We were packed up and on the road by 8.15 this morning, as we wanted to be in Sarina, 36 kilometres south of Mackay, by 9.30am. We also had the extra 14kms to travel from Black's Beach to Mackay. We had decided we would do the 'Sarina Sugar Shed' tour. I had seen a Queensland tourist show on TV some weeks ago and they had given it a good wrap. It was quite good and if we hadn't been to the 'Tully Sugar Mill', we would have thought it excellent. As with all tours you pick up on something new or you're able to ask a question, because of something you have been told before!  That was the case with this tour.  It did cost us $19.00 each, even at Seniors rates!  The 'Sugar Shed' has been set up with miniatures of the large machines used at the 'Plane Creek Sugar Mill', which is alongside. To start the tour we were taken into a small theatrette to watch a DVD, which gave an overview of the industry and the region. They also had some old machines in the grounds that had been used for planting and harvesting sugar cane many years ago.   A man by the name of 'Venton' had put a great deal of time and effort into inventing machinery to assist the industry.  We had read at the 'Sugar Museum' in Mourilyan, that growers had initiated and funded the improvement to machinery over the years.  They had received little assistance from the Government or other companies.   Ashlee was the young lady who conducted the tour. She put some cane through 'Bill the Mill Jnr'cane crusher a couple of times, and then invited us to take a small piece of the inside of the cane (I think it is called the cortex or rind) and have a chew! As one would expect it was sweet, but not sickly sweet! Then she put some clean looking cane through 'Bill the Mill' cane crusher and we had a little drink of the juice. That was sweet!Ashlee told the story of the rest of the sugar cane process with the aid of a DVD. Miniature machines for each of the processes were in the 'Sugar Shed'.  All named!  There was  'Peter the Pan', 'Frankie the Fugal and 'Derek the Dryer'. It was a novel idea of telling 'The Story'. The 'Sugar Shed' makes yummy sauces and relishes and we were invited for tastings. Then a tiny taste of the alcohol from their distillery. Of course all of this is in the hope you will make a purchase or two!  We did purchase some Mango and Chilli Sauce.    One particular point Ashlee told us this morning, has created discussion in the car this afternoon!  She asked us what colour sugar is?  We all said "Light brown"!  The colour of raw sugar.  Ashlee's reply was "All sugar is white. Raw sugar is sugar with a coating of molasses". With raw sugar you are getting iron with it. Brown sugar has more molasses.  The white sugar one buys has gone through the process of having the molasses removed. It is a misconception that it is refined. All sugar is refined, because it has to be to meet the standards. I am going to do some more research on this sugar! I also asked Ashlee about why some farmers are still burning sugar cane. It is purely to reduce the rubbish that is going back onto the paddock. The sugar content has the potential to decrease with the burnt cane because the window for harvesting and milling is only 12 hours.After the tour I walked back to the Sarina shopping area to get a photo of the 'BIG Cane Toad'. We haven't seen any cane toads. Only a little frog that decided to sit on top of the skillet last night when it rained. Pete tried to catch him for a photo shoot, but Fredo was too good for Pete! Sarina's 'BIG Cane Toad' doesn't rate very highly on the Iconmetre. He only gets 4/10. He was placed in Sarina in 2004 and is made of paper-mache and fibreglass.  This is from the book:  Nobody knows exactly how many cane toads there are in Australia but the number is definitely in the millions.  The epidemic started in Queensland in 1932 when just 102 were introduced from Hawaii to control pests in the sugar cane plantations.  The name 'Buffy' is derived from the scientific name for cane toads, 'bufo marinus', which is latin for 'sea toad'.  We said goodbye to the sugar cane at a little town named Camila, about 65 kms south of Sarina. The country was only suitable for grazing after that. There were big rivers and bridges, but all very dry. There has been quite a lot of rain in the Rockhampton to Sarina area during the last week. The 'Plane Creek Sugar Mill' had shut down due to the wet weather. I asked the lady at the Sugar Shed if she thought the recent rain was an indication of an early wet season, as there is still a lot of cane to be harvested. She said "It could be, but it is not unusual to get rain this time of the year, but not this much"! Where she lives they had received over 100mls.We stopped for lunch at the little town of Marlborough, about 100kms from Rockhampton. There was a sign on the road indicating there was a rest area on the left. When we turned off the highway, another sign said 1 km. We kept going on the narrow bitumen road which led us to the small town. We couldn't see any rest area, so we pulled up at the park beside the small town pool. There were lots of concrete tables and chairs in the park. We weren't the only grey nomads to be confused! Whilst we were there four other vans pulled in. They didn't stay long. But as is usually the case, when we left the town, there was the free camp site! We should have gone straight ahead instead of making a right turn.

Golly we certainly realised we were back in a less populated area of Queensland today. The Bruce Highway was so rough!  Probably for about 140kms and it didn't improve until we were closer to Rockhampton.  We turned off north of Rockhampton to come out to the Yeppoon area on the coast.  There is a 95 km 'Scenic Capricornia Drive' that comes out to the coast and then down along the coast to Emu Park and back to Rockhampton.  We are staying at a park named 'Island View' which is between Yeppoon and Emu Park.  This area is called 'Kinka Beach'.  Bit 'kinky' hey!  12 photos