Waking on a Sunday in New Zealand’s largest city, with a craving to get a sense of this country’s food diversity, there’s one place to find it in spades.

Head to Avondale Sunday Markets, at the Avondale Racecourse - the colour, variety and fragrance of the masses of produce on offer is something to behold. And it will get your day off to a very good start. Even a 5am start, if you are an early riser…

There's more than you can name

We’d defy you to name everything you see, but there are plenty of cheery and helpful stallholders to set you straight. Yes, there is such a thing as white tumeric. And yes, it will save your fingers turning yellow and stains on your t-shirts.

Like we’ve said, it’s a produce place, with a strong Asian and Pacific influence, much like Auckland. So save some space in your fridge for more than a few extra fruit and veges. The prices, and the freshness, are fantastic. And take some big bags or baskets.

You certainly won’t be the only one there, many are there with the family. And take your pooch too, if it travels with you (and behaves in public places). But there there is plenty on offer, you won’t miss out.

Pictures tell the story

They say a picture tells a thousand words, so here’s a few thousand words.

The freshest and the biggest

Armed with some supersize Pukekohe cauli and broccoli, picked the night before, and a pile of herbs and spices, it was homeward for the morning coffee and prep for cauli tabouleh. Click here for this market produce idea.

(PS: Just in case you’re interested, Avondale (first named Te Whau, after the native tree of the area) was potentially so named in the 1880s after an Irish county, connected to local politician and Irish born John Bollard, who lived in Rosebank Road.)