Emerald to Sarina

Queensland roads are a real mixture. Today’s often narrow & bouncy ‘up & down’.  We passed many coal mines & set ups - villages where workers live – rows of double storey long unit blocks & individual houses; transport supplied by Greyhound buses. Many very LONG coal trains going to Hay Point Coal Terminal.

We had morning tea at Capella – lovely little town. Covered picnic tables sheds along highway – toilets, old railway station and parklands – highway lined with wonderful bottle trees!  We stopped at the memorial to the Light Horse – it is believed/claimed that the tradition of them wearing emu feathers started here after the striking shearer’s did the same here in 1891.

On to Clermont & we had lunch at a BIG free camp caravan place giving information for surrounding National Parks around Nero.

On to Sarina - 35kms south of Mackay. Our first tropical town – greeted by fields of tall sugar cane, palms & red & green leafed/flowered poinsiana? trees.

We spent 2 lovely days with Lyn & Ian Bartlett. Lyn is the daughter of late Myrtle & Frank Evans (‘leaders’ of Warren’s Youth Group yonks ago!) Ian is the manager of a ‘dunder’ plant. This is the final process is the sugar cane production. The cane is crushed to make molasses which goes on to produce sugar & other products; the waste from that goes to make ethanol  the waste from that (dunder) is piped & stored in huge tanks & with ‘other ingredients’ added to it makes superphosphate which they sell back to the sugar cane farmers to fertilize their cane crop! Full circle! Amazing!

We visited the many beaches on the coast from Sarina (16kms). We also went up to see the Hay Point terminal in operation. Also Eimeo, north of Mackay – looking out to Pentecost & Brampton Islands.

Huge housing developments all around Mackay to cope with the influx of coal industry workers – now many houses unfinished or empty due to slump in coal trade.

Warren noticed vibration in wheels while driving – had it checked out before we left. Tread had come away from wheel – new tyre fitted!