29th July . Wow, what a day.

This 

Tully dawned dull a heavy sky with mist swelling over the hills. Who cares, we are in a new place, things to see, experiences to enjoy.

We were booked for the Tully Sugar Mill tour, $18 each and worth every cent. Only 16 per tour as it is not a 'tour' in the normal use of the word, but  conducted trip through a working mill , 300 employees & an additional 200 during the harvesting season(at the Mill alone). We met in this small hut and were instructed on all aspects of O&HS, with strict instructions to stay together, and walk exactly where told.now that we were all signed in we had to get dressed! MUST HAVE SHOES (no saddles etc) MUST HAVE AT LEAST SHORT SLEEVES, then we were issued with hard hats and orange safety vests

Then we were given glasses if we weren't wearing glasses (no sunglasses permitted) next we were given ear pieces and a battery pack to be hung on our waist band (not pocket) and an ear plug for the other ear. This was so the Guide would talk to us all and we could hear above the machinery. It was very effective.

I wish I could transmit the smell, molasses type but not overpowering.

Before we left the hut the sugar growing and harvesting process was explained and what to expect form the tour.

Sugar train bins were arriving all the time, each one was numbered with the growers number and had to be weighed and later the sugar content would be weighed thus determining the price the grower would get for it. The Mill works 24 hrs per day, 3 shifts per day.

Cane arriving.

This huge Mill has the full process and it ends up like 'Raw Sugar' it's all exported, not any is available except for the little sample bag we were each given.

One truck that was moving sugar had its side collapse and and 20 ton of sugar had to be scooped up and then reprocessed! Not happy Jan!

A full 1 & 1/2 hour tour that was sooo good.

On then to Tully Gorge through Sugar and Banana plantations to spectacular rainforest along the Tully River . Drizzle did not defer these intrepid adventurers, a picnic in this beautiful park in the Gorge

We stopped at photo spots on the 46k way back. Please enjoy, we did.

Poor fellow, hardly any traffic, very alone and raining ... Dejected!

Only within 5k of our caravan park Brian jammed on his brakes, he had spotted a Cassowary about to cross the road. What a thrill, the 3rd largest bird in the world, quite unusual to see one and were able to see one in the wild.

Off now the the local Resort for the Wednesday night special .... Schnitzel. Good night Wednesday.