Fresh fruits and seafood galore
I do a lot of shopping at the wet markets in Kuching and that is one of the reasons during my recent visit to Australia, I fell in love with the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne and the Fish Market in Sydney.
On our first day in Melbourne, my tour group was taken to the Queen Victoria Market. There, I was allured by the fresh fruits available such as strawberries, blackberries and avocados which are very expensive in Kuching City. Some of the fruits were sold at discounted prices and of course, I could not resist the offers. I ended up buying two packs of strawberries, a pack of blueberries and a big bunch of green grapes.
It was heavenly to munch on the juicy fruits which were not only fresh and sweet but also cheaper than in Malaysia, that is after I had converted the prices mentally from Australian dollars to Malaysian ringgit.
I also gawked at the colourful fresh vegetables on sale like the the Dutch carrots which were being sold for A$2.50 per bunch and radishes for A$1.50 per bunch. The fresh mushrooms were so huge — almost as big as our dinner plates — and one particular species was being sold for A$6.99 per kg while another species for A$8.99 per kg. The sweet potatoes were huge too and they were being sold for A$1.50 per kg.
“Don’t convert, don’t convert!” my friends and I kept reminding each other as we went around Melbourne and Sydney. Well, it was hard not to do the conversion when A$1 was equivalent to almost RM3.
With an area of around seven hectares, Queen Victoria Market is not only a major landmark in Melbourne but also the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Named after the monarch who ruled the British Empire, it is also the largest and most intact surviving 19th century market in Melbourne. Historically, architecturally and socially significant, it has been listed on the Heritage Register.
Besides fruits and vegetables, you can also buy food, t-shirts, souvenirs, shoes and many other things there.
One of my tour members bought a toy kangaroo with baby in its pouch at the market for herself. Since some of my younger colleagues had asked me to bring back kangaroos from Australia, I brought back some small toy kangaroos for them. I bought the souvenirs in another market in Sydney.
The Fish Market in Sydney is another delightful place to visit. Never mind the smell of fish which permeates the air and the seagulls which like to steal your food on the table. It is a must-visit place if you are a seafood lover.
Established in 1945 by the state government and privatised in 1994, the market is one of the largest working fishing port and wholesale fish market.
It has a fresh seafood retail section and eateries which sell cooked seafood — deep fried, grilled or sashimi-style.
Walking around, I was amazed by the different varieties of seafood and the huge sizes of the lobsters, cockles, octopuses and razor clams.
After going round the fish market, our group members bought food and sat down to eat in the market’s vicinity. I bought myself seafood salad and sat outdoor with a friend.
Other members later joined us and one of them offered me to try the octopus salad. I tried a piece of the octopus but found it quite tough to chew. The other members also offered me to try their food but I was too full after savouring the seafood salad and the fish and chips. The seafood salad and fish were very fresh!
There were many seagulls and pelicans roaming and looking for food outside the market. However, there was a notice which prohibited the feeding of the birds.
Travels, they say, create lifetime memories. Whenever I think of Melbourne, I will remember Queen Victoria Market while the mention of Sydney will definitely bring back memories of fresh and cooked seafood as well as the seagulls and pelicans at the Fish Market.
