Cape Tribulation

A couple o' backpackers wandered into the wild on an adventure they'd not soon forget. As the trees grew dense and the sun was only penetrating about one percent of the forest floor, they realized they were no longer in Kansas. This rainforest was by no means the largest, but is the oldest in the world. Over one hundred species can be found within a square kilometer; now to be one hundred and one thanks to them. The Daintree rainforest is home to less than a thousand permanent residents, but these tea and coffee farmers shared it with some astounding creatures such as the great southern Cassowary, a large flightless bird with brilliant red and blue colouring. The largest organism in North Queensland (and the world) however was not a bird or farmer, but rather the Great Barrier Reef. In fact the reef and the rainforest not only shared a boundary but also shared the designation as World Heritage Sites. This beautiful collision of worlds between reef and rainforest is the only place in the world where two World Heritage Sites share a boundary. Deep within this magical landscape was another looming collision. The second collision was less inherent but more imminent. It was in fact a collision of two hearts, two families, two worlds. On the beach, deep deep in the heart of the rainforest set to the backdrop of a sun setting over the reef, the two backpackers entered into a new era of their lives. The first on one knee, clutching a sterling silver ring, decorated with a shimmering white Australian Opal. The second, standing with hands covering her face. These two wandering souls had found each other amidst a world of chaos, and tied the metaphorical knot of commitment. A hope driven by love; a willingness driven by passion; the two became one, continuing their adventure into the wild. 

Sugar, Sugar

Oz is second largest producer of sugar cane in the world. It is cut off at the roots and the leaves are plowed under. Canes are processed at one of three plants in each town between rainbow, bundaberg, hervey bay and agnes waters.

At these plants the sugar is boiled to separate out the stocks from the liquid sugar. The leftover from the boiling process is burned to power the plant. The main byproduct of this process is molasses, used in old cooking recipes or in cattle feed to fatten them up for market OR used to give race horses a boost of energy before a race. More recently molasses has been reduced into a renewable biofuel additive for petrol fuel. Another popular byproduct of the sugar cane is Bundaberg rum: the pride of Queensland, a very strong flavored rum, compared to most. 

Pine tree farming is very vastly visible in Queensland, entire landscapes consumed by non native spruce. Other crops grown in Queensland include avocado banana and the native macadamia nut. Macadamias are graded, the best at seven millimeters sent to japan, the halves used for chocolate covered Macadamias, the one millimeters are used for cereal and muesli bars.