It’s the best way to meet South Coast residents than to chat with them as you stroll through a Market full of local, delicious food. Check out the schedules and match them up with your vacation calendar. There’s no better method to find the best local produce than to sample your way around a farmer’s market.

You can also find gifts for Christmas or birthdays at other markets (look out for toys, handmade items, and bouquets). You can also dust off your picnic basket or cooler and prepare to fill it at these markets. They are usually near scenic spots.

Kiama

Black Beach Reserve in Kiama is a great place to do some open-air shopping. Black Beach is a unique color due to the black basalt sands and pebbles. The view includes Kiama Lighthouse.

On the fourth Saturday of each month, you can find handmade soaps, art, pastries, and potted plants. The Kiama Seaside Markets are held on the third Sunday of each month. You can find wooden toys, scones, and donuts, as well as coffee.

Every Wednesday, locals can shop for farm-fresh products – fruits, vegetables, flowers, eggs, and kombucha – in the Kiama farmers’ market located at Surf Beach just south of Reserve.

Gerringong

Gerringong Rotary Markets is held on the third Saturday of every month in Old School Park. This market is known for its pies, egg and bacon rolls, and other local products. The stalls usually have a variety of toys, arts and crafts, books, and local produce from the hills around Gerringong.

Berry

Berry is a popular weekend destination, as day-trippers come to enjoy its charms and grab a bag from the Berry Donut Van. The Berry Farmers’ Market takes place at the Showground on Thursday afternoons, just a few blocks from Queen Street. Berry is not far from the coast, so you can expect to find seafood, fruit and vegetables, honey, olive oil, cheese, cider, and wine.

Batemans Bay

Two organizations share the Batemans Bay Saturday Market. It is held twice a year beside the sea in Corrigans Beach Reserve and Batehaven. Marine Rescue Batemans Bay hosts the market on the first Sunday of each month, while Rotary Batemans Bay takes care of the third. Up to 60 stalls will be selling everything from food to coffee to antiques to timber products. Pascale Artisan Bakery is also a must-see. You might also hear some local musicians playing relaxing music.

Moruya

The Sage Farmers Market is a hyper-local enterprise that takes place every Tuesday at Riverside Park, Moruya. It features only local producers and foods made with local ingredients. The farmers are allowed to sell extra produce along with three backyard growers each week. Be on the lookout for the bell at 3 pm and be ready to grab the most attractive items, such as garlic, oysters, and pork.

Tilba

Central Tilba, a National Trust Village with a population of 300 people, is a place that oozes charm. Stop by the Tilba Market in the Big Hall on Saturdays to experience the township of yesteryear. Browse baskets of herbs, fruit, and veg. Also, there are tables with marmalade, flowers, cakes, and vegetables.

Bermagui

The Bermagui Makers and Growers Market opens every Thursday at 2 pm (except for winter) at the Bermagui Country Club along the Sapphire Coast in Bermagui. Locals and visitors are aware that they should arrive early to ensure the best selection of fresh produce, drinks, and homewares.

Eden

Eden Community Market is held every third Saturday at Eden’s Uniting Church Hall & Community Garden. It’s known as the “friendliest little market”. Meet the people behind the stalls that sell books, jams and preserves, plants and fruit and vegetables, crafts, and bric-a-brac.

Eat, drink, and stay in the best places.

Coolangatta Estate is located at Shoalhaven Heads, about 10 minutes from Berry. It was the first European settlement along the South Coast. The convict-built suites and rooms are the perfect place to relax after a wine tasting or meal at the restaurant. (As an aside, Archer was often housed in the converted stables, which were also the home of the first Melbourne Cup-winning horse).

Bangalay luxury villas are also close to Berry. This collection of 16 villas has a restaurant on site that’s highly acclaimed and uses local ingredients.

Stop at Cupitt’s Estate on the way to Batemans Bay. The multi-faceted business includes a brewery, restaurant, and winery. It also has ten beautiful vineyard cottages with outdoor baths. Visit their historic cellar, which showcases an array of local artisanal and seasonal products, as well as wine and beer.

The Humpback Brewery is a converted pokies room that’s located 40 minutes south of Bermagui. You can toast the passing whales with a drink at the Tathra Hotel. The hotel only offered the beers on tap until August 2021, when it canned two of its favorites, First Calf Pale Ale & Melon Headed Amber Ale. For beer lovers, the hotel offers four rooms upstairs. The lacework balconies offer guests views of the ocean worth millions.

The Seahorse Inn in Boydtown, near Eden, has its miniature version of the nearby Boyds Tower. You can explore the nearby church ruins or enjoy the sunrise and sunset from the beach of Twofold Bay.