It is early Sunday morning, the sun is out, and local craftspeople and growers are welcoming visitors with a smile from behind their stalls.

Spread all over Anzac Park, with the backdrop of the gorgeous Coral Sea, you will find various creative goods and delicious treats at the Port Douglas Sunday market.

From locally grown vegetables and famous doughnuts to eccentric home decorations and original handmade jewellery.

Teri McCarthy has been coordinating the market for seven years and said it has got quite a name for itself.

“I was in Thailand a couple of years ago and in the back of the bus I heard people talking about the Port Douglas market,” she said with astonishment.

According to Ms McCarthy, the market is so popular because of “the stunning location on the waterfront overlooking the ocean” and “the friendly people and relaxed atmosphere”.

“It is a Cotters Market, which means that at least seventy per cent of all the goods are made and sold by the stallholders themselves,” Ms McCarthy explains. 

“Some of the stallholders have been here for over thirty years and every year many new people with creative ideas come in for the season. Over the years we’ve had a great variety of stalls.

“From indigenous artists selling artefacts and Micheal Hayman who sells award-winning chilli sauces to circus performers and a petting zoo called ‘the party animals’. They bring in their big, full-grown cow, a mini pony, goats, ducks, and chickens.

“Grant street kitchen is well-known for their pastries and the doughnuts from ‘Dukes Doughnuts’ sell out every Sunday very early in the morning.

“We also have very talented buskers coming in who bring a lot of atmosphere to the market. Like Shaun Creek, an indigenous man who plays the didgeridoo. And the String family, a very talented family of four playing the violin.

“It blows me out of the water having so many talented people in one place.”

Amanda Calway, Ms McCarthy’s assistant, adds that Lana van Hulst who sells headscarves is also very popular.

“I always see a couple of girls on the market wearing one of her trendy headscarves,” she said.

Ms van Hulst started off making wire headscarves for herself and her friends. When more and more people asked her to make them one, she decided to do a pop-up stand at the Sunday market. That is when her business Lana.Nas Studio was born.

“I’ve been at this market for three years now and everyone here feels like family,” she said.

“All stallholders are so friendly and welcoming. There was a couple in the stall next to me, they feel like my ‘market parents’.”

Ms Calway added there is a very strong community at the market.

“Most stallholders just come here every week for the social outlet. Everyone tends to look after each other,” she said.

Karen Weiss, from Karen’s Country Craft, has been selling her products at markets all over Far North Queensland but said the Port Douglas market is her favourite. 

“I have been here for ten years now and every Sunday feels like it is my day off,” she said.

Among other things, Ms Weiss sells handmade hangers made out of pallet boards and driftwood she finds on Wonga beach.

“People from all over Australia come to this market.

“One lady just bought one of my hangers for her parents in Perth. She told me that they bought them last year at my stall when they were here on holiday and they’d loved to have more of them,” Ms Weiss said.

The award-winning sauces of Michael Hayman are also doing well.

“I was standing at markets in Sydney and I heard the market here in Port Douglas was a very good one,” Mr Hayman said.

“The first time I came here I was very impressed by the clientele and also the atmosphere. 

“All the stallholders here are very concerned with what they are doing and you can find very iconic products at this market you probably won’t find anywhere else.”

Russel Spanton and his wife Mary have been selling their self-grown vanilla bean products at the same spot for fifteen years.

“People love coming to Port Douglas and the Sunday market,” Mr Spanton said.

“Everyone here is always happy and visitors notice that. And look at the view”, he said pointing at the ocean, “there is nowhere else like it.”