Thread: NZ Forest Service Cook Book

Thinking a little more about those meals we used to cook up. One of the main factors I think was that our hunting or animal survey jobs were actual work; with targets to be met. Basically 7 days a week until moved out. It was'nt like a few days semi glide time hunting holiday--- it was work; but an enjoyable sort of work for most of us. There were few, if any cut tracks or anything other than rough bush or terrain. Even gas stoves were virtually non existent so all cooking was over an open fire. Collecting and cutting fuel was an essential chore. Personal washing was mostly in the nearest stream. So actually the only time we could more or less call our own was cooking and enjoying the sheer pleasure and innovation we applied to it, along with the gallons of billy tea and a few quiet smokes in the evening. Mostly the only after dark lighting was with candles mounted in used tins for reflectors. Clean the rifles, try to dry your socks and warm the boots, then read a book in the old farta before sleep. Unless high up, wet feet were a constant part of life each day from dawn till dusk. So--the busheman beer in the morning, a hot breakfast, and the evening cookup were our main relaxation and pleasures. Baking a new camp oven of bread and scoffing it hot was an ace pleasure, as @Scribe has described; even though it was sometimes what we termed "raisin bread", if the rats had got to the flour sack hanging in the rafters