Australia's Tropical Rainforests World Heritagemillions of years in the making ...
Australia has inherited one of the most significant forests on earth - one of the world's living treasures. This green ark has carried a precious cargo of life for millions of years and this living museum has been declared a World Heritage Area in the hope that it will be protected as a treasure for all people for all time.
Around the world, tropical rainforests are under threat from human pressure. Here in Australia's Tropical Rainforests our rare animals and plants are no exception. Our frogs, a sign of environmental health, are disappearing. Six species are declining rapidly and another has disappeared, presumed extinct. There are more than 100 animal species which are rare or endangered - from the giant flightless Cassowary to tiny butterflies. Worryingly some Scientists suggest that global warming will see the demise of much of this wildlife within just a few decades!
Our rainforest is home to over 5,000 plant species - the greatest diversity of plants on the Australian continent. Over 460 of these plant species are considered rare or threatened. They are a living record of the evolution of plants on earth the simple ferns, the primitive cycads and pines which were the precursors of flowering plants, and the overwhelming profusion of plants and trees which can be seen in these World Heritage listed forests today.
These forests form a diverse set of living cultural landscapes, their natural features interconnected with Aboriginal religion and spirituality - more than 16 Aboriginal tribal groups inhabited Australia's Tropical Rainforests World Heritage area.
Australia's Tropical Rainforests is one of Australia's 14 World Heritage Areas, areas of outstanding natural heritage significance recognised by the World Heritage Convention, a document signed by 161 countries. Australia's Tropical Rainforests are known worldwide and understandably people travelling to Tropical North Queensland want to experience them for themselves.
To achieve World Heritage listing an area must display outstanding universal significance. Australia's Tropical Rainforests are one of only four sites in Australia that meet all of the World Heritage criteria for natural heritage. Australia's Tropical Rainforests were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988 in recognition of their universal natural values as:-
an outstanding example of the major stages in the earth's evolutionary history
an outstanding example of significant ongoing ecological and biological processes
an example of superlative natural phenomena
containing important and significant habitats for conservation of biological diversity
Although Australia contains less than one-thousandth of the world's tropical rainforests these forests are some of the most significant ecosystems on the planet. They contain one of the most complete and diverse living records of the major evolutionary stages of plant life on earth. Many species originated when Australia was part of Gondwana, more than 120 million years ago. These rainforests are a living record of the ecological and evolutionary processes that shaped Australian plants and animals over the past 415 million years.
Australia's Tropical Rainforests are a relic of vegetation types that were once much more widespread. Fossil records show that most of Australia was covered by primitive rainforest some 20 to 60 million years ago. Today's rainforests now contain most of the world's plant relics from these ancient forests.
Australia's Tropical Rainforests cover about 900,000 hectares (2,223,945 acres), or the equivalent of, for example, 20% of Switzerland, 50% of Hawaii, 21% of Denmark & so on; they are more than five and a half times the size of London, and more than one and a half times the size of Singapore extending approximately 500 kilometres (313miles), from Townsville to Cooktown along the north-east coast of Queensland.
They offer approximately 600 km (372 miles) of roads, including 40 scenic routes and more than 100 scenic sites including features like Queensland's highest peaks, Bartie Frere and Bellenden Ker, and Australia's longest single-drop waterfall, the 305 metre (1000 foot) Wallaman Falls.
Australia's Tropical Rainforests contain at least 390 rare plant species, 85% of which are found only in this region - they are floristically and structurally the most diverse in Australia. Mangrove forests within this World Heritage Area cover 13,600 hectares (33,606 acres) forming the most diverse mangrove community in Australia and comparable with any in the world.
About 3,000 plant species from 210 families are found in Australia's Tropical Rainforests, representing about 17% of Australia's vascular plants. More than 700 species of these are endemic to the World Heritage Area and include some plant curiosities, including one of the largest, and one of the smallest, cycads in the world.
Vibrantly coloured fruits of rainforest trees, ranging from blues, reds and oranges to white and black, are adapted for dispersal by birds. The duller coloured fruits (those that are brown, green and yellow) are generally dispersed by bats. The endangered Cassowaries are considered to be the most important dispersal agent for many large-fruiting rainforest trees.
