stirred the tea with a branch of young gum leaves.

05/02/2013

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‘Sure glad they chose this place to settle.’ Iain passed his father a plate of stew, flicked the billy’s handle away from the heat and stirred the tea with a branch of young gum leaves.


Dreaming Billabong: Excerpt from Ghosts of Billabong
Chapter 1

I remember my mother pulling up on our drive through the country to pick the new red gum leaves that emerge in early spring. She taught me to love nature.

If you pick the young round leaves of the blue gum you can preserve them in 50% glycerine and boiling water, just soak them in a jar of it until it is all absorbed. You can ass red or blue food dye for coloured gum leaves.
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Campfire

05/01/2013

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‘Sure thing.’ Iain threw a few handfuls of leaves in the pot.
‘He betta have. Especially after my nephews let the horses wallow in the water.’ Guruwari winked at Billy and Jim.
The two Woggan-Wandong boys fidgeted and cast their eyes to the ground as the stockmen hooted. This was followed quickly by laughter and several firm pats on the boys’ backs. Guruwari placed a hand on each boy’s shoulder. Men’s eyes bright with laughter greeted them when they lifted their gaze.


Dreaming Billabong Excerpt from Ghosts of Billabong
Chapter 1
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Billy Tea

05/22/2012

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This is the traditional way of making tea on the droving run, in Australia. 

The water is usually taken from a local watercourse and rapid boiled over the campfire in the blackened billy, for at least ten minutes to assist in purifying the water of any bacteria.
in the Australian Outback.

The billy itself is a metal cooking pot with a lid and a bucket handle. It is kept clean inside, the blacked outer not only adds to the esthetic appearance but actually conducts heat better, it heats faster than a new pot.

Traditionally you would sit on your rolled up swag (bedding) and as you don't carry fresh milk in the outback you would have your billy tea black or with tinned sweetened condensed milk added.

  1. Strong black tea.
  2. Billycan.
  3. Water (choose from a clean flowing water source.)
  4. Campfire, nestle the billy into the glowing coals at the edge of the fire.
  5. Tin or enamel mugs .
  6. Gum leaf branch.
  7. Milk, sugar or condensed milk, as available.
How to make billy Tea:

  1. Fill the billycan with water: at least 250 ml per person.
  2. Cover with lid and put on the fire to boil.
  3. When the water boils, take off the fire by lifting the handle with a stick and remove lid.
  4. Sprinkle tea on top of water: a handful for a family billy, several handfuls for a big one.
  5. Turn the handle furthest from the fire so it will cool.
  6. Briefly stir with the gum-leaf branch. 
  7. NOT RECOMMENDED due to safety reasons, but this is how it once was done.: Swirl the billy three times over your head, keeping the hot tea in the billy with centrifugal action.  The reason to do this was to settle all contaminants in the water along with the tea-leaves to the bottom of the billy. As travelers usually have a clean water source these days, the preferred method, and safe one I suggest is below.
  1. Wait. After about 5 minutes the tea leaves will suddenly drop to the bottom. Tapping the side of the billy with a stick may help (at least many people do it!).
  2. Pour carefully into tin mugs leaving tea leaves in the bottom of the billy.
  3. Flavour with milk, sugar or condensed milk if liked.
Don't forget to use the safe method when you make billy tea and leave the twirling the billy in the past, it is dangerous, I don't suggest anyone try this.
Put the bushfire out before you leave. Take only photos and happy memories and leave only footprints.


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