Flavour of New Zealand
NZ popular culture 1960 onward
NZ popular culture 1960 onward
Some items of kiwiana that existed, died out, or arrived in the years since 1960. Click an item from the box below.
In decades past, two white spirit stoves were dominant in tramping circles. White spirits later became known by various other names. One stove was the blue, squat, optimus 8R which took quite a bit of heat to get it started. The other was the upright Optimus 71, which could be started nicely with a piece of meta tablet. Meta was short for metaldehyde and could be bought from outdoors shops. It burned with an almost colouless flame and left a nasty smell when snuffed out. The latter primus made a happy stuttering sound when running well, which was a pleasant background noise to wake up to in the morning, promising some sort of hot concoction was on the way.
Optimus 71 white spirit tramping camping stove
click on thumbnail to see full size image
Source
8R primus shot by fraydnot (Trademe). Upright primus shot anonymous.