The Steamtug Blog

This week’s project was to construct a new mash tun, which will allow me move away from canned malt extract, and make the whole beer from mashed barley. For quite a while now I have been making what’s known as partial mash beers, using the can but instead of adding sugars, mashing grain in my esky (cooler box) or doing it in a bag on the kitchen stove. (continue reading…)

Avalon Airport, located close to our home town Geelong, is trying to push to become the second international airport for our state of victoria. Every second year it becomes host to the Australian International airshow which Mitch and I were fortunate enough to attend. (continue reading…)

I had a visit from my Russian mate the other day. Jenya worked with me in Russia, and he is also the one with whom I drove a car across Russia with! (See the link to “travel diaries” at the top of this page, and look down the bottom of the page) It’s the second time he has been here!  He was supposed to be here last week, but being the adventure freak he is, decided to start in Perth and drive a car up the north-west coast and back. Unfortunately for him, 2 cyclones hit the region and his car became a small house on a small island!!! (Lol..) (continue reading…)

While reading the paper the other day, I noticed a cruise ship would be visiting Geelong early on Sunday morning, and thought it would be an ideal opportunity to get the crew together for a pancake breakfast on the bay. We have almost finished the worst summer I can remember with only one hot day this year, but Sunday morning looked fantastic!

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The summer weather has been pretty pathetic. As we watched half of Australia under flood water yet again, us here in the South pondered the fact that we never get any rain down here. We have just come through the worst drought ever recorded up until some decent rainfall towards the end of last year which was the first time we have had normal or above average in more than 10 years. But then the sky opened and it didn’t stop raining here for 5 days! Luckily we don’t have any flooding here, but we know plenty of people who are worried. And when I woke up the other morning and looked out my window, I was shocked to see water lapping at my door….

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Just a quick note to announce the passing of one of my best friends. Jenny Cole has been battling cancer for such a long time and has finally given in. Jenny was one of the strongest persons I have known. When I was an impressionable teenager about to go completely off the rails, Jenny was the one that kicked my butt and set me straight. (It took a few kicks and a couple of good slaps… I was such a stubborn little shit!) I would never listen to my own parents and she gave me such a grilling at times I was scared of her! Armed with the respect that fear brings, she managed to mould me into the person I am today and I am eternally grateful for input in my life. I will miss her dearly.

The  mountain was calling… It’s the mecca for Hoons, bogans, wodgies, widgies, yahoos and pissheads. Mt Panorama in Bathurst has been the home of the super cars since before I was born, and it was time to pay homage to the great god Peter Brock (9 times Bathurst winner, crashed and died 2006). It’s well worth the 11 hour drive with typical scenes between Cootamundra and Wagga-wagga of the yellow fields of canola contrasted with the purple of the noxious Patterson’s curse, and the occasional blue tongue lizard or snake trying to cross the road. And as we were driving, we were sparing a thought for our poor brothers in flood stricken Pakistan, where apparently satellite photos reveal the whole country looks like a giant bowl of coco-pops!

I had been dreaming for months about the ride to Bathirst… whoops spelling!!! I mean Bathurst, and I wanted to ride my bike on this 900 km pilgrimage, but as things turned out we ended up having to drive up. I was fortunate enough to convince me Mum to lend us her caravan but at the 11^th hour there was no car to tow it. Of course the caravan was an essential part of our survival strategy, because we had 3 beer kegs hidden under the beds inside. With all that beer stacked behind the rear axles, the caravan wagged it’s tail like a dog all the way up, but towed like a dream coming home. (continue reading…)

Imagine rowing to the middle of a big lake, drop in a stick of gelignite and sit and watch as 100,000 fish rise to the surface with mouths open and eyes glazed saying “What on Earth just happened?” Well that was the MCG on Saturday afternoon, but it wasn’t gelignite, but the sound of the final siren which left all in that circular fish bowl floating on the surface with stunned disbelief in their eyes after Collingwood and St kilda just happened to be equal on 68 points when the siren blew. (continue reading…)

The bubble has finally burst. “G” town was a buzz yesterday as our beloved Cats headed up to Melbourne’s MCG for the preliminary final to decide who will play in the grand final next week. Many cars around town, were flying the cats flag while the subject on most people’s lips was the big game looming Friday night. Geelong is such a 1 sided town when it comes to footy. It’s our town, and it’s our team! Of course there are many other supporters who follow different clubs, but they are usually quiet this time of year, and with the Geelong team putting up such a strong performance over the entire season, you could not help feeling proud of the boys. (continue reading…)

In a county settling into being run by a “woman in labour”, last night was our usualy monthly card night. It’s a tradition started by me many years ago by inviting the boys down to the old Steamtug Victor where copious amounts of amber fluid were put away while played cards in the officer’s mess and left a few dollars to help maintain the old tug. (It didn’t do the old tug any good, see the fate of ST Victor on the “Steamtugs” tab, top right of this page) (continue reading…)