Tropical Queensland

Tropical Queensland

Ask anyone to visualise the Australian landscape, and a picture of dry, scrub covered "outback" or sparse Eucalyptus woodland will probably come to mind. While much of the vast island continent is indeed vegetated as such, the north-eastern coastal area is thoroughly tropical and with a high rainfall, it supports extensive swathes of rainforest.

Stretching from Cooktown to Townsville, 9000 square kilometres of rainforest is today conserved in a tapestry of World Heritage Areas and National Parks. In all, this makes up just 3% of planet Earth's tropical rainforest, but the degree of botanical study and biological wealth makes up for in interest what it may lack in extent. That the forest still survives is itself a remarkable story. Prior to the 1960s, the rainforests of north Queensland were regarded as little more than a "spill-over" from the extensive rainforests of south-east Asia and were not even thought to be typically Australian. Logging of hardwoods and clearing for agriculture proceeded at a heady pace. Investigative research and passionate environmental activism combined forces in the 1970s and early 1980s to reveal the true evolutionary nature of the forests and also secure their long-term conservation.

Several species of "primitive" non-flowering plants - notably the so-called "southern pines" (Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae) as well as cycads and ferns - dominated the eastern half of Australia during the Jurassic Period (200 to 144 million years ago) when the super continent of Gondwana (comprising the land masses today known as South America, Africa, India, Madagascar, Antarctica and Australia) had yet to break up. This much is known from the examination of fossils including evidence contained in the minute structure of plant pollens. Remarkably, some of these species - seemingly unchanged for millions and millions of years - still survive in the "Wet Tropics" although they are greatly outnumbered by a host of more advanced flowering plants.

It is thought that the dominant floristic groups in modern-day Australia - the myrtles, wattles, eucalypts and proteacea - may actually have evolved in the tropical rainforests. Some 45 million years ago, Australia finally separated from Antarctica, to become an island, and through the imperceptibly slow process of continental drift, gradually moved northwards. Thirty million years later the northern tip of Australia collided with south-east Asia and the resultant land bridge - albeit temporary - allowed a host of Asian life forms (not only plants but mammals, birds and other animals) to enter Australia and proliferate. By the same means, several Australian species were able to enter what is now Papua New Guinea, which explains why several marsupial mammals occur in that part of the world today.

In the past few million years, Australia has gone through wet and dry climatic cycles, but has become progressively dryer, causing the rainforests to shrink into enclaves. Today the forests persist only on the coastal plain and the peaks and tablelands within the range of sea-borne rain. With the drying out of Australia, the flora had to adapt and those plants with smaller, harder leaves survived and proliferated into the forms today typified by groups such as Eucalyptus and Callistemon.

Against this background, a visit to the Wet Tropics today is, in some ways, a journey back in time. The primeval stillness of the forests and the abundance of life provides an opportunity to marvel and wonder at the great forces which have shaped the surface of our fragile planet.

On a recent trip to this fascinating area, we flew into Cairns - best known as one of the main entry points to the Great Barrier Reef, as well as for its laid-back community - and drove up the escarpment of the Great Dividing Range onto the Atherton Tablelands - a plateau averaging about 800 metres above sea level. The tapestry of high altitude forests are comprised of tall buttressed trees which form a closed canopy and a proliferation of palms and tree ferns in the understory. Vines are everywhere, using every conceivable strategy to clamber up tree trunks to the sunlight.

Marsupial mammals are many but seldom seen - only the musky rat kangaroo, long-nosed bandicoot and red-legged pademelon were conspicuous but the forests come alive at night with Sugar Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider, green ring-tailed possum and Lumholtz's tree kangaroo among the creatures to be seen on spotlighting walks. The Tableland forests grow on rich volcanic soils and support a great diversity of birds with Brush Turkey, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Wompoo Fruit Dove, King Parrot, Grey-headed Robin, Pale Yellow Robin, Chowchilla, Spotted Catbird and Victoria's Riflebird among the most characteristic and exciting species.

Although the region gets some rain throughout the year, September and October - the time of our visit - are actually the driest months, but most birds had entered their breeding cycles. The loud, cracking call of the Eastern Whipbird resounded through the forest, punctuated at frequent intervals by the repetitive cry of male Tooth-billed Bowerbirds at their bowers. The Golden Bowerbird occurs only on the higher forested hills (above 1000m) and like other members of this unique family, the male constructs a bower - an arch of twigs - to which he gathers an assortment of objects of a particular colour in order to attract females. The effort and energy is usually rewarded with frequent mating opportunities, after which the polygamist leaves the females to rear the young.

Seen from high above, two beautiful volcanic crater lakes - Lakes Eacham and Barrine - stand out like sparkling opals in the unbroken forest canopy. We explored the forested fringe of these lakes on well laid out walking trails and - to get out onto the water itself - took a small boat cruise on Lake Barrine. Gigantic specimens of Kauri Pine (one of the prehistoric plants mentioned earlier) were seen close to both lakes, while the red-flowered Umbrella Tree flourished at the water's edge and attracted gangs of noisy, nectar-feeding Rainbow Lorikeets.

