Ah, yabbies. These lovely freshwater crustaceans (you might call them crawfish or mudbugs) are as much a part of Australian culture as the didjeridu and the akubra. Derived from the Webma Aboriginal word “yabij”, yabbies have a lobster-like flavor that's uniquely delicious.
The humble art of “yabbying”—or hunting yabbies—is also a long-standing pastime. Hunting (which is really just a game of coaxing the critters out) harkens back to ancient times and usually entails sitting on the edge of a dam (pond) with a small piece of rotten meat tied to the end of string. Some of the yabbies caught might make it home, but most are boiled right then and there in a tin over a campfire.
Generations of Aussies reflect on childhood memories of tramping through creek beds, turning logs and rocks over, and digging tunnels with sticks in pursuit of yabbies. Good yabbying is conducted in bare feet so getting nipped on the toes (and fingers) is likely. Real yabbiers claim they dive into creeks and catch them with their teeth! Others prefer the “pumpin’ yabbies” method, which you can watch right here.
Yabbies can be found in water holes, ponds, swamps, creeks and (of course) billabongs all over Australia. You'll even find yabbies far inland in Narembeen, Western Australia—thanks to a farmer who brought some in from Victoria and gave the yabbies a home in his farm dams. It was a long shot, but they not only survived, they thrived on the muddy water and warm water temperature. Now people who live hundreds of kilometers from the coast can enjoy the novelty of catching their own seafood.
Haven't discovered the delights of yabbies yet? The delicate, sweet flavor and firm texture has earned lavish praise from foodies, chefs and yabbie fans everywhere. While you’re in Oz, treat yourself to a local farm stay and have yabbies around the campfire. Or hunt them yourself with a string and rotten meat. Or if dangling dead carcass isn’t your thing, snatch some up at a local fish market. You can learn how to cook them right here or visit the yabbie dabbie doo yabbie farm (seriously) and check out some recipes. You can even buy a pet yabbie!
Just like Bubba Gump’s beloved "fruit of the sea” (the almighty shrimp) you can prepare yabbies in a myriad of ways including barbecue, boil, broil, bake and sauté. That’s right, there’s yabby kebabs, yabby Creole, yabby gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple yabby and lemon yabby, coconut yabby, pepper yabby, yabby soup, yabby stew, yabby salad, yabby and potatoes, yabby burger, yabby sandwich...and Steamed Red Claw Yabbies with Ginger and Shallots from Hamish Ingham of the Sydney Four Seasons Hotel...and that's about it.
Australia’s beaches are beautiful, but the really good ones have stories to tell and a lot of things to do when you’re done “sun baking.” That’s where Tallebudgera (tal-uh-budge-er-a) Beach comes in.
Recently voted Australia’s Cleanest Beach by Keep Australia Beautiful, Tallebudgera is truly a Gold Coast gem. And it owes this feather in its cap to the locals: They are the keepers of this pristine piece of paradise in Queensland. They love Tallebudgera, so they care for it.
A famed family spot, this uber-clean beach offers crystal-clear ocean swimming, peak surfing and the waters of Tallebudgera Creek. It also links the mountainous hinterland with the Pacific Ocean, rocky outcrops, sandy shores, mangroves and dunes. What more could you ask for?
How about fish? In the Aboriginal dialect, Tallebudgera means “good fish” and anglers who come from all over to discover its well-guarded contents agree. Boat and bank anglers will find bream and flathead at the Creek, while fly fishermen can target tarpon and giant herring in the upper reaches and canals.
Summer school is in session at Tallebudgera, too. Since 1966, children from all over Queensland have lived the dream of attending summer school at Tallebudgera—the region’s premier education camp. It’s the best aquatic adventure site in Australia and the largest Surf Education School.
It is wonderful to be back living and working at the Top End of Australia–our tropical paradise. Despite the daily humidity and temperatures reaching the high 90s, we feel “at home” slipping easily back into our routine of work and play (the customs officers were skeptical about Kathy's work visa when they explored her bag and found snorkeling equipment, a bike helmet, multiple swimsuits and several pairs of walking shoes!)
We are enjoying the same condo, the same lovely oceanfront swimming pool, and wonderful young doctors eager to learn and care for their patients. The mix of Asian/Australian influence is what makes this place unique from our prior Australian experiences. Here, Kathy cares for patients from East Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines Islands, Sri Lanka, China, India and refugees from as far as Iran–to name a few. In fact, one in eight Australians now speak an Asian language. This exposure to other cultures has piqued our interest to travel to these regions in the future.
William Richard "Rick" Abbott, MD, is an ER doctor who loves a challenge. He met his wife, Jean, on his first day of medical school—when he was assigned to a cadaver with her—and 42 years later they're still colleagues, friends and lovers (TMI?). He's a clinical professor at the University of Colorado where, if our social media is anything to go by, he's very popular. He went to Tasmania on a locum tenens assignment for us and we've written about him in our newsletter. He put this experience into his own words:
If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then the way to the heart of a new city is through its cuisine. And if a locavore is the term for someone who’s avid about eating food that is locally produced, then a locumvore is our new term for a locum who has a passion for eating great grub.
William Richard "Rick" Abbott, MD, is an ER doctor who loves a challenge. He met his wife, Jean, on his first day of medical school—when he was assigned to a cadaver with her—and 42 years later they're still colleagues, friends and lovers (TMI?). He's a clinical professor at the University of Colorado where, if our social media is anything to go by, he's very popular. He went to Tasmania on a locum tenens assignment for us and we've written about him in our newsletter. He put this experience into his own words:
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