As an occasional camper, I have noticed a wide range of approaches to the matter of food - from the bare subsistence to the super-elaborate. I myself believe strongly in the usefulness of the Sao biscuit. One can survive for a week with a packet of Saos and a few slices of cheese or something like a can or two of cold baked beans or sheep’s tongues (with tomato sauce preferably). I usually carry a couple of packets of Saos in an airtight container. Moreover this particular cracker can be crumbled to provide food for various birds one might come across. On the weekend I had such an experience with a gang of those comical apostlebirds at the campground on the western side of Weddin Mountains. This is a species that is not to everyone’s taste, and I know an old bushman who swears that the label ‘Lousy Jack’ has literal significance. They will not appeal to the ‘WHAT a handsome fellow!!’ school of birdwatching. Personally I think their wheezing and grunting and squeaking has a conversational quality that is comprehensible by the human ear. A pity they have not colonised the Canberra area. As an intelligent species, they might have their reasons.