Close to the lakes and within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, we visited two truly astonishing fig trees which have become tourist attractions in their own right. The "Cathedral Fig Tree" - an ancient specimen of Ficus virens - is one of the most amazing plants you could ever see - its network of aerial roots dangling and twining to the ground from a height of 30 metres or more. Like so many other figs, this is a strangler and the host tree victim has long expired - constricted by the python-like grasp of the aerial roots. In addition to the wonder of the tree itself, the nooks and crannies of the intertwined roots are a good place to look out for roosting owls, frogmouths, possums and tree kangaroos.

Flowing along the western side of the quaint little town of Yungaburra, is Peterson Creek and the local community have built an observation hide on the bank from where platypus - the strangest of Australia's strange mammals - can sometimes be viewed. After two early evening vigils, our patience was rewarded with wonderful views of these odd, egg-laying aquatic monotremes - for me, the fulfilment of a childhood dream!

Leaving the Atherton Tablelands for the coastal plain, we passed through the towns of Walkamin, Mareeba, Biboohra, Mt Molloy and Julatten - all characterised by the typical "Queenslander" houses - finely-crafted wooden structures raised up on stilts and ringed by a large veranda. Sadly, a good many of these homes seemed to be in a state of disrepair - in need of hammer and nails, or at least a coat of paint. The wet climate obviously takes its toll.

We eventually reached the little village of Daintree - just a handful of homes with one "main street" but a major attraction for day trippers from Cairns and Port Douglas who come to experience the broad and lazy Daintree River, and perchance get a glimpse of a "salty" - a huge Estuarine Crocodile. Just 15km from the Pacific Ocean, Daintree is humid and tropical, so birds and frogs occur in great numbers! Seven species of kingfisher occur here, from the ubiquitous Laughing Kookaburra and its less-common cousin, the Blue-winged Kookaburra, to the world's second smallest, the dazzling Little Kingfisher. The gorgeous Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher is a migrant from New Guinea that arrives here to breed in the wet season, but we were a few weeks too early to have a chance of seeing one. Small flocks of Metallic Starling flew back and forth to their breeding colony at such high speed, that the rushing noise of their wings constantly took us by surprise.

Out on the river - in local bird guide, Chris Dahlberg's aluminium dingy - we had great views of Azure Kingfisher, Shining Flycatcher, Figbird, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Black Butcherbird and fair numbers of Spectacled Flying Fox - nocturnal fruit bats at their day time roosts - but, alas, no "salties"! After dark - on the walls of the comfortable Red Mill House - up to eight varieties of frogs could be seen. Most impressive of these was the large White-lipped Treefrog - shiny emerald green with sticky finger tips and warm brown eyes.

To get to the lowland rainforest north of the Daintree River entailed a ferry crossing and an exciting drive through columns of gigantic, spreading trees and arching palms. This is truly the "tropical rainforest" of dreams and folklore - a veritable jungle. A highlight here was a visit to the Daintree Environmental Centre, certainly the best interpretative experience I've ever had. A carefully conceived network of boardwalk trails and a 25- metre-tall canopy tower allowed us to explore the forest at our own pace, pausing at discrete information panels for details on species identification and forest ecology.

The canopy tower afforded astonishing views across the green leafy mantle and took us into a different world. Here, we could really appreciate the massive size of the forest giants and see how their canopies interlocked. A harsh screech and a flash of peppermint green was all we saw of a suspected Double-eyed Fig Parrot, but the lazy, flapping flight of a Cairns Birdwing allowed us plenty of time to admire this large butterfly.

The heart of the Environmental Centre is an indoor museum and learning centre complete with library, displays of forest fruits, and an archive or research material. It was encouraging to see the large number of Australians - not just foreign tourists - using and appreciating this facility.

We drove on further north to Cape Tribulation - so named after Captain James Cook's Endeavour ran aground offshore on a dark, stormy night in 1770. Cook was the first European to navigate the Daintree coast, and after much effort and fair dose of good fortune, the Endeavour was freed and eased into a bay to the north - later to be called Cooktown - where it was successfully repaired.

One of the most dominant plants of the Cape Tribulation area is the striking Fan Palm with its lime-green parasol leaves, and in many places it forms pure stands. At the edge of a small stream, a splash of colour was provided by a large Blue Quandong tree, its ripe cobalt-blue fruits and scarlet leaves scattered around its butressed base. Numerous road signs warned us of "Crossing Cassowaries" and this raised our expectations, but we were not lucky enough to see one of these giant flightless birds. Sadly, the Cassowary - an important disperser of forest tree seeds - is at risk due primarily to predation of eggs by feral pigs. Large, black hairy pigs - thought by some to be offspring of escapees from Cook's grounded vessel in 1770 - roam the forests, causing erosion gullies and eating anything that is within their reach. Programmes to eliminate the feral pigs are gaining momentum, but they are certainly a major menace at present.

Cape Tribulation is a broad sweep of golden beach ringed by rainforest. We arrived in the late afternoon - as the last of the day trippers were leaving - and enjoyed the solitude and stillness of this magical setting. A White-bellied Sea Eagle soared past on the breeze, and a flock of Pied Imperial Pigeons winged their way out to a small forested island. At our feet, strewn along the surf line, were a collection of seaborne nuts and seedpods - some undoubtedly castaways from a distant shore, and looking to put down roots. The dynamic cycle of plant dispersal and forest regeneration was still underway . . .

-Duncan Butchart-

Posted: Other by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006