Tropical Rainforests in North Queensland

Tropical rainforests throughout the world lie chiefly near the equator. These areas receive some of the world's heaviest rainfall. You will find in North Queensland some of the most breathtaking tropical rainforests in the world. These rainforests stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, cover an area of approximately 894,000 hectares, and are world heritage protected

A tropical rainforest is a forest of tall trees in a region of year round warmth and plentiful rainfall. The tropical rainforest has more kinds of trees than any other area in the world, as well as more species of certain animals, birds, insects, mammals and reptiles. Some of the tallest trees may grow as tall as 200 feet and tower above the rest of the forest. The tops of other trees form a covering of leaves and form a canopy. This in turn shades the forest floor so that it receives less than 1 per cent as much sunlight as does the upper canopy. Very few bushes grow on the floor of the forest due to very little sunlight. Because to the amount of rain received, the rainforest is very humid but you will find that the temperature difference is very small - cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

In tropical rainforests, many plants grow on tree branches where they receive more sunlight than they would on the ground. Such plants called air plants include ferns, mosses, orchids and bromeliads. Climbing plants twine around tree trunks and they grow toward the sunlight. Several kinds of strangler trees grow in rainforests. Starting off as air plants they develop roots that reach down to the ground. The roots surround the tree on which the strangler lives and in time may kill the other tree by depriving it of food, light and water. In the rainforest, most plant food is stored in a thin layer of soil near the surface. Decaying vegetation mix with the soil and adds food to it. The roots of most rainforest trees remain close to the supply of plant food near the surface. In some species, the roots form large growths called buttresses that extend between the roots and the trunk. The buttresses may help keep the trees upright. The tropical rainforests of North Queensland have spectacular scenery and rugged topography with fast flowing rivers, deep gorges and numerous waterfalls.

To the north of Cairns, between Cape Tribulation and Bloomfield, the world heritage areas of reef and rainforest come together. Nowhere else in the world will you find two natural wonders side by side and so accessible to travellers. This is one of the largest rainforest wilderness areas in Australia. The wet tropics provides the only habitat for numerous rare species of both plants and animals. There are at least 483 species of plants that can be classified as rare or very restricted and of these 83 are regarded as threatened. There are at least 25 species of animals that are regarded as very rare ... these include the brush tailed bettong, the spotted tailed quoll, the yellow bellied glider and the southern cassowary. The richest concentration of ferns and fern allies in Australia occurs in these rainforest, including at least 46 species that are restricted to the area. Unique marsupials including the musky rat kangaroo also can be found here. The Wet Tropics is home to 30% of Australia's marsupial species, 58% of its bat species, 25% of its frog species, 23% of its reptile species, 62% of the butterfly species and 18% of its bird species. There are no less than 59 species of vertebrate animals that are unique to the area. As North Queenslanders, we are very proud of our area .... and the tropical rainforests together with the Great Barrier Reef, makes for a very unique and beautiful area to live. We trust you will enjoy your stay and that you will take care when you visit the areas.