hawkes bay farmers market new zealand

The Ultimate Guide to New Zealand Farmers Markets

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New Zealand’s farmers markets provide an authentic window into local life, with growers and artisan producers gathering each week to sell seasonal fruit, vegetables, cheeses and preserves. From riverside stalls in Whangārei to the tree-shaded grounds of Hawke’s Bay and the lakefront setting of Queenstown, these markets celebrate regional specialities and offer travellers a direct connection to the people who grow or make their food. The variety is extensive and the quality consistently high, making market visits a highlight of any itinerary.

Travelling by motorhome allows you to enjoy these markets at your own pace. A fully equipped maui motorhome removes the need for fixed accommodation and supplies a well-appointed kitchen, so you can buy ingredients at source and prepare fresh meals on board. With comfortable living quarters and the freedom to stay close to market towns or scenic reserves, a motorhome combines convenience with genuine culinary exploration.

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The Best North Island Farmers Markets

From subtropical Northland to vibrant Wellington, the North Island offers a chain of weekly farmers markets where travellers can sample early-season avocados, Mahurangi oysters, artisan cheeses and boutique olive oils. Planning the journey around the Twin Coast Discovery Highway drive links many of these markets into one scenic coastal loop. With a self-contained motorhome you can keep food chilled, cook meals on board and move on at your own pace.

 

Whangārei Growers Market

Founded in 1998, Whangārei Growers Market is recognised as New Zealand’s first dedicated farmers market. It operates every Saturday from 6 am to 10 30 am in the Water Street car park, where between sixty and one hundred vendors sell produce they have grown themselves. The market regularly attracts several thousand visitors who value the direct connection with Northland growers and the availability of spray-free fruit, vegetables and honey. 

Where to stay in your motorhome

Whangārei Central Holiday Park offers twenty-plus powered sites on grass or sealed pads about ten minutes on foot from the Water Street market precinct. Facilities include communal kitchen, lounge, barbecues and shaded willow-tree sites.  See our guide for more things to do in Northland. 

 

Matakana Village Farmers’ Market

One hour north of Auckland, the Matakana Village Farmers’ Market trades every Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm beside the Matakana River. The market follows a zero-waste policy, encouraging shoppers to bring reusable bags while they browse seasonal produce, Mahurangi oysters, Puhoi cheeses and small-batch gin. Live acoustic music and a riverside playground make it a popular destination for families as well as food enthusiasts.  

Where to stay in your motorhome

Sandspit Holiday Park sits on the waterfront ten minutes’ drive from Matakana. It provides fifty powered and non-powered sites and follows a family-friendly, low-noise policy that suits an early Saturday market start.

 

Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market

Held each Sunday between 8 30 am and 12 30 pm in Waikoko Gardens at the Tōmoana Showgrounds, the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market is among the country’s largest. More than seventy stallholders present the region’s long-season fruit, olive oil, artisan breads and award-winning cheeses beneath mature oak trees, reinforcing Hawke’s Bay’s reputation as a premier food and wine district. For more delicious things, see our Foodie’s guide to Hawke's Bay. 

Where to stay in your motorhome

Hastings TOP 10 Holiday Park occupies ten landscaped acres within the city limits. Powered sites, a swimming pool and spa make it an easy base only a short drive from the Waikoko Gardens market venue.

 

Whanganui River Markets

The Whanganui River Markets occupy Moutoa Quay every Saturday from 8 30 am to 1 pm on a site once used for Māori river trade. Over one hundred stalls line the riverbank, offering seasonal produce, sourdough, native plants, vintage collectibles and street food, accompanied by kapa haka performances and live music.  

  • When: Saturday 8:30 am–1 pm

  • Where: Moutoa Quay, Whanganui

Where to stay in your motorhome

Whanganui River TOP 10 Holiday Park fronts the Whanganui River and includes a heated pool, games room and ample powered sites. Taupō Quay’s Saturday market stalls are a quick riverside drive away.

 

Wellington Harbourside Market

Wellington’s oldest operating market traces its history to 1920 and now takes place each Sunday from 7 30 am until 1 pm on the waterfront beside Te Papa. Approximately fifty vendors supply bulk greens transported from Levin, specialty goods from the Wairarapa and fresh fish sold directly from moored boats, drawing thousands of visitors on fine mornings.  

