We arrived to find the fire well alight and half a dozen cast iron camp ovens (Dutch ovens) sitting in the coals with more coals on the lids and the most amazing smells filling the air. One of the hands from the station next door to us, in the NT sense of the word next door, is a master of the camp fire feast. He is a fixture at most of the big get togethers here, doing his magic.
Now we have a dutch oven. I use it all the time on the burners or the BBQ. I used to have it on the back of my slow combustion heater in our old house all the time. K bought a cook book to inspire me and I have used lots of the ideas. I have cooked everything from a roast or stew to a damper or scones in it but I am ashamed to say it has never been on hot coals. It may be very un-Australian of me but I am not fond of a campfire near my camp. Where there's fire there's smoke, and I hate smoke.
Getting back to the party.........
People trickled in in their utes and trucks loaded with chairs and eskies. Kids ran around. Drinks, salads and cakes appeared on the table. Yarns were swapped. For once we were "local", as in we live in town even though we haven't been here for 20 years. Other friends had driven 100km to celebrate. Speeches, some more coherent than others, wound up the formal part of the evening and we got down to the serious business of comparing fishing, hunting, flood and snake encounter stories. Good natured laughter rang out at the expense of tourists and newbies to the outback. Serious local issues got chewed over.
Replete and tired we loaded up and drove home, carefully dodging the 'roos on our road, but behind us the party rolled on in the glow of the fire. I guess many were probably there to greet the sunrise.
Got visitors for smoko today. Better get moving.
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| My cheese scones |
Cheers Sue
A Ferg on the Move
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