The great northern fresh produce hunt
If you’re an Aucklander who wants to buy farm-fresh produce that has avoided any corporatisation of the food chain: head north for a leisurely drive towards a variety of farmers markets on the weekends.
Better yet: make it a round trip by heading northwest through Helensville first and returning over the harbour bridge.
Going this way allows you to enjoy the views that come with skirting the Kaipara on SH16.
It’s time to reward the graft of others as you head towards the three farmers markets north of Auckland.
If it’s the third Sunday of the month, you’ll find the first in the little hamlet of Kaukapakapa, a little further up SH16 from Helensville.
It’s an intimate, friendly affair, and worth a stop even if it’s only for a coffee.
On all Sundays, you can detour off SH16, and head to O¯ rewa, where the weekly beachside market near the town’s main street offers delicious finger food, along with the usual fresh veges, exotic homemade sauces and dips, free range eggs and fresh seafood.
Dally a while here as there’s usually great musicians busking alongside the stalls; and the beach will tempt the kids into taking a swim.
It’s worth tracking back to SH16 after O¯ rewa to avoid all the congestion heading north on SH1, especially now the extension of the Northern Motorway alongside the highway often slows traffic to a crawl.
You also get a superlative view of the mighty Kaipara Harbour — the largest in the Southern Hemisphere — when the highway climbs a hill north of Kaukapakapa.
Further on, the Kaipara views are enhanced by the incredible sculptures that Kiwi entrepreneur Alan Gibbs has installed on his private farm.
These structures include many large-scale works by internationally recognised artists such as Len Lye, Zan Whang, and Anish Kapoor. It is a private collection, however you can apply to see the sculptures on one of the monthly open days.
But they still have plenty of impact when viewed from a car on the highway, and you often notice on return trips that there’s been a new installation. You can also spot giraffes and water buffalo moseying around the farm.
Turn right on to West Coast and Woodcocks Rds immediately after the sculpture and you’ve now set a course that’ll lead to one of New Zealand’s best farmers markets — at Matakana.
This huge weekly event takes place on Saturday mornings, and attracts plenty of local characters and personalities.
The Kaukapakapa and O¯ rewa markets make great Sunday alternatives to the Matakana extravaganza.
If your market foraging is on a Sunday, it’s still worth going to the village east of Warkworth to enjoy lunch at the many cafes and restaurants.
A fill-up at the Mobil station in Warkworth will have the car ready for the return to the Big Smoke.