Anzac Camping LWE Pt I

On April 25, 1915 the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps made their bloody WWI debut on the beaches of Galipoli where they would struggle, fight and die.

On April 25, 2008 we thought a befitting tribute to those and subsequent Aussie war sacrifices would be to laze by a river with beer, fire and marshmellows.

Noodle and I set out at a reasonable hour on Anzac Day with blue skies and sparse traffic. We happily caught up with Prince William and his cargo at Goulburn where the slick sophisticated city set were DISGUSTED by the cheap decore and humdrum fare offered at the Goulburn Bakehouse. But not to worry, some chocolate cookies and another two hours down the road brought us in to the authentic and pleasing territory of the dog on the tucker box and on to the farm at Gocup.

Prince William with Flit, Mattwa and Gretta at Gundagai.

There at the scene of the 2007 Fricholson hoe-down we met the Victorian contingent, comprised of Noodle's best man Jimmi Z, his groomsman NTC with wife Marta, John's usher buddy Pearcy and his 'lady friend' Dewi.



We kicked off with a wood gathering frenzy, then while the ladies made a supply trip to Tumut, the manly men folk busily set-to errecting a fine camp ground before opening some fine beers.


Camp

The Bush Tucker Man saves the day with a shovel

Mattwa was put in charge of keys, clutches, trailers, utes and driving in general.


With the housekeeping done, we all settled in with beers and wines, to admire the fire and ignore the pressing issue of meal cooking.


Nick and Marti with their 'rurosexual' picnic chairs.

Except Pearcy, who set to making his much maligned damper.

Dark fell and we started to consider our catering options.

And Pearcy's damper prevailed at last!

Mattwa's self catering efforts come up short.But eventually we all got fed. The meal slowly materialised and BBQ 'degustation' was served over the course of the next few hours, starting with Pearcy's damper Pt II (wrapped in foil) and ending with Jimmi's charred potatos.

After dinner we settled back to play that eternal game withourselves, of trying to find the right position where a burning face and cold bumb would find perfect balance and cancel each other out.

Then, in the usual way of people throughout the ages left to their own devices for entertainment under the stars, a series of performances began, not least of which was the magnificently orchestrated spoken word peice "Meat" written by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, featuring Mattwa on lead vocals, NCT on demonic backing vocals, Jimmi on guitar (with the Deadwood theme music) and my good self conducting, with the use of a mac torch.

Twas a drunken bunch that turned in for the night, with heads filled with the tunes of yore, wrapped tightly in sleeping bags and scarves against the cold Tumut night.