On our journey to our next campsite, we found ourselves making an unplanned stop in the small town of South Johnstone. It’s not often that a geographical curiosity dictates our itinerary, but this time it certainly did. You see, the local sugar cane railway tracks intersect with the main road, practically adjacent to the local pub.

The Carlton Criterion Hotel in South Johnstone, remarkably close to the sugar cane railway line.
The Carlton Criterion Hotel in South Johnstone, remarkably close to the sugar cane railway line.

It’s a rather unusual arrangement, and we felt compelled to document it. Perhaps our retirement is turning us into train spotters. We've always had an appreciation for the pastoral scenes of rural Australia, and the sugar cane trains provide a particularly charming aspect to this landscape.

The sugar cane trains trundle along beside the road, laden with their precious cargo.
The sugar cane trains trundle along beside the road, laden with their precious cargo.

We were quite taken by the industrial scenes also, with the towers of the sugar mill and its constant plume of smoke.

The local sugar mill. A constant plume of steam rises from it's many towers.
The local sugar mill. A constant plume of steam rises from it's many towers.

It does add a certain atmosphere to the area, if you like that sort of thing.

The rhythmic rumble of the sugar cane trains has become an expected part of our day, and we must admit, we are starting to enjoy them. The seemingly endless carriages, filled to the brim with sugar cane, lumbering along the tracks, are something to behold.

A fully laden sugar cane train rolls slowly through the countryside near South Johnstone.
A fully laden sugar cane train rolls slowly through the countryside near South Johnstone.

It's a small, quaint town, but it certainly does have character.

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