Nightcliff Markets in Darwin

Markets galore! It’s the wet season in Darwin yet there are still a number of awesome markets to visit in Darwin. Yes, you will be drenched in sweat when you finish visiting them but hopefully you will also have a big smile on your face!

This weekend, I visited 3 markets. Parap Markets operate on Saturday morning while Nightcliff and Rapid Creek Markets run on a Sunday morning. My favourite markets for value and Asian fresh produce is definitely Rapid Creek Markets. Nightciff Markets has a lot of stalls selling homemade gifts and plants. A great choice when looking for an interesting one-of-a-kind gift. Parap markets has a good mix of fresh produce, cooked food and gifts. Plus it has the advantage of being the closest to the Darwin CBD.

This week’s market haul included some rambutans and mangoes, a sweet basil plant, freshly made paw paw salad (medium spicy!), a huge local pineapple, kangkung (river spinach), a range of glutinous rice Asian sweets, bananas and my unidentified vegetable of the week, a luffa! A luffa or loofah is a vegetable from the same family as the cucumber. When young, it can eaten as a vegetable and when the fruit is old, it becomes dried out and fibrous and can be used as a scrubbing sponge.

Here are some pictures from Parap and Nightcliff markets!

DSC05015

Parap Markets – Fruit smoothie stall

DSC05014

Parap markets – Stubby holder to keep your wine cool!

DSC05018

Parap markets – range of Asian sweets.

DSC05019

Parap markets – Coffee stall

DSC05023

Parap Markets – Chicken Laksa

DSC05025

Parap Markets – Cambodian rice balls, Asian sweets

DSC05026

Nightcliff Markets – Plants for sale

DSC05027

Nightcliff markets – Fresh produce for sale

DSC05029

Nightcliff Markets – Stall selling souvenirs and salt!

DSC05030

Nightcliff Markets – Fruit for sale

DSC05032

Nightcliff markets – Fruit for smoothies

DSC05033

Nightcliff market – Dresses for sale.