Exploring The Ancient Daintree Forest

Many Australian tourist visa holders would definitely be on the lookout for any interesting places to visit in the country. And since this is indeed Australia, they will not be disappointed, as there are plenty of such areas. In fact, some of them are very unique that you can consider it a one in a lifetime chance to see them. 

One such place is the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland. The forest and the national park that forms part of it is located in the Far North region (which is indeed the northernmost part) of the state. The area got its name from geologist Richard Daintree, one of the pioneers of Australian exploration. To give you an idea of how remote the area is, it is about 1,500 kilometers away from the capital of Brisbane. This means that you will have to travel one whole day just to get to the area.

So, why go to the forest, you might ask. What's so special about it? Well one thing that will surprise you about the rainforest is its age. Scientists estimate that the entire forest has been in existence since over one hundred and thirty five million years ago. This makes it the oldest rainforest in existence in the world to they.

Traveling in the rainforest will also make feel like traveling in time. In fact, there have been several creatures that were long thought to be extinct only to end up being discovered here. One of such is the flowering plant Austrobaileya. What makes this plant interesting it that it smells like rotten fish. This attracts flies that pollinate the plant.

Aside from the primitive creatures that can be found in the area, the Daintree Forest is known as one of the most bio diverse areas in Australia. In fact, it contains about 30 percent of all the reptile species that can be found in the continent. And there are about 1200 different species of insects. All of this in an are that is less than 0.2 % of the country's entire size.

There are also many different natural wonders that you can find in the area. One such place is the Mossman Gorge. This patch of land can be considered as the best example of the forest's 0primitive landscape. The Daimtree River, which flows through the forest is also a popular destination for tourists hiking the area.

Getting to the forest is actually quite easy. There's a railway that takes travelers into the entrance of the forest. The railway itself is an important tourist attraction in the area. From here on, you traverse the forest on foot.

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