The area we were travelling was and is sugar country so Lucinda is home of Lucinda Bulk Sugar Terminal which was constructed in 1979 and is the longest service jetty in the southern hemisphere at 5.76 k (about 3 miles), long and supported by more than 660 concrete and steel pylons. The jetty is an engineers masterpiece with it's length actually following the curvature of the earth.
The jetty enables Lucinda to handle large bulk sugar ships up to 50,000 tonnes.
There are approximately 20 ships that export sugar from Lucinda to various markets around the world.
On February 3, 2011 a Category 5 Cyclone Yasi crossed the Northern Queensland coast in the early hours of the morning, bringing measure peak wind gusts of 185km/hr at Lucinda. At the height of the storm, waves over the deck of the jetty destroying the shiploader along with the Lucinda Jetty Coastal Observatory (LJCO). The LJCO was located at the end of the jetty and delivered valuable optical data regarding local coastal waters and atmospheric conditions.
The Lucinda Jetty sustained extensive damage from the cyclone, costing an estimated $50 million and re-opened after 18 months of repair.
The photo above it only a small part of the Jetty.
Lucinda is off the main highway, this photo taken as we travelled on the road to Lucinda and is of sugarcane growing.
I like the scene with the jetty. It seems to go on forever.
ReplyDeleteIt did seem to go on forever, it took a while to find the end of it due to the weather on that day
DeleteI miss the mountains. I need a road trip.
ReplyDeleteAlways interesting mountains, always different as is the sea.
DeleteThe area around Lucinda looks lovely - I wonder if the jetty the biggest in the world?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe it is the longest in the world, only the southern hemisphere.
DeleteThere is a wooden jetty in Australia that is long.
The Jetty at Lucinda people can't go on it, there is a conveyor belt that carries the sugar to the ships.
Wow. The size of that jetty and the cost of the repairs are both incredible. Big money in sugar...
ReplyDeleteMust be a lot of money in sugar - it was cheaper to rebuilt the jetty rather than build a whole new one.
DeleteGreat photos I have never heard of the place
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo-Anne. We hadn't heard of the town either until someone we met on the road told us about it, so we thought we would stay to take a look.
DeleteThat jetty is incredibly long. Impressive.
ReplyDeleteInteresting jetty and a good find for us.
DeleteA pleasant jetty to train on for marathon running, football etc etc.
ReplyDeleteAt least you'd be getting a cooling sea breeze.
Great report and photos as per usual, Margaret.
Colin
PS: I think Terrigal is trying to compete with the Victorian Mornington Peninsula
for 4 seasons in one day weather. All that is missing is the "Roaring 40's" - ha ha.
Can't run or go on it Colin, it's a conveyor belt only..
DeleteThanks.
Oh well, weather is strange at times.
The terrain resembles that of the sugarcane growing area in northern NSW.
ReplyDeleteYes it does as it's all similar along that way.
DeleteThanks for the interesting background and marvelous pictures
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteBoth subjects seem to stretch out into infinity. I like 'em!
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to see the end of the jetty with the naked eye, it took awhile to find the end.
DeleteI don't think they burn the cane anymore do they. That is a decent drive to the end of the jetty. Truly amazing and I had never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteCan't drive on that jetty Andrew, there is a conveyor belt along it.
DeleteCane is burnt in many areas still, but of course some cane farmers don't burn cane.
Beautiful picture of Lucinda.. love to read your travel stories..
ReplyDeleteThanks krishna.
DeleteHi Margaret, I enjoyed your photos and the interesting info. Hope you both are doing well.
ReplyDeleteHello Mildred,
DeletePleased you enjoyed. Yes we are doing ok thanks...xxx
What a jetty, so long, thanks Margaret.
ReplyDeleteVery long had a job to see the end of it..
DeleteWhat is important, of this horrible cyclone, is that there were no human victims, the material damages can always be restored.
ReplyDeleteI love that luminosity of the sea.
Kisses
Life is certainly the main thing...
DeleteIt's really lovely there..
Yasi must have been horrendous.
ReplyDeleteAs always, lovely photos.
Have a great one,
It was a dreadful cyclone - you recall the boats I showed in earlier post that was of Yasi too.
DeleteIt's an impressive engineering project.
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see it.
DeleteA very long and sturdy jetty, clearly built by experts who didn't skimp during the process. Here in Adelaide we have a concrete overpass, not very old, which is crumbling and having to be propped up. Design and build are both faulty. Shame on them. Peoples lives are at risk everyday because of it.
ReplyDeleteOh really, that's dreadful. Up there in the sea they have managed to build a good sturdy one as you say.
DeleteLucinda a pretty name and it looks a pretty place to ...
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
It is a pretty little place by the sea.
DeleteJetty looks Marvelous to look at!
ReplyDeletewhat SWEET area you visited dear friend!
wow, looks so long!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I missed this post...I sure am running behind time!
ReplyDeleteYasi sure did cause a lot of damage around that area...so sad.
The jetty looks wonderful.
ReplyDelete