Poles and Packsaddle
Trip Start
Jul 06, 2010
1
14
41
Trip End
Ongoing
Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Monday, September 13, 2010
We piled into the car and drove the 45 minute trek to the pub, which also doubles as a truck stop. The little pub has a separate dining area that's decorated with tons of old horse/outback related things like old cowboy hats, saddles, bridles and other things cowboys use. The walls and fireplace mantle were covered with super vintage photos of outback men, old sheep shearing barns, outback men in sheep shearing barns shearing sheep, etc.
I ended up sharing a "bucket of chips" with my roomie so I could save room for the BBQ later on that night. Needing to satisfy our chocolate cravings, we went to the ice cream freezer and indulged in some minty chocolate chip ice cream cones and a Twist bar for dessert. Why do we not have Twist in Canada?
Next on the menu- YABBIES! They’re mini lobsters, or giant crayfish, that were caught at the station and brought to Packsaddle for feasting. Eating a yabbie is only the second best part, the best part is preparing them for consumption. Essentially ripping them apart to get at the meat! The yabbies are first boiled until they’re red, and then the fun comes (see end of entry for instructions on how to eat a yabbie!). I must have eaten about 5 or 6 yabbies for lunch, and then a few more at the BBQ! Om nom nom nom.
Soon after the yabbie feast, a horse trailer stopped in for gas. Unable to overcome my urge to go have a visit, I made my way out and started talking up the owners :) . I met Fluffy and Poppy, a quarter horse and cute grey pony, on their way back to Tipaburra from Broken Hill. After giving some love to the horses, I managed to find a “Packsaddle” sign mounted on… a POLE. This was the opportune moment and so I pulled some moves and we snapped some quick photos. Not without an audience of course… I don’t think it happens very often, that a crazy Canadian comes out and pole dances in the outback.
Before long we were headed home, so we stocked up on some road trip sweets and went back to the station. A few hours later we had a BBQ with about ¾ of the same people from Packsaddle. Quite the diverse community out here as you can see! It was good fun, and we filled up on meat, potatos, yabbies and more meat.
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Part 1: How to eat a yabbie:
Step One- Grasp the yabbie’s body in your left hand, and grasp the tail in your right
Step Two- Twist the tail in the direction away from you to separate the tail from the body. Set the body aside
Step Three- Remove the tip of the tail by either pulling or twisting. Discard the tip.
Step Four- Hold the tail so the underside is facing up and break the two sides apart so you expose the meat
Step Five- Remove the dorsal tube and the 'shit’
Step Six- Eat the tail meat
Part 2: How to eat yabbie claws:
Step One- Take the body you set aside in Part 1, and grasp either claw and break it off
Step Two- Bend the lower movable claw portion back until it breaks off
Step Three- Grasp the sharp claw tip with your thumb and forefinger. You may use other fingers for support.
Step Four- Place the thicker part of the claw between your strongest teeth and crack the claw
Step Five- Remove the exoskeleton and eat the claw meat
Step Six- Repeat for other claw.
