G’day, Fred.
That hopwoodii stuff, it’s pituri — and having scarfed quite a bit on a trip to the Olgas, back when I was a wild and reckless young lair who’d have a fair suck on any sauce bottle that promised to get me stonkered, I can tell you it will never replace the filter-tip Camels that remain my most enduring vice.
A ranger pointed out a patch of the stuff, mentioned that the Aborigines used it to get high, and that was the only cue I needed. I lagged behind, uprooted a couple of bushes and went the gobble back at camp.
Ears started getting hot, felt like I had a band being tightened around my forehead, feet went tingly and I had a lot of extra energy. Then, after about four hours, it was like I’d been biffed with a tyre hammer. Headache, fuzziness, and a really bad pain in the comic cuts, followed by bulk chunders and trots.
Mate, that stuff might have some family link to nicotinia, but so do a couple of bushes in my front yard. Roll some up in a Tally Ho, which I also tried, and the experience isn’t bonza. Unlike dark Turkish and bright Virginia, no pleasure factor whatsoever.
If the blacks were silly enough to use a lot of it, well it might explain why Captain Cook found them to be the most primitive people in the world. Heads aching too badly to get anything done!
Pituri link below, if you’re interested:
http://www.entheology.org/edoto/anmviewer.asp?a=47&z=5
LOL! You've got the lingo down pat mate, worthy of Banjo or Lawson...music to my ears...where have you been all my (Freeper) life?
I like this part from your link:
The initial effect of pituri is as a stimulant, later however the user begins to fell a bit heavy and finally sleepy. In small quantities the pituri can assuage hunger and enable long journeys to be undertaken without fatigue and with little food. It can also be used to excite the participants before fighting (Maiden, 1889).
Reminds me of that Hoodia substance that's used as an appetite suppressant - not available in Australia. Might be an unexplored business opportunity.
On tinnie #4..understood every word.