Mossman Mill 1.

Here we are still free camping at the Sugar Cane Mill.  Here is some more information. 
Last week one of the trucks hit some over head power lines 22000V...that's really not good!
This week....  Each truck has two drivers one on days & on the other on nights.  Steve was on truck 84, however his buddy rolled their truck coming down the range (Mt Molloy) last night!!  It all happens here.........

Truck 84 on it's side.

 

Truck 84.

 

A few hours later, the truck from the Tablelands which brings products to the Mossman Mill, was at the back of the mill and because of the camber and being wet, slipped off the road!!!!

 

Whoops!!!

 

Crush figures for week 17.

 Mossman mill crushed 22,785 tonnes this was on a 4 day week, due to the public holiday.  The factory has now produced 468,894 tonnes for the season so far.  Mossman mill is very interesting as tourist can drive around the mill grounds, in between the trucks & trains and no1 bat's an eyelid.  There are do gooders, who do not want the trucks up the range picking up the sugar Cane, they follow the trucks up & down the steep descent's just in case they cross a white line and take a picture!!

 

As the wet season is upon us, we have gone all out and spend $20 on a new tarp for over the kitchen, as we didn't bring the awning this time!!

 

The mill breaks down frequently. Sometime when it starts up again it covers the valley in smoke!! Do not fear as when the mill finishes the season this year, it is to under go a massive upgrade to the factory.  Contracts have been awarded for the $4.4 million capital works. 

 

 

I had the day off today, so took a walk around our garden......

 

Jack Fruit.

 

Mango's.

 

Ginger Plant.

 

A pretty pink flower.

 

A pretty red flower.

 

A Macadamia tree.

 

A Macadamia nut of the tree. (Which comes in a shell, like a conker shell).

 

Paw Paw tree.

 

A Pepper bush.

 

We have about 6 Banana tree's,with fruit on them!!

 

Palm Trees.

 

A pretty bush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daintree Village.

Below are some pictures of our camp for a few weeks, now I (Dee) have also got myself a job. So on what might be our last day off together for a few weeks, we decided to take a drive to the Daintree village.  It was a lovely pretty drive and made for a few hours of entertainment, how ever if you missed it on your way by, you haven't actually missed much.

The view from our garden.(Mossman Gorge).

 

Home for a few weeks.

 

Mossman Gorge.

 

Steve with a big Barra!!

 

Steve in a café at Daintree Village....waiting for lunch!!

 

The hills around Daintree Village - look at the cattle in the frame!!

 

The Daintree river and stunning hills.

 

A beach just south of Daintree.

 

The other end of the beach.

 

Sugar Cane fields with pretty hills and this is Steve's office for a few weeks!!

 

Look how the cloud changed in seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Innisfail to Mossman.

Leaving Cairns behind we arrive in Innisfail.  A rather large town with lush green tropical hills on one side, sugar cane everywhere you look and the river on the other side.
Once here Steve finds work as a truck driver for Qube (owned by P&O). Once Steve has done his induction, we head north back to Cairns and finally to Mossman. Mossman is 14klm further north that the up market Port Douglas. Here we have set up home for 5 weeks or so, while Steve drives the Sugar Cane trucks. We have free camping, with power, water & on suite and we could move in to the house if we wanted to. Unless we start getting rain, we will stay in the Camper.
Mossman is a small town, the people are friendly and it is extremely pretty.

Innisfail seems all about Bananas & Sugar Cane.

 

Our camp site at Innisfail - Oh what lovely lawns we have!!

 

Does everyone know how much I love kookaburras?

 

Sooooooo cute!!!

 

As we left Innisfail, we had a heavy shower of rain... it was so exciting!! 

 

 

Ok some information about Sugar Cane. Trucks carry between 20 to 24 tonne and a trains pulls about 700 tonne!!! Trucks only go where there is no train track. For every 8 tonne of sugar cane crushed, you get approximately 1 tonne of sugar.  The spin off from sugar before  it is crystallised & spun is called molasses and this is used for all sorts, animal feed, fertiliser etc. When the sugar is crushed and taken out of the cane, the cane is then re-used as fuel to power the steamer.  It takes 8 hours from crushing the cane to getting the end product of sugar.  Mossman is the oldest & smallest mill in Queensland and it is the only one that still operates steam equipment. 

Sugar cane can be left in the field for 2 or 3 years as it sends down creepers.  Also sugar cane can still be processed after the field has be burnt.

What a SWEET story!!!!

 

 

Steve driving on the weigh bridge with 20 to 24 tonne of sugar cane.(43.5 Gross weight)

 

Steve in his truck with Sam his trainer.

 

Sugar Cane Mill.

 

Steve leaving the yard & waving!!!

 

Steve get your hands on the wheel!! 

 

One of the engines shunting around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Atherton Table Lands.

We take a drive to Mareeba which is a lovely country town . The peanut place at Tolga - Peanuts first arrived in Australia in 1860 and brought in by Chinese Immigrants during the Palmer Gold Rush.  95% of Australian Peanuts are grown in Queensland with 400 growers producing 50,000 tons, Atherton Tablelands provide 10,000 ton from 60 growers.
Next we came across the Herberton Historical Village - what a find this place is, set in 16 acres, it has over 50 restored period buildings, housing unique Australian collectibles, turn of the century machinery, small engines, motor vehicles and thousand of antiques from the chemist to the grocer, this is the most significant museum in Queensland.  You need to have a full day here and they are in the process of putting a wood mill in across the river..... an amazing place & excellent for kids to.

A stunning view from the look out as we head up to Kuranda.

 

Hot Peanuts at Tolga.

 

Mr Peanut.

 

Steve having peanut ice cream.

 

 

How Herberton Historical Village began.

 

Rail Ambulance from 1926 - which they had running.

 

Part of the Herberton Village.

 

Me at school.

 

Notice the box with a baby in it.

 

Steve trying to get a job as a fireman.

 

Me at the butchers.

 

Steve trying to get free fuel!! I wonder what's in this garage?

 

Oh boy is Steve in Heaven!!

 

A Harley Davidson.

 

Now this is more my thing, The Milkman, Butcher & Baker.

 

I didn't know Robert used to come round collect your poo buckets and give you a clean one. ( I would have thought you would just dig a hole and bury it, how wrong was I!!).

 

Tin Pannakin Pub.

 

The Honey Moon Suite at the Pub.

 

Next we head out to Babinda Boulder - another stunning little town, a very scenic river with excellent COLD swimming. The next place was Bramston Beach and an amazing drive out there, the colours were green, hundred's of different kinds of green.. I have not seen colours like this since leaving the UK. 

 

A Curlew.

 

The big Marlin.

 

Babinda Boulders. It doesn't look much, but look how small the people are.

 

Very pretty & very cold.

 

Sugar Cane Train.

 

Steve on another glorious beach, Bramston.