When I was a young man I travelled by from Melbourne to Cairns, North Queensland.  Had to change three trains to Brisbane and then took the country train to Cairns.  From Spencer Street Station to Cairns it took three full days to get there.   I went to Cairns to cut sugar cane and earn a little better money than I was earning in a factory.  I was 18 years of age at that tima and full pay was obtained at age 21.   It is a long and complex story and I will elaborate  with more detail another day.    Here is a photo of the sugar cane.   The location was Babinda north Qld.