Eumundi Markets

Sorry Ben, Happy Birthday!

It being a Wednesday and us being within 200k of Eumundi it is obligatory that we travel to the said township and engage in the tradition known as market crawling. We've been here probably 1/2 a dozen times or more over 20 years and you know, I don't think that anything much has changed. Sure the layout is a bit different but the goods on offer? These people are stuck in a perennial craft based time warp. Life is literally passing them by in front of their stalls. Leather belts, skirts and tops, various food items, 'art' made out of bits of coloured tin or scraps of wood. Perhaps a hat or a piece of jewellery? Maybe a anklet or tattoo? You've seen it all before and you can't help but wonder just how much of this stuff any one person actually needs. I notice a few of the stall proudly claim to be 'original' Eumundi Market stall holders, and some of them look it. We stopped and Judy fondled some beads. The head magically appears above the display and leaps into the spiel of how fabulous that particular piece is and how it's the artists very own work and that they wear it themselves normally but if you truly like it and promise to treat it with respect love and devotion, they'll let you have it for say, two-ninety-five. You look up interested and they add "...hundred dollars". You place it back down with reverence and move on to yet another hat-a-d scarf stall. "Yes madam, that suits you perfectly!" You turn with interest to see who is getting stitched up with what, and you see a woman with a piece of torn and shredded rag around her neck. "That's a beautiful scarf, I think it's the last one and it looks perfect on you," she says and gives the mark a thumbs up. I stifle a guffaw and an elbow in the small of my back pushes me on..  A crowd has gathered around a man holding up what looks like a clear inner sole filled with liquid and gold beads. He is in full voice as to how it will cure all the ills of mankind, "just slip one into your shoe sir, it's a miracle!" I am tempted to ask if he has one to slip into my thongs but find myself  shuffled on again, just in time.

I have devised a plan: we create a web site and invite people to submit pictures and spiels of the most useless thing they can find at any market in Australia. First prize is a visit to Eumundi Markets and $10 spending money. Perhaps we need a Eumundi Market App, just press the button and get shown any stall and listen to the sales pitch. It'll be a big hit, you can get your Eumundi market fix and never leave home.

My favourite part of this market is a U shaped alcove where you can get your palm read, back rubbed, crystals on your eyeballs, healing hands placed anywhere you desire while you close your eyes and think positive thoughts of unblocking your chakratic energy streams while the owner of the hand stares off into the near middle distance dreaming of how they will spend your hard earned dosh that they have relieved you of. For all I know you could probably get your fortune told by a one eyed Siamese cat. People will pay for almost anything it seems, no matter how far the facts of anatomy and physiology are stretched in the name of pure quackery. Actually, in a way I'm glad there here - at least we know where they all are at least twice a week.

Having bought yet-another-top, Judy now has to travel to Sunshine Plaza to get a new top to go under the new top and another one to go with it in case it got lonely in the drawer. I'll never understand.

We have lunch at a dodgy place at Coolum Beach. We've been here before and tested out the macarons and forgotten that the woman is French and the service is a bit tardy. One old fellow next to us wandered backover to the counter at one staged and asked ever so politely if they had to take the pie he had ordered and heat it up. Oh so subtle, but totally lost on them as they thought he was genuinely interested in the methods used in their patisserie. He was way to polite to explain that he was just hungry and wanted a feed before nightfall. Regardless, we bought a vanilla slice like you've never seen, a lemon meringue tartlette (read small) and a chocolate and something or other macaron.

These we ate back at the van with a nice cup of tea and reflected on our day's activity.

Snap free day I'm afraid.

(but here's one I prepared earlier)

Sunset, Noosa River. Qld