Oh Deere!

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 Saturday 21- 23 November: Oh Deere Sugar Cane Farm Stay, Calen & The Sugar Shed, Sabrina

After leaving Hydeaway we spent the morning in Airlie Beach. The kids enjoyed the markets and a swim in the lagoon. 




In the petrol station we ran into the Machar Family- friends of Nick and Tim from surf clubbing days who we camped next to in Alice Springs- small world.

We decided to join in with the Machar's who were heading to a sugar cane farm. On route the front hatch of the caravan took flight & ripped off the van. 

This farm stay will remain one of those random highlights of the trip! A 400 acre working cane farm that is truly a labour of love, created from a passion for John Deere tractors. The farm is owned and run by Karinda- you could not meet a more Aussie, larger than life character! From the minute we stepped onto her sugar cane farm we were simultaneously bamboozled and entertained "is she for real"? 

Who invites you to accompany them on a tour to a local hidden waterhole, and then skids off at top speed down the dirt driveway in a cloud of dust? No idea how she was expecting us to follow, and where was she even going in such a hurry? The lot of us fell into fits of laughter, and knew we were in for a ride. 


From there it was endless profanities and tales of farming both in Tasmania and Calen, discussion about "bloody lazy Queenslanders" and generous sharing of her knowledge of cane farming. Her John Deere collection is out of control, taking up every room in her home!

We loved this farm stay- learning about cane from seed to harvest and spending time with lovely families.


Kids enjoying pressing cane billets through the press to make juice.

Amazing sunsets over the cane fields, almost as good as lightening!














Karinda was generous enough to let us raid her veggie patch where we collected a 9kg watermelon, some corn and a pumpkin to roast. 





From here it was onto feeding the bulls with sugar can billets. 







The boys lovingly nicknamed their 9kg watermelon 'Bonnie' after their little friend Bonnie Machar. Bonnie then came on the next few adventures with us! 

After leaving the farm we headed to The Sugar Shed in Sabrina for more learning about and tasting sugar! Their miniature sugar processing and distilling equipment has been sourced from all over the world and it was great to see it all in action. We have now learnt about the growing, harvesting, and crushing processes of sugar.











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