While many plants in the rainforests have been around for millions of years, in comparison to the ferns they've only been here for five minutes! Ferns appear in the fossil record dating back 325 million years. They are one of the earliest vascular plants on the planet (plants which circulate water internally) and they preceded the flowering plants, conifers and cycads. 64% of Australia's fern species occur in Australia's Tropical Rainforests and at least 45 species are endemic to this region. This is the richest concentration of ferns in Australia.
Australia's Tropical Rainforests are home to 30% of Australia's marsupial species, 58% of its bats, 26% of its frogs, 17% of its reptiles, 58% of its butterflies and 48% of its birds.
In other words about 110 mammal species, 370 bird species, 53 frog species, 170 reptile species, 78 species of freshwater fish and more than 200 species of butterflies are found here & at least 85 species of vertebrate animals are unique to this region.
Where Wait-a-while Tours operate & why ...
Some important notes about visiting our rainforests:
most tours travel the coastal route to Daintree & Cape Tribulation, some go inland across the Atherton Tablelands & a few to their special "secret" places. Most travel on roads, rather than tracks, & most tour during the day. All offer excellent rainforest experiences but ...
the rainforest and most of its' inhabitants sleep during the day
most of the wildlife is found over 350m above sea level (most tours skirt coastal rainforest)
most wildlife lives in the top 2 metres or so of the rainforest canopy and can mostly only be viewed from underneath
most coastal rainforest, as pretty as it is, has at some time been logged
access to relic pockets of rainforest/habitat where wildlife is found is hard on both vehicles & driver guides
small groups can mean 19 other passengers!
With 20+ years of providing the best Eco tours Wait-a-while has built-up a series of the best rainforest access permits & wildlife viewing spots throughout the World Heritage areas around Tropical North Queensland. The best rainforest diversity, particularly wildlife, is found above 350m elevation & Wait-a-while tours predominantly visit refuge areas within the rainforest between 350m to 1200m elevation visiting many habitat types rather than simply tripping the limited mostly coastal tourist routes. As the rainforest sleeps by day & is active by night Wait-a-while tours are day & night for without the night element visitors see very little wildlife & limit themselves on feeling the full majesty of this truly magnificent rare natural place! Wildlife spotted typically includes mammals (Musky Rat Kangaroo, Platypus, Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo, Green, Lemuroid and Herbert River Ringtail Possums), birds (Chowchilla, Spotted Catbird, Golden Bowerbird, Victoria's Riflebird, Southern Cassowary), reptiles (Boyd's Forest Dragon, Northern leaf-tailed Gecko, Amethystine Python), amphibians, butterflies, moths & many other invertebrates.
Such is the quality of Wait-a-while that it is listed in many leading international travel guide books & has guided many international film/TV crews through these pristine rainforest wilderness areas. Also Wait-a-while's tours 1 & 2 carry Australia's Ecotourism Association's highest accolade "NEAP Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation".
Wait-a-while Rainforest Tours, working within internationally, nationally & locally recognised best practices to deliver the best Eco/environmental experience to visitors to the region showcasing the full majesty of the this natural treasure by day & by night with superior guiding & flora & fauna spotting, identification & interpretation.
Tips on maintaining our natural treasure trove ...
There are many more people enjoying our rainforests today than ever before. Here are a few simple things we can all do to ensure these ancient places and the animals that live here, remain as undisturbed as possible:-
to minimise erosion and damage to plants, stick to the walking tracks and don't take short-cuts on zig-zag tracks
to help keep the wildlife healthy, please don't feed them, no matter how hungry they look, and don't ever try to pat or play with them
apply the 'carry in, carry out' rule and take all your rubbish home with you
drive carefully at night as many Australian animals are nocturnal and have little "road sense"
all plants and animals are protected
although the brightly coloured rainforest fruits make delicious meals for wildlife, many are extremely poisonous to people - do not eat them and better still don't touch!
even in the rainforest people should protect themselves against the strong tropical sun. Always remember to Slip (on a shirt), Slop (on some sunscreen) and Slap (on a hat) when outdoors
Lead by example in the hope that others will follow ...
