Whether it is in the cold reaches of the Tablelands, the hot flatness of the plains or the sticky humidity of the coastal forests or anywhere in between for that matter , there is nothing that the sojourner therein could find more refreshing than tea brewed in the authentic way of the bush.

Even if the party is there on bush business , the brewing of the cuppa adds a kind of picnic atmosphere to the occasion¹.

Assuming that one has found an area of bush as yet untrampled and unpolluted (and obviously to be later left as close to that pristine condition as is possible ) one can then proceed to picnic.

(By the way ,rather than keeping up a continuous *bush salute * to wave away the sticky little bush flies , don't forget the insect repellent )

A basic part of this picknicking is , naturally ,the brewing of tea . This is an essentially satisfying , even exhilarating , process , but capable of many variations .

First Steps

Let us look only at the bare essentials of the process. Never mind the gentrified gas bottle and stove of the effete citified picnicker². A true believer would not even take a shovel to dig a firepit , though after selecting a fairly clear patch where no grass or fallen material could catch to start a conflagration ,he might collect some rocks to form a containing circle³.

The fuel is important . First,there should be a sufficiency of dried grass or leaves collected (the use of newpaper etc as kindling is frowned upon ) which is laid within the circle of stones ,or piled evenly on the bare patch of ground.

Lighting Up

The next stage is the laying ,in wigwam style, of small dry twigs, and above them a similar layer of medium thick short pieces of dried wood .

Unless one has a Boy Scout whose legs may be rubbed together to start a flame, the use of matches to light the tinder is permissible . Only one match used is the sign of a good firelighter.

Patience, now. Let the fuel be consumed gradually, adding thicker,longer pieces of branch till a good bed of coals is built up.

This bed of coals is useful for barbecues, but that is a separate issue.

Ensure that a green branch is at hand.

Boiling Up

Fill up the billycan about two thirds full (more water will lead to a boiling over when the tea leaves are added). The best billycan is a blackened object ,with or without lid. With lid, it does not get flakes of ash in it, but the disadvantage is that getting the lid off in order to drop in the tea leaves can be a tricky task unless the lid's handle is left in a ready raised postion⁴

Using the green wood ,manoeuvre the billycan onto the fire, bumping it a little to seat it firmly. If the fire is well made, the water does not take long to boil,especially if a few more twigs are set afound it .

It is at this point that the wonderful flavour of the tea is enhanced by the judicious addition of some aromatic gumleaves to the flames⁵.

Brewing Up

Ebullition achieved , the tealeaves are added in amounts to taste,given the shortest time to react , then the can is lifted very quickly from the fire with the green stick, while one does one's best not to get the hairs on one's forearms singed, as this spoils the aroma.

After it is placed securely away from the fire, the side of the can is given a couple of smart raps with the stick, to settle the leaves .

True heroes of the bush may at this point grasp the (cooled) handle of the billycan and swing it , with a circular twist of a muscular wrist, round in a circle at right angles to the ground and above the head, to further infuse the tea.

No matter what it is now drunk from ,nor whether it has milk and sugar added, there is absolutely nothing more satsfying than bush tea brewed in a billycan⁶

The Last Step

And at the end , there is the satisfying hiss as the last of the tea and the leaves are used to douse the fire, a vitally important step.