Daintree Rainforest - Queensland
Location
Daintree Rainforest is located in the tropical rainforest region on the north east coast of Queensland. The coordinates are 15° 57′ 33″ S, 145° 24′ 7″ E. The forest is just north of Cairns and Mossman. Daintree is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest in Australia, stretching from the Daintree river right out to the edge of the Queensland coast. It also straddles Cape Tribulation. The rainforest is named after Australian geologist and photographer Richard Daintree, a pioneer most notably discovering some of North Queensland's most important gold fields. Visiting When visiting Daintree Rainforest there are numerous things to see, do and experience. Some of tourists favourite activities include walking through the beautiful rainforest with guides, sea kayaking around the coastal Barrier Reef area of the national park, going to photograph the 'Big Barramundi', browsing the timber gallery, a taste testing native fruits, walk through the forest with a professional birder, numerous 4WD trips, go on a crocodile spotting tour, scale Daintree's highest point, Mount Thornton, fishing in the Daintree river for Barramundi, sail along the coastal edge of the national park, and hiring a boat to travel up the river on. As an inner part of the Great Barrier Reef is accessible from the forest, visitors can snorkel, kayak, swim and sail in some of the worlds most famous pristine waters. Many of the thing to do in Daintree Rainforest involves getting back to nature and understanding the Australian Wilderness better. Daintree National Park is one of the Australia's most rich and luscious rainforest's, so when visiting it is important to remember to conserve and leave undisturbed the unique surroundings so that they last for future generations. Climate The temperature and rainfall in the Daintree Rainforest area has a maximum of 31.5 degrees celsius and a minimum of 23.6 in January, and the average rainfall is 252.7 mm, with approximately 15 days of rain. February has an annual rainfall of 291.7 mm and a maximum temperature of 31.1 and a minimum of 23.6. There is 245.1mm of rain in March, and the temperature begins to drop around one degree or so. Aprils max temperature is around 29.1 degrees, and the minimum is around 21.6- slightly colder- while the rainfall is severely decreased, with 126.2mm. In May the temperature continues to drop, with a low of 27.5degrees and a high 20 degrees. The rainfall is again greatly decreased, with 68.6mm in total. In June, July, and August, the temperature is around on maximum 26.2 degrees and a minimum of approximately 17.4 degrees. The temperature begins to climb higher leading to the end of the year, while the rainfall greatly increases by December. In total the hottest month of the year in Daintree is January, the coldest is July,the wettest is February, and the driest is September. As Daintree experiences sub-tropical climate due to its north-ward location, it rains more often than not. Some of the severe weather that can take place includes tropical cyclones, flooding and huge storms. To help deal with the constant rain, the native Aboriginal people noted five distinct seasons; Kambar: Late December to March - rain Kabakabada: April to May - cool with rainfall easing Duluruiji: June to September - cooler & dry with some rainfall Wungariji: October to November - hot & dry Jarramali November to December - hot & stormy It is recommended to visit Daintree Rainforest in late winter to early spring- preferably September, October, and November. The Danitree Rainforest area located in the far north east area of Queensland, and therefore it is inclined to have a tropical climate- which is rain and with a hot, moist atmosphere. In summer it is not ideal as it rains a lot and Box Jellyfish, which are very dangerous and can be lethal, are found in the reef. Fauna Some of the most interesting animals found in Daintree Rainforest includes: Peppermint Stick Insect: The Peppermint Stick insect is a species of of bluish green insects. Its name come from the white chemical it emits during defending itself, which smell distinctly of peppermint. It also has two long red feeling receptors that protrude from its head. It only lives for about a year. Goanna: Goannas, and all reptiles, are cold blooded or ‘ectothermic’ which means they depend on the outside climate to regulate their body temperature. The Goanna gets its name from when European settlers first set eyes on them that y believed them to resemble the South American Iguana, hence the incredibly similar name. The Southern Cassowary: The Southern Cassowary is one of the most remarkable looking birds in Australia and the world. The bright blue upper body and thick black coat combined with the crimson plumage and large hard helmet makes for a very eccentric bird. The southern Cassowary cannot fly and is related to both the emu and the ostrich. It is also found in parts of Papua New Guinea. Ulysses Butterfly: The Ulysses Butterfly is large swallow-tail butterfly found in Australasia. It easts the nectar from flowers, while also pollinating them. It has a beautiful sapphire coloured wing with can be easily camouflaged when the wings are folded. The butterfly is also has a maximum recorded wingspan of up to 105mm. The Green Ant Mimicking Spider: The Green Ant Mimicking Spider is famous for its ant like appearance, which an incredibly large abdomen willed with liquid. It is not a poisonous spider and does not contain any venom. Flora Some of the most notable flora and plants found in Daintree Rainforest are: The Daintree Fan Palm: The Fan Palm thrives in the wet season, and loves muddy flooded areas. This palm can grow up to six metres tall and can have a diameter of four metres. It has a large, great fan shaped leaf and is completely unique. This species has been in Australia, however, for millions of years Native Hibiscus: The Native Hibiscus is an amazing comes in many different varieties and colours, most of which are pink, purple, yellow or white. The type found in Daintree Rainforest is Hibiscus Heterophyllus- a yellow variety with a dark scarlet centre and long purple stalk. Idiot Fruit: The Idiot Fruit tree, otherwise known as the Ribbonwood tree, is found in many wet rainforest areas including Daintree. The fruit is large at 80mm and spherical, splitting into four segments with a yellow pollen in the centre. The flowers are red, with spirally arranged petals. Wild Ginger: Wild ginger spreads everywhere along the ground, with pink glossy, slightly heart-shape leaves. It must have shade and moist but well-drained soil to thrive, and therefore Daintree Rainforest is an ideal habitat. With the right conditions this native plant is unstoppable, growing everywhere it possibly can. In spring it bears purplish maroon bell-shape blooms appear. Longipes: Long pipes are small shrub plants with long green leaves. They also flower light purple and white flowers the spring. Interesting Information - The rainforest is believed to be just over 135 million years old. That makes it the oldest tropical lowland rainforest in the world. - Daintree gained is place on the UNESCO world heritage listings on the 9th of December 1988. - As the Great Barrier Reef meet Daintree at the coast, it makes the site the only place in the world where tow world heritage sites meet. - Over 400,000 people visit Daintree Rainforest annually. - It is approximately 1200 square kilometres in size. |