The World’s Oldest Rainforest - where the air is breathtakingly fresh and the scenery is spectacular Tropical North Queensland Wet Tropic World Heritage area lies between Townsville and Cooktown on the North East Coast of Queensland covering an area of 894,420 hectares The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is an abundance of lush Rainforest plants and unique animals stretching from Townsville to Cooktown some 500 kilometres’ World Heritage listed in 1988 to achieve ‘World Heritage listing the area had to fulfill at least one criteria

• Represent a major stage of the Earths evolutionary history or
• Provide outstanding examples of ongoing geological and biological processes or
• Contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of natural beauty or
• Contain the most important natural habitats for the conservation of biological diversity

The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area - fulfils every criteria making it a truly World class attraction and one of Mother Nature’s finest achievements The primary goal of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is to implement Australia’s international duty to protect, present, rehabilitate and transmit to future generations the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

To the North is the Daintree Rainforest and the higher region west of Cairns is the Atherton Tablelands The Daintree Rainforest is a magnificent example High Rainfall, numerous creeks and spectacular waterfalls The Daintree rainforest is over 135 million years old – the oldest living rainforest in the World This 17,100 hectares contains Australia’s largest remnant of lowland rainforest the oldest continuous surviving rainforest in the world.

The Daintree Rainforest - is the largest continuous rainforest on the mainland of Australia The Great Dividing Range is very close to the coast, where Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef the traditional county of Kuku Yalanji and Yirrgandyi Aboriginal people.

On the Northern side of the Daintree River the Cape Tribulation section of the Daintree National Park Rugged coastal ranges with lush Tropical rainforest meets up with the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef Mangrove rainforests are Australia’s most complex and diverse This area has high Rainfall, numerous creeks and spectacular waterfalls and fabulous swimming holes for a refreshing swim.

Rainforest Aboriginal people - are the original owners of the Wet Tropics rainforests. There are more than 20 Aboriginal tribal groups with ongoing traditional connections to land in and near the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The traditional estate boundaries are different to the boundaries of the World Heritage Area. Each group has customary obligations for management of their country under Aboriginal law.

Story places (natural features such as mountains, rivers, waterfalls, swimming holes, trees) are parts of the Wet Tropics landscape that are important to Rainforest Aboriginal people as they symbolise features that were created during the ancestral creation period (sometimes called the "Dreaming" or the "Dreamtime"). These places have powerful meaning and properties. They may be considered dangerous to approach or take resources from, except in prescribed ways or by the right person. These places must be respected, not damaged and must be managed carefully by the expert guidance of the relevant Traditional Owners.

The Daintree River - is one of the longest rivers on the East coast of Australia (140klm) and was discovered in 1873 by George Alphington Dalrymple who named It in honour of his friend Richard Daintree, an English geologist. Dalrymple was so taken by the river that he wrote “no river in north Australia processes surrounding combining so much of distant mountain grandeur with local beauty and wealth of vegetarian”. Still true today.

The first people to use the river were the early timber cutters, who would drag cedar logs down the river with bullock teams, and then float the logs out to the river mouth chained together in rafts, to be loaded on ships heading to Cairns and England.

The Daintree River contains 31 mangrove species and its lush swamp forest attracts rare and locally prolific bird life, plants frogs and insect species. Considered to the one of the best birdwatching areas in Australia, and the many rare species attract birdwatchers from around the World The Daintree Rainforest is home to 430 species of birds including 13 species unique to this area.

The Daintree region - is home to many of the most exciting birds in the World some of the World’s smallest parrots and kingfishers to the largest cockatoos, to birds that can see in the dark and colourful pigeons. This area is home to about a third of Australia’s 315 mammal species – 13 of these species are not found anywhere else in the World they include tree kangaroos, fierce marsupial cats, rare bats, a rat-kangaroo, unique green possums and ringtail possums.

Tropical North Queensland’s wet tropics region is home to a quarter of Australia’s frogs and nearly half of Australia’s freshwater fish.

The Atherton Tablelands - is one of our best kept secrets, lush farming boarded by magnificent tropical rainforests, ancient volcanic crater lakes, crystal clear creeks and rivers, spectacular waterfalls you may even spot one of our local platypus or a tree kangaroo there is a diverse range of birdlife the Atherton tablelands offers something for everyone from fishing for Barramundi , waterskiing on Lake Tinaroo, spectacular bushwalking , bird watching, hot air ballooning, wildlife tours, coffee and tea plantations, lunch in one of the many cafes, wander round an art gallery or book in for a wonderful spa treatment once a month there is a great local market at Yungaburra.

Mareeba - is the biggest town on the Tropical North Queensland tablelands home to people from 64 different national origins Mareeba really is multicultural there are over 60 tourism based experiences located in Mareeba go kart, racing, hotair ballooning, coffee plantations, natural attractions include Granite Gorge, Davies Park falls and National Park a great place for a refreshing swim. There are lots of farms producing a wide range of wonderful products from Coffee, tea, bamboo shoots, mangos and chocolate to name a few There really is something for everyone.

Kuranda - in the rainforest approximately 25 kilometres northwest of Cairns is the quaint mountain village of Kuranda. Kuranda is the destination of our Scenic Railway that wanders through the mountains after departing from Cairns past the spectacular Barron River Falls arriving in Kuranda’s rainforest markets this area has some wonderful local art, coffee shops you can get a German sausage or a delicious Australian meat pie, Kuranda has homemade ice-cream and candy and there are some wonderful nature-based attractions, including Koalas, butterflies, native and exotic birds, kangaroos and reptiles – a visit to Rainforest station is a great way to spend a couple of hours take in an army duck tour through the rainforest , see our traditional aboriginal dancers, learn how to throw a boomerang or cuddle a Koala from the Top of the Kuranda range you can step on to the scenic skyrail and take in a wonderful view of Cairns, the rainforest and the surrounding districts

You’ll love Tropical North Queensland you will love every single part of it.