CREATIVE JUNCTION
PAGE 3
“As the music lured us in, people
danced in the sun. Smiles were
shared and new conversations
easily had with the locals,”
-PHILIPPA MANNAGH
E
very Saturday morning, Kerikeri comes alive with the buzz of stalls, music,
entertainment, food and smiling faces. We picked up on this vibe as soon as
our family stepped out of the car. Music floated past as did giant bubbles;
the kids spotted these a mile away. Upon waking this weekend, we hadn’t
planned to travel an hour north for the Old Packhouse Markets. When the idea came
to us, the entire family was interested to see what it was all about so we bundled up
in the car and went on our way.
The promise was yummy food and a fiver
each to spend on what ever they wanted.
To their surprise, browsing the stalls, there
were bonuses along the way, like fudge
samples and kombucha tasting.
There was so much to see. I remember
years ago living in Kerikeri; there wasn’t
an event like this each weekend. Often it
was the bigger cities that we had to head
to for a taste of culture and excitement.
As the music lured us in, people danced
in the sun. Smiles were shared and new
conversations easily had with the locals
who come to sell their quality goods week
after week.
From decadent fudge to knitting, craft
beer and coasters, clothes, plants and
paintings the list went on.
After browsing the entire market first,
we came back to the home made pie
stand for the kids and sourced out the
vegetarian ‘healthy’ counter for Mum and
Dad. We ordered a vegetable soup and a
falafel plate filled with salad, vegetables
and hummus. Saturday’s healthy lunch,
tick!
Washing it all down with a bottle of
kombucha from the K4 family, the kids
ran off to spend their pocket money
while the youngest continued to chat and
dance through the crowds.