Rusty’s Market

Held inside a cavernous warehouse in central Cairns from Friday to Sunday mornings, this 180-stall cornucopia of all things tropical (rustysmarkets.com.au) offers a sensory overload in a rush of colour and an intoxicating blend of fragrances. Stacks of cut watermelon compete for attention alongside pineapples, dragonfruit, rambutans, lychees, coconuts, mangosteens and verdant herbs, all grown and sold by farmers who’ve attended the market for as long as

25 years. Call in at the dining area for a cracking Saigon Hut green papaya salad and wash it down with a fresh juice – sugarcane, of course.

Darwin / Larrakia Country

No committed food-lover visits Darwin without immediately setting out on a laksa crawl. Each Saturday, debate over the best bowl rages at Parap Village Markets (parapvillage.com.au), where stalls face off with their own versions of the spicy noodle soup. It’s said that Mary’s Laksa takes the crown so brave the lines to be served by Mary herself (working in a steamy mobile trailer) then slurp, sweat and savour a culinary memory that will last a lifetime.