Farmers Market and on our own again

Farmers markets are always fun, so we drove through to Masterton to check out the local market at Solway Showgrounds.  As it was the first one for the New Year, things seemed very quiet while we were there.

This way to the market

We purchased some home made beef sausages for our evening meal tonight, and a fancy loaf of Italian bread for our lunch.  Stopped off at the market garden stall and decided to try some of their freshly harvested Maori potatoes – we are not quite sure what the difference is, but at $3 a bag they are certainly worth trying.  

Prince Charles and Camilla expressed a wish to visit a farmers market during their recent New Zealand tour, and the Feilding market was chosen.  This grower comes from Feilding, and runs a stall in town on their own market day.  He remarked that the market was cleared of customers as a security measure, and the public had to stand well clear of the market behind a barrier.  This left the market clear for  the royal couple to wander freely around, although there was plenty of body guards in attendance.  Sadly, they did not approach his stall to check out the produce.  Wonder what Charles would have thought of Maori potatoes?

Veggie stall at the market

The delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, so I couldn’t resist.  We sat down at one of the handy picnic tables dotted around the grounds and sipped our coffees in the sun shine

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Two coffees please

We are on our own again in camp.  On our final evening together the six of us ate our evening meal together in Don and Pamela’s roomy awning.  Now our camping buddies have packed up and left us, while we are staying here at Carterton for another couple of days.  While Dot and Derek had various doors and compartments open as they packed up Gypsy Rover, Muffy decided to check things out and give her feline seal of approval.

Everything looks OK here

Don and Pamela packed up and left today.  Down came that handy awning where we had spent many 4zees and evenings together when the weather turned cooler.  Then they had to pack up their travelling garden – they had brought along a couple of planters filled with with lettuce and tomato plants.  (Left at home they would have dried out and shrivelled up).  The frilly lettuce had been picked regularly, but the tomatoes were not quite ready yet.

Fresh salad veggies

We plan on having a couple of lazy days in camp, then it will be out turn to pull down the awning and pack it away.  Next stop, Otaki.