TEN

Balboa’s Campfire Beef Massaman Curry

Today, I am born again. 

This morning, ten years ago, WA police were rifling through all the loose items of an abandoned outback campsite, then throwing said items into the rear trays and trailers owned by two people they’d never met, afterward handing vehicle keys to the missing persons’ family members in order for them to – in hindsight – remove a crime scene from its origin. 

That action could easily be translated into one single term: zero f—ks given. 

The police were calling off phase one of their land search for two missing persons, Ray and Jennie Kehlet, around 30kms south of the tiny outback town of Sandstone, Western Australia, after several days of what would become the ‘most exhaustive missing persons’ search in WA history’.

In the process of packing up, one officer came across Jennie’s diary, which had daily entries right up to the 18th March 2015, more than three weeks prior, which read, “Hopefully got to HOLE, fingers crossed”.

Today I am born again, because last weekend I ‘died on a hill’. That hill was atop that same HOLE where my brother Ray was subsequently found. 

This time last year, on the ninth anniversary of these events, I bet my life there would not be a tenth without resolution for Ray and Jennie’s murders, so it seemed the most apt response. Nameless (for now) people gathered around and recorded that metaphorical death, and Ray’s very real death, and more importantly the actual horrendous murders that occurred at the same site a decade ago. 

I am obliged to not share any details of those recordings for now; yet, having recently resurrected, I feel something from the weekend must be shared. Something to personally remember. A memory to savour in years to come. 

On the final night of this latest trip to that infamous outback murder site, a few of us camped out underneath the tree Ray and Jennie both supposedly garnered their final shade. 

Here is what I am able to share, for now. 

Recipe for Balboa’s Campfire Beef Massaman Curry.

Ingredients:

1.4kg Beef Chuck steak cut into bite size chunks

1 x Jar of Massaman Curry Paste

2 x 270ml of Coconut Milk

1 Tin of Baby potatoes

1 Tin of Sweet Baby Corn

1 x Brown Onion

Method:

Brown meat in pot with oil. 

Add onion.

Add all other ingredients, juice and all.

Stir and simmer for 3 Bush Chooks.

Serve with Rice.

Best cooked on open fire and consumed with your BFAM and a pinch of City Slicker.

Each time we go up to Bell Chambers we learn something new, and/or hear a small snippet previously unshared. After this trip, I have less than zero doubt of who was responsible, and why… 

But, that’s a story for another time. 

If nothing else comes from this decade long search for answers, I can honestly say that Ricky Balboa’s campfire massaman curry recipe is delicious! The subsequent 4am ‘silent but deadly’ fart that occurred inside my swag - more than 10m away from anyone else - woke the entire camp. Which should really be added to the brief of circumstantial evidence, imho…