Day 20 – R&R

Today we took it easy in Sarina. We went to a place called the Sugar Shed which is next to the big sugar mill here. There was a guided tour through a mini version of the mill to explain the whole sugar growing and refining process. Like all these things it was a bit cheesy but actually very interesting. Wisely, they finished the tour with a tasting session of the various liqueurs they make so everyone got chatty and bought bottles and jams. 

They were (rightly) proud of the fact that the electricity they use for the mill comes from their own power plant which burns dried waste cane for fuel and they are a net exporter of energy back into the grid, which is kinda neat. Second biggest agricultural export after wheat apparently.

The other highlight of the day was a trip to the Big Cane Toad right in the main street. The tour guide at the sugar mill says that there were originally just 101 cane toads imported from Hawaii to eat a cane grub. They did not eat one grub but are slowly taking over Australia. Good news is that some snakes and birds have learned to flip them over and kill them from underneath where they are not poisonous.

Anna has recovered and healed well today and is in pretty good nick for the coming week.