We left Hervey Bay on Saturday and headed to Bundaberg to check out the Bundaberg Ginger Beer factory. They had a great interactive tour with tastings afterwards. The Ginger Beer making company was first started in Sydney but when the use of cordials took over, one person started their own company in Bundaberg. The Ginger beer is still made the traditional way here. They make a range of different drinks and we tried them all!
That night we stayed in a free camp just outside Bundaberg. We have discovered this whole parallel universe of Grey Nomad travellers who frequent these free camps. QLD is very good for free camps and some councils advertise and maintain them. This gets the Grey Nomads into the town where they spend money on groceries, petrol and dinner. We have found some of the best information on places to stay from these travellers. Of course they’re all travelling in big RV’s and very flash caravans that are worth more than our house!
Sun 13th
This was a big driving day to get to just south of Mackay. We stayed in another free camp – this one right on the beach. There is about 1.5 km of beach front sites near the little town of Carmila. The spot is amazing and fairly popular. The only downsides are the drop toilets and lack of showers. The toilets aren’t too bad but the kids aren’t too keen!
The tide here is amazing – it must go out almost 1km! Because of the distance it travels, the water goes quite fast so you can literally watch it go in and out. The kids have spent hours playing and beach combing on the beach.
We have also had a fire here which is great and gives us an excuse to toast marshmallows.
Mon 14th
After a great sleep listening to the waves we headed off into Sarina to the sugar factory. They have a great tour of a sugar “mini-mill” there which goes through the sugar life-cycle from growing the sugar cane to processing the sugar. The “mini-mill” has similar equipment to the big mill but on a smaller scale. This lets you get close to the equipment and watch the process. Some of the equipment is modified though – the “mini-mill” has a Bunnings cement mixer and heater instead of the big mills’ sugar drier!
Sugar cane is harvested from June to December and the area around here produces 80% of its product for the overseas market. The factory is pretty efficient and makes use of all the “waste” products. The waste sugar cane is used as fuel for the factory, the waste liquid is sold back to the farmers as fertiliser.
The “mini-mill” has a side-line in sugar products – chutneys, dressings, mixes, candy floss, vodka and rum. Everyone gets a taste of the products after the tour but we didn’t really like anything so came away empty handed.
Then it was a quick stop at Woollies before home to another camp fire. On the way we had to stop and watch a sugar cane harvester in the paddock. They are pretty impressive and run 24 hours during the harvesting season. Rain only stops them when the sugar cane gets too water logged as the farmers are paid by weight and sugar content, more water = lower sugar content.
After 3 days of free camping, two of those at the beach, we’re all ready for a shower. So, it’s off to Airlie beach tomorrow for a couple of nights of luxury camping in a caravan park.
Have yet to update photos so will post again when that's done
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