Conservation Value of the Daintree. Become A Rainforest Rescuer Today! Add eCard. Add To Cart. How to Help. This is one of 18 rainforest Aboriginal tribal groups located in the Wet Tropics World Heritage area. The Kuku Yalanju people relied on the rich array of plants and animals for food that the rainforest had to offer and travelled through the area seasonally.
An early colonist named George Elphinstone Dalrymple explored the area in where he came across a magnificent river. He named the river after his friend and early government geologist, Richard Daintree. Now not only the river, but the whole region has laid claim the Daintree name. Throughout the modern era, development has expanded into the Daintree region fuelled by tourism and scientific exploration purposes. This discovery generated awareness and scientific interest in this rainforest.
Idiospermum australiense, commonly known as the Idiot Fruit, is one of the rarest and most primitive of the flowering plants. There are so many aspects to this rainforest that makes it truly special and unique including the rainfall and species diversity. There are around different types of trees in the Wet Tropics and in 1 hectare alone you can likely expect to find between to different types of tree.
This incredible diversity make this area so special and unique, setting it apart from other rainforest areas around the world.
The major benefit of rising above the surrounding canopy is the ability to gain maximum exposure to the sun. The trees are also easily spotted by any creatures that pollinate. While there are many plants to look at and enjoy, the rainforest is a wild place so there is also plant life that is best to avoid. There are two primary plants that are best to avoid in the rainforest.
The Wait-A-While vine is a spiky plant that is so sharp it can cut you through clothing. There is also the stinging tree filled with tiny, unseen pricks that can cause an itch.
A significant amount of rain falls in the Daintree Rainforest to sustain the natural habitat. The average annual rainfall in the Daintree rainforest is approximately mm 79in per year.
Some areas have even recorded up to mm in in a single year. The wet seasons is between December and March. The mangrove system of forests that ring the mouths of creeks and rivers in the Daintree is a wonderful fish nursery that plays a particular importance in the ecology of the area.
Mangroves are vital for many young fish species that migrate to the Great Barrier Reef later in life. They also hold the highest species diversity for this type of habitat anywhere in Australia. The best way of seeing and understanding the river's eco systems and wildlife is to take a cruise. There are many Daintree River tours to choose from, run by the locals who know the area inside out. The best river tours are the ones that capture the ambience of a tropical river system during early morning or at dusk.
Some river trips specialise in wildlife at dawn and others concentrate on fishing and photography. The river trips usually take about an hour, and are the perfect introduction to the unique wildlife of the Daintree. Daintree Village is located on the Daintree River just a one-and-a-half-hour drive north of Cairns.
This laid-back little village was originally the base for timber-cutters who came to log the red cedar and today it has a population of around people, including descendants of the original settlers who are now successful beef-cattle farmers. Before the road to Mossman was completed in the only access to the Village was by the Daintree River. Tiny Daintree Village has a number of restaurants, galleries and shops selling local arts and crafts.
They lived in small kinship groups of 8 to 12 in camps spread along the banks of the river and creeks between Bloomfield and Mossman. They know this area as Julaymba. The Daintree River was only discovered by Europeans in when Scottish geologist and explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple came across a magnificent river and named it after his friend and early government geologist, Richard Daintree.
Not just the river but a village, a national park and the whole region now share his name. Before the road to Mossman was completed in the only access to the Village which now has a population of about people was by river.
Today tourism is a major industry throughout the region but many descendants of the original settlers still live here, some operating thriving beef-cattle properties in the river valleys beyond Daintree Village while others farm sugar and tropical fruits. Driving north from the sugar-mill town of Mossman towards Daintree the road travels through extensive areas of sugar-cane, set against the magnificent backdrop of the rainforested coastal ranges - and beautiful uncrowded beaches are only a short distance from the main road.
The Endeavour struggled north along the coast into an inlet that is now The Endeavour River and where is now located the coastal township of Cooktown. Except for a large piece of coral, found lodged in the ships hull, this story may never have made the history books!
Australia goes back to one of the most ancient countries on earth populated by the oldest race on earth, the Australian Aborigine. The original Australians were a nomadic race and other than rock paintings, carvings, middens and burial sites they left the country undisturbed. For many thousands of years the Kuku Yalanji people occupied land between the current sites of Cooktown and Mossman. When the gold rush arrived, things would never be the same again for the Kuku Yalanji.
Cooktown became a bustling port, the second largest after Brisbane. Aboriginal people worked as labourers alongside Chinese, Malays and Islanders carving settlements out of the forest. As the population grew, forests were cleared for sugar cane, tea and cattle. European occupation brought massive change. Unlike countries with ancient man-made buildings from which many of our visitors come, Australia has a different history — an ancient natural heritage. The Flora of the Daintree includes more families of plants with primitive flowering species than anywhere in the world.
The Kuku Yalanji people continue to feel a strong responsibility for the Daintree region. Their songs and legends continue to give special.
After a failed farming venture there he moved to Cape Tribulation in At that time, he, his brothers and their respective families were the only whites in the area. On a seasonal basis, semi tribal aborigines inhabited the coastline. In those days the old aboriginal road was occasionally used to transport livestock, this being easier than walking it south toward the Daintree River.
Also the Masons grazed cattle at Emmagen Valley, a fact that many people are surprised to learn today. During the second world war years, the Masons kept a horse and saddle for each person on the farm, the plan being first to walk north along the Bloomfield Track, then west or south to escape invasion. In those days the Bloomfield Track would have been the easiest way out.
Luckily the escape plan was never needed. Over the years the Mason Family witnessed many changes — from walking track to road, from would be farmers and miners to Marijuana growers and from unprotected State Forest to National Park and World Heritage Area.
Mason's Tours was founded by the late Paul Mason and celebrated 25 years of operation in Their experienced local guides will give you time to see, touch, smell and even taste the Far North Queensland rainforest - on your tour they will provide amazing information and answer your questions about the tropical rainforest plants and trees, birds, insects, frogs, forest dragons, snakes and crocodiles to give you a unique wilderness experience and unforgettable memories of your visit to the World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation National Park.
For perhaps thousands of years, the Kuku Yalangi Aboriginal people lived along this section of coastline.
For this reason, when whites arrived a well used track existed from Cape Tribulation to the Bloomfield River. As early as the s a timber cutter called Hal Collins used it to search for Red Cedar.
They perhaps felt that a coastal road link through to Cooktown would improve their land values. It was open only a few weeks, the rain closed it. The harsh terrain won round one and it was some time before anyone bothered to reopen it. In , a land developer reopened it but the end result was the same. For 14 years it was essentially a walking track. In those 14 years a number of things happened. Ancient flowering plants were discovered in the Daintree Rainforest.
Tourists began to visit in increasing numbers and the Daintree began metamorphosis from a farming area to a tourist area. From Sydney to Cairns: A day trip of cities, islands and reef. The ultimate trip to Australia. Destinations near the Daintree. Port Douglas. Palm Cove. Great Barrier Reef. Travellers' stories. Load More. Planning your next Australian holiday? Get expert help from an Aussie Specialist who has the knowledge and experience to help you plan and book every detail of your trip.
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