It was a last minute decision for hubbie and I to revisit the World Heritage site that is Fraser island, so with tent, camping stove, food and tea in tow, we headed to one of the largest sand islands in the world.
Sand is the key word – it gets everywhere when camping, doesn’t it? Not wanting to spoil my loose leaf tea, I decided to make my own tea bags before leaving home. Yep, you heard me right: tea bags! I place my favourite loose leaf tea into an empty tea bag and place them into a sealed container. Hopefully this ensures that the sand is kept away from my tea. There are plenty of different companies online that sell these bags of convenience.
So I have the tea, what about the hot water? Well that’s the fun part! Reminded of Lu Yu’s poem, I can see the different temperature states as the water is heating on the camping stove:
When the water boils for the first time,
Something akin to the eyes of a fish appear on the surface
and a faint hissing sound can be heard.
Then the gurgling brook develops
with a string of pearls round the edge.
This is the second boiling.
Then the turbulent waves appear: this is the third boiling.
Lu Yu, Cha Ching (The Classic of Tea), 780 AD
Depending on the type of tea, I can take the pan off the stove at the fishes eyes stage, to make a cup of green tea, when the string of pearls develops, this water is perfect for oolongs or when the turbulent waves appear, this is ideal for black teas. Furthermore as the tea is loose leaf I can reuse my own made teabag for further cups of contentment whilst sitting on the beach and watching the sun rise to the tune of the crashing ocean waves.
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Tea Blog 
Leave a comment