The Daintree Rainforest is a tropical rainforest on the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Mossman and Cairns. At around 1,200 km2 (460 sq mi), the Daintree is the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent. Along the coastline north of the Daintree River, tropical rainforest grows right down to the edge of the sea. The rainforest area, named after Richard Daintree, is loosely defined as the area between the Mossman Gorge and the Bloomfield River.
Top 10 Interesting Facts about the Daintree Rainforest
- The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforest in the planet, thought to be 165 million years old.
- The Wet Tropics is home to a rich diversity of plants and animals, including at least 663 species of vertebrate animals, 230 butterfly species, 135 dung beetle species and 222 species of land snails. Read our point by point articles on the bugs and butterflies of The Daintree Rainforest.
- Thought to be gone forever but re-discovered in 1971, the “Idiot Fruit” (Idiospermum Austrialense) is a rare and primitive flowering plant that lived when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
- The iconic giant bird of the Daintree is the jeopardized Cassowary. It’s difficult to tell if a cassowary is a male or female. However, female cassowaries have the habit of leaving their eggs to the male for them to raise.
- One of the exotic fruits to try in the Daintree is the Chocolate Pudding Fruit. Tasty! Aside from its magnificent views and splendid beaches, the Daintree Rainforest is known for its awesome tropical flavours and specialty foods. Come and enjoy an amazing culinary experience with a range or fresh local produce available. Find out 3-must try foods of The Daintree.
- The Kuku Yalanji individuals have lived in this area for thousands of years and call Cape Tribulation “Kulki”
- Cape Tribulation is found between the Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. It is where the ‘two world heritage meet’. For an in-depth read, here are 4 historic facts about Cape Tribulation.
- The “Daintree” was named after the nineteenth-century Australian geologist and picture taker Richard Daintree. Read more about the rich history of the Daintree and Cape Tribulation.
- The Daintree Rainforest gets more than 400,000 visitors yearly, from around the globe and within Australia. To find out why this sunny destination is so popular, look at our Daintree Rainforest tours that keep guest coming back for more.
- There are 2 plants to avoid in the rainforest: The Wait