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In Far North Queensland, just north of Port Douglas, the Daintree Rainforest is a dense jungle area part of the Australian Wet Tropics environment protected by World Heritage Listing, United Nations. The Daintree Rainforest is amongst the most ancient ecosystems on earth. More than 18,000 known plant species exist. Some trees are more than 2,500 years old.
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| Accessing the Daintree Rainforest | |
It is possible to access some National Park rainforest areas by car, where you can hike through marked paths through the jungle but much of the Daintree is inaccessible wilderness. Only experienced hikers penetrate its heart. However, it is highly recommended that you take a tour through the more dense rainforest areas where this living museum will come to life with the expert guides explanation.
The sheer number of individual trees can bewilder - with counts of over 1000 per hectare, excluding saplings under 10cm diametre. Over 800 different species of trees have been identified here, with a substantial number only found in this area.
| Daintree Rainforest Wildlife | |
The jungle is alive with creatures. Look out for parrots, orange footed scrubfowl, and the famous cassowary. The cassowary is a bird, similar in size to the emu, but in black with a brightly coloured head. Standing up to 2 metres, 4.4 yards tall, the cassowary is vital to the ecosystem of the rainforest here. Like flying foxes, it is considered a keystone species. It eats mostly fruits collected from the rainforest floor, and is the most important dispenser of larger rainforest seed. The sex-roles of the cassowary are reversed. After laying the eggs, the female abandons her mate. The male incubates and cares for the brood of young until they are up to 15 months of age.
Several tours depart from Cairns and Port Douglas for the Daintree Rainforest & Cape Tribulation. Discover the ancient plants and meet some of the animals who make the jungle their home.
Cape Tribulation is a magnificent area to see the rainforest meet the reef. A dramatic clash of green and turquoise blue separated by a sandy white beach lined with coconut palms.
Central Daintree National Park Tropical Far North QLD - Queensland
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Queensland - Map of Daintree National Park Australia
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