A few hours north and south of where I currently reside are sugarcane fields – miles and miles of them. Along the coast of Queensland, the conditions are just right for cane harvesting. Numerous sugar plants crush the freshly harvested sugarcane billets and make sugar and a variety of other products.

Understanding the history of sugar harvesting and the making of sugar was a part of our last vacation.

We drove past fields of sugarcane, green and tall. Swaying in the breeze under perfect blue skies

A picture of the cane fields from the car

We saw harvesters cutting the cane and farmers hard at work. Billets on metal bins ready to be choo-chooed to the nearest sugar factory and golden sun.

In the small town of Sarina, the story of sugar is told via miniature equipment and videos at the Sugar Shed. It was fascinating to learn that a sugar crystal is naturally white and is sprayed with molasses to make it brown.

This mosaic at a park bench caught my eye

95% of sugar made in the region is exported and efforts are on to make the sugar making process green and sustainable. Some of the small initiatives taken by the farmers in the region (like zero waste farms) are quite amazing.

Sugar  – what is world without it!