Where to stay in your motorhome

Wellington TOP 10 Holiday Park (Seaview) provides tree-lined powered sites about fifteen kilometres from the CBD. Regular Metlink bus and train services link the park with the waterfront market zone near Te Papa.

 

Top South Island Farmers Markets

After a Sunday at Wellington’s Harbourside Market, sail across Cook Strait on the Interislander ferry to Picton and begin the South Island leg of your journey. Head south in your maui motorhome, linking to the Southern Scenic Route between Dunedin and Invercargill, where empty beaches, alpine vistas and native forest unfold in succession. Drive directly or pause for several days before arriving in Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capital.

 

Wānaka Artisan Market

The Wānaka Artisan Market is one of the few South Island markets running year-round. It is held every Thursday from 3 pm to 6 pm outside Speight’s Ale House on Ardmore Street. Stallholders range from foraged nut producers to craft brewers, and the lake-edge setting provides panoramic views of Roys Peak while visitors sample local delicacies. 

Where to stay in your motorhome

Wānaka TOP 10 Holiday Park has fully renovated powered sites, spa and sauna and lies a brief drive or bike ride from the Ardmore Street lakefront where Thursday’s market operates.

 

Cromwell Farmers & Craft Market

Operating in the Cromwell Heritage Precinct from Labour Weekend until the end of April, the Cromwell Farmers & Craft market opens from 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays. Historic gold-rush buildings create a distinctive backdrop for stalls selling Central Otago cherries, cold-pressed oils, merino wool products and prepared foods, complemented by live folk music and river-bank picnic areas. 

Where to stay in your motorhome

Cromwell Holiday Park sits approximately three hundred metres from the Heritage Precinct. Powered sites back onto the Clyde River embankment, letting visitors walk to Sunday’s market without moving the vehicle. 

 

Queenstown Market

The Queenstown Market trades every Saturday throughout the year on Earnslaw Park, with summer hours of 9 am to 4 pm and winter hours of 9 30 am to 3 30 pm. Now more than twenty years old, the lakefront market specialises in handcrafted arts, Central Otago honey, gourmet preserves and photography, all framed by views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range.

  • When: Saturday year-round. Summer 9 am–4 pm, winter 9:30 am–3:30 pm
    Where: Earnslaw Park lakefront, Queenstown

Where to stay in your motorhome

Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park offers central powered sites within a few minutes’ walk of Earnslaw Park. Guests have kitchen, laundry and ski-storage access and can reach the Saturday market on foot. See more places to stay near Queenstown. 

 

Otago Farmers Market, Dunedin

Established in 2003, Otago Farmers Market occupies the northern car park of Dunedin Railway Station every Saturday from 8 am to 12 30 pm. Vendors must come from within the Otago region and sell only what they grow or make, resulting in an authentic food market featuring seasonal vegetables, wild game sausages and regular chef demonstrations that showcase local ingredients. 

  • When Saturday 8 am–12:30 pm

  • Where 36 Anzac Ave, Dunedin Railway Station forecourt

Where to stay in your motorhome

Dunedin Holiday Park and Motels provides sixty-plus powered sites beside St Kilda Beach. Dunedin Railway Station and the Saturday market are a short city drive away.

 

Riverton Organic Farmers’ Market

Riverton hosts New Zealand’s southernmost farmers market each Saturday from 10 30 am to 12 30 pm at the South Coast Environment Centre, 154 Palmerston Street. The Riverton Organic Farmers Market is certified organic, and all produce travels less than seventy-five kilometres from farm to stall. Visitors favour heritage-variety seedlings, raw-milk cheeses and small-batch kombucha.

Where to stay in your motorhome

Riverton Holiday Park overlooks the estuary and offers grass and gravel powered pads. The Environment Centre market venue is a fifteen-minute walk along Palmerston Street.

 

Ready to explore the farmers markets?

Inspired to taste your way around the country? A maui motorhome makes it easy to visit New Zealand’s best farmers markets at your own pace. With branches in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown, you can start your journey wherever suits you best. Explore fresh local produce, meet regional makers and cook up market finds in your fully equipped motorhome. Check out our latest travel deals and discover more scenic driving routes to help plan your perfect New Zealand road trip.

 

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