There are some sights, sounds and smells which instantly bring back memories for people… for me, two of those memory joggers are tuna rice and swing-ball! Let me tell you why.
Growing up, I was the youngest of 3 boys and had parents who were very keen campers. It was their goal to show us all around New Zealand through camping. Every summer holiday they would bundle the 3 of us up into the station wagon, load up the boot with food and gear, hitch up the mini mobile and hit the road. The mini mobile was a pop-up tent that would magically appear out of a trailer. The trailer itself became a double bed, and the tent that appeared out of it was where my two brothers and I would sleep.
Mum and Dad took us camping from Cape Reigna to Stewart Island… and everywhere in between! It was always my favourite part of the year. It did, however, come with traditions.
When we arrived at the campsite, we all had our set jobs.
Dad would expertly back the trailer into the designated campsite spot, then take ages putting bits of wood under the tyres getting it perfectly level. Dad and my oldest brother, Stephen, would then start putting up the tent which came out of the trailer. Phil, my middle brother, oversaw poles and pegs. He would start putting together the necessary poles and pass them to Dad and Stephen at the right time.
Meanwhile, Mum’s job was tent interior, specifically the ‘kitchen’ area. This was mainly putting together the metal wire shelves and starting to sort out the food and cooking equipment boxes. Depending on the time, she’d then start getting dinner ready.
I was on recreation. I had to find a suitable spot for the swing ball and, when it wasn’t being used, I’d grab the mallet and do my best to whack the pole into the ground. I then remember Dad telling me to test the swing ball out – to make sure it was still working okay. It always was. In retrospect, I now think this was just a way of keeping me, the youngest, out of the way!!
The first meal of every camping holiday, in my memory anyway, was always tuna rice, drowned in Wattie’s tomato sauce. I guess it was a quick and easy meal to prepare on a two-burner gas stove, and it was also a proven crowd pleaser.
So, there you have it – tuna rice and swing ball.
Pete Guyan – POET Co-ordinator