Xplore

 

Just for a change we aren’t heading to the mountains to climb this weekend, but we are packing “The Landy” and heading for some camping. In the mountains, of course…

 It is hard not to like the mountains at this time of year, well, at anytime for that matter, but there is something very renewing about being Out and About in Spring.

Okay, “The Landy” does have ropes stored inside it, just in case…

Our destination is Turon Gates, situated not too far from the Mudgee wine producing region. An area that also has a history steeped in gold mining.

There is a creek running through the property and as it is coming into yabbie season we are hoping to get a feast of these sweet crustaceans’ to eat. TomO, our son, is good at catching them, and I’m not too bad myself.

Although Janet, my wonderful partner, has  suggested she packs a leg of lamb that can be cooked up in the camp oven, just in case the boys’ fail to catch any there aren’t any around, and of course an adequate supply of the staple food of every Australian, a jar of Vegemite.

Now I know some of you are saying we’re a weird bunch for liking this savoury delight made from left-over brewers’ yeast.

But strewth, I could give you a hundred reasons why we are weird, but eating vegemite isn’t one of them…

Besides, you wouldn’t be a ridgy-didge Aussie if you didn’t smear your hot buttered toast with this delightful tar looking substance for brekkie each day.

And we’re not unique in having our own special breakfast…

I mean, it’s a bit like our good American friends and their door-nuts and cor-fee donuts and coffee, or the Poms and those bloody smelly kippers they throw down for brekkie, (no wonder they’ve got a chip on their shoulder) or for that matter, the Germans and their half-dozen steins of whatever beer they can get their hands-on.

Come to think of it, the way the Germans’ drink beer you’d think they be all over something that is made from brewers’ yeast…evidently not.

Seemingly, the good people at Kraft are yet to make an alcoholic version of vegemite (note to self).

Strike-a-light, if they did make an alcoholic version, the cops, never to miss an opportunity, would be down at the local child-care centre breath-testing any kid riding a tricycle. It’d be like a turkey shoot…couldn’t miss.

After all, every Australian kid grows up on vegemite; no wonder we’re such a rugged, sturdy bunch.

As an aside, research suggests that smearing vegemite on your face before going to bed does wonders for the complexion.

Granted, I did read that on the inside of a beer bottle top…but still, sounds plausible!

I mean, I read somewhere else, might have been an old copy of News of the World, that some people cake their faces in mud, and lie back with a couple of slices of cucumber covering their eyes. Pretty sure that isn’t happening in Australia, otherwise it would have shown up on that “weird list”.

But given I can be a little bit naughty am a research freak, the one time I smeared it onto Janet, she thought I was getting all weird in the struggling paddock.

You know, the bedroom!

Truly, I thought I’d try my luck wasn’t getting weird, and rest assured after I got the black yeast onto the new satin pillow cases there was no chance of that happening anyway…

Crikey, she was fuming.

“Fair crack of the whip” she screamed…

“Why did you go wasting the vegemite like that” …still yelling at me!

Anyway, I’ve sort of digressed a little bit and can’t even remember the point of this yarn I was spinning telling you…

So let’s just finish it off on this note, when in Rome, do as the Roman’s do.

When you foreign tourists that keep turning up, ringing our doorbell down in the customs hall of Sydney International Airport with the voracity of an Avon woman on uppers, get with the program, get adventurous, and get some of our vegemite into ya!

And don’t you worry, we’ll be sure to return the courtesy, especially when we visit Germany!

Good weekend to all….