Who goes where?: Boxing Day Bash

The Dennis Boxing Day Bash is held in high esteem not only for the Dennis family but the inhabitants east of the Derwent River, Tasmania. Therefore we felt extremely privaliged to be invited to this auspicious annual event, comprising predominantly of BBQing, Beer Pong, drinking, games and drinking games!

Christmas Day therefore was a quieter affair, so to thank our generous hosts, Paul and Angie, we offered to cook them Christmas dinner, an Aussie UK fusion. Fresh Oysters from Bruny Island, just down the coast from Hobart, presented 3 ways - natural, Kilpatrick and a grilled cheese special. Chris spent Christmas morning shucking them open and trying to avoid a Christmas trip to A&E! For mains, roast duck breast with a cranberry, redcurrant and port sauce with all the trimmings – roasties, sprouts with pancetta, carrots and Sazzle’s ultimate Yorkshire Puds! Delicious and made us quite homesick too. Desert was a sticky toffee pudding that never got eaten that day as we were just too full!

After a few beers in the sunshine we had an early night to ensure we were fresh for the Boxing Day Bash. By 10:30am the beer fridges and “eskies” (cool box) are full, the Boxing Day Test Match is playing on the TV, the vodka jelly is being prepared by Emma and Ella and the quiet before the storm sits ominously over the Dennis household.

Paul, Tim and I try and put off our first beers until noon, the beer pong table is erected as well as the tents for any weary stragglers.

It’s a fantastic day, Paul and Angie’s family are all here, plus friends, AFL mates and “randoms” like us. By 4pm the party is in full swing, the fire is already lit, the beer pong league is underway and you really feel part of this amazing Tasmanian family.

By 4am the party was done-ish and so were we! Merry Christmas everyone.

Aw shucks, oysters? For me?