Early this year, Dr. Kathryn Starkey and Molly Evans left Australia and headed for their fifth locum assignment, this time on the South Island of New Zealand. After settling into their new digs, they sent this:
Dear All,
In mid-February, two friends from Invercargill meandered with us to Queenstown to gather our friend, Patti, from New York. On the way, we stopped at a local "fly-in" rally of vintage planes. We flew in a 1930's Fox Moth biplane which was the original Air New Zealand plane for service to the South Island. The Fox Moth has an interesting design, because the pilot's seat was behind us, which gave us an unobstructed view of the fabulous weather and scenery. After a safe landing, our drive continued through the Central Otaga Valley - the land of stone fruit orchards and wonderful wineries - where we managed to squeeze in a wine tasting.
Later we traveled to Mt. Aspiring National Park to hike a portion of the Routeburn track. The track is one of New Zealand's nine great walks and is very scenic and popular. Along the way we were delighted by the variety of landscapes - meticulously maintained by the Department of Conservation - that included snowcapped mountain peaks, sheer rock faces, pristine, turquoise lakes, and cascading waterfalls. After our tramp, we drove to the Gibbston Valley to have a fabulous lunch at the Gibbston Valley Winery.
We spent two fun-filled days in Queensland, dubbed the "Adventure Capital of New Zealand." There Patti and Molly, two aged adrenaline junkies, ventured up the gondola to the "Ledge Sky Swing", which is positioned 300 meters high above town. The next day, went jet boating on the Dart River and finished up with a walk through Mt. Aspiring National Park. Whew!
Finally, before placing our friends on a plane for home, we went sailing on a former America's Cup yacht on Lake Wakatipu. We welcome visitors and love showing off our "home away from home".
Cheers,
Kathy and Molly
Dr. Kathryn Starkey, an OB/GYN, and her partner, Molly Evans, have wanderlust in their veins. Their locum adventures have taken them to New Zealand's North Island, the Caymans, Western Australia (twice) and now the Kiwi South Island. For more of Dr. Starkey and Molly's amazing tales from Down Under, keep coming back. Or better yet, subscribe to this blog!
It's the eve of Thanksgiving in the States. Although the first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to God for helping the pilgrims survive the brutal winter, it's now a non-secular holiday with no gift-giving or guilt, unless you count overeating. Which brings me to the three important F's - Food, Family and Football. Yup, we stuff the turkey, stuff ourselves and then hit the couches and recliners to watch football and more football in a tryptophan-induced daze.
Naturally, a lot of locum doctors and their families who are living in Australia and New Zealand like to celebrate, but it's not always easy to find a Turkey dinner with the trimmings. One says forget the turkey! They stuff themselves with Barramundi (a delicate fish) and Morten Bay bugs (or Bay Lobster) - and try not to think about missing the pumpkin pie while they celebrate with their new "makeshift family."
Still others, like Dr. Kathryn Starkey, choose to celebrate in a whole new way. She and her partner, Molly Evans (who's an incredible cook, by the way), recently discovered "Damper" or "Bush Damper" - a bread that's crusty and crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Damper often sustained the early colonial settlers who explored Australia's remote and harsh landscape for months at a time because the ingredients are basic and easily transportable for long journeys. It was slowly baked in the hot ashes of a fire, or cooked in a Dutch oven, and then eaten with whatever condiments were handy, like slices of meat, golden syrup and a mug of hot, sweet black tea, known as "Billy tea".
Whether it's with Billy tea over an open fire or English tea at the Hilton, Australian cuisine is always an experience - even on an American Thanksgiving table. And whether you're baking in an oven or cookin' over a fire, Dr. Starkey's Damper recipe will work for you.
2 cups self raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 and ½ cups milk
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons butter
Extra flour if needed
Add milk slowly and mix to form a soft dough. Knead lightly on a flour board until smooth. Shape into a round loaf, brush with milk and cut a cross on the top. Place dough in a round pan and bake at 375° F for 30-40 minutes. If you're using a campfire to cook, cover with hot ashes and coals and bake for 30 minutes. Gobble it up!