Daintree, Queensland, Australia
 
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Cassowary

 

The cassowary is a large flight-less bird found in Papua New Guinea and North Eastern Australia. It has a stunning blue neck and unusual 'crown'. It has adapted to the dense forests and is rarely seen by humans.

 

The Ryparosa (tree plum) is a near threatened rare tree restricted to the rainforest from Daintree River to Cape Tribulation. Its survival is reliant upon the survival of the endangered Cassowary. Seeds of the Ryparosa that pass through the gut of the cassowaries have a 92% chance of germination. Seeds that don’t, have only a 4% chance.


Ryparosa 'plum' fruit, cassowary droppings  resulting in new tree saplings.
 
 
 
 


Daintree National Park is the only place in the world where two World Heritage listed sites meet, the Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. The crystal-clear waters of the Mossman River cascade over granite boulders in Mossman Gorge while Cape Tribulation features rainforest-clad mountains that sweep down to long sandy beaches.


Consisting of nearly 900 000 hectares, vegetation is primarily tropical rainforest, but also includes open eucalyptus forest, wetlands and mangrove forests.

 

The Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of Daintree National Park. Europeans first settled in the area in the 1870’s.



 
Daintree Region

Port Douglas
The Port Douglas and Daintree region was home to only the Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people until it was settled by the Europeans in the 1870's. It was gripped by gold fever in the early years but as the gold mines declined so too did the town. It is now favoured by a list of celebrities as the place to get away. The avenue into the town is flanked by palm trees, exclusive spa resorts and golf courses. Port Douglas is famed for its Four Mile Beach.

Wildlife Habitat
We visited the Wildlife Habitat which is an open and interactive environment where you wander along paths and elevated boardwarks as birds fly and animals roam freely around you.


Farming

The coast road from Cairns to Daintree, passes through vast areas of sugar cane farming that has its own Cane Train on a narrow gauge track, although most of the cane is now moved in large containers by road.


Tropical fruits, tea, vanilla, cocoa, cattle and barramundi fish are also farmed in this area.


Coastline

Much of the coast is long, empty sandy beaches but there are some populated towns with beautiful sandy beaches that have swimming enclosures which protect against the ‘stingers’. Such beach resorts are Trinity Beach, Palm Cove and the popular Port Douglas.


Daintree River

The Daintree is one of the longest rivers on the East coast (140kms) and contains 31 mangrove species and many crocodiles. The only access to the land on the north of the river is by ferry.


Cape Tribulation

There is a tarmac road (and very old battered road bridge) up to Cape Tribulation but if you wish to venture further north to explore the rugged rainforest territory and experience places of special significance to the native Aboriginal people then you must have a 4WD vehicle.


Cow Bay to Cape tribulation