Upcycled Fish Smoker and a Driftwood Trellis

A Great Upcycle

Derek's been on holiday, so has finally had time to pop over the road and go fishing...hence I have something to show - our upcycled fish smoker. I remembered many years ago my Dad used to smoke fish in a 44 gallon drum, with a fire in the bottom, fish hanging from wire hooks at the top and all covered by a wet sack. Working along these lines, ours used to be a washing machine - it is now just the shell of one. Instead of a wet sack (which burned), we have a sheet of corrugated iron. This isn't a thing of beauty, and therefore is in a less conspicuous place in our yard.

Upcycled washing machine fish smoker

The fish smoking involves lighting a fire using mainly teatree, neither too wet or too dry, so that there is smoke, in the base of the smoker.

The fire can be tended if necessary through the opening at the bottom.

The fish are rubbed with a mix of salt and brown sugar to taste, then laid on a metal rack, which is suspended near the top of the smoker.

Fish on the rack - ready to come out.

The lid is put on the smoker, and the fish is done after approximately 45 minutes. Eaten still warm from being smoked - yum!

Smoked Kahawai

Driftwood Trellis

We have grown a few passionfruit plants from seed, from a dried up fruit I found under someone else's plant. Time had come to put up a structure for them to climb, so we had looked at buying some trellis....but then I thought -that is silly when we could make a more organic looking (and free) one from some of our driftwood stash. So I left it to Derek to figure out how to do it ...and here it is - yay!

Driftwood trellis for our passionfruit