I run into Ernst at the Saturday Settlers Market in Taupo. He's a wood carver and runs the Village Crafts stall there. Originally from Austria, he's lived in New Zealand for 53 years.“Everybody’s gotta have a shed,” he smiles.
Among his smoothly carved chopping boards is a selection of spoons and spatulas. I pick up one with two holes in it. Apparently it’s a porridge stirrer - the holes turn oats and milk into the best textured porridge. Though Ernst can’t vouch for it as he doesn’t eat porridge.
Everything Ernst carves is from salvaged wood and he made this stirrer from his favourite wood, Rimu. It’s not the strongest – that’s Matai, used to make the best wooden floors – but he loves its beautiful grain.
The next morning I try out the porridge stirrer myself. It stirs up a storm - the thickening, milky mixture glides through the lower hole in a most pleasing fashion.It's quite mesmerising.
You'd have to make a pretty huge batch for it to reach the top hole though.
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