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Heading out beyond Cornwall Park will take you into South Auckland, and the city's poorest neighborhood. There isn't very much to do down here, but the Otara Market is definitely worth a visit. Every Saturday morning, stalls spread out across a car park in the Otara Town Centre. It is regarded as the largest Maori and Polynesian market in the world. There are wonderful displays of floral print fabrics, Maori carvings and an abundance of cheap fruit and vegetables, many of which are unique to the islands such as taro and yams. Food represents the best value of all, with home-made cakes and Maori bread, and there's a van producing the local dish, hangi. The market starts at about 5am and runs through to noon, though things are starting to wind down around 10am. To get there, take the Otara exit off the southern motorway, or catch a bus from the corner of Wellesley and Queen streets a #487 or #497. While you're in this area, you might want to consider a visit to the nearby Auckland Botanic Gardens just off the Manurewa motorway. This is a collection of both local and unusual plants that opened in 1982 and is the location for the Ellerslie Flower Show - New Zealand's main annual horticultural event. The gardens include an interpretative visitor centre, a library, a café and a set of walkways that centre around two ornamental lakes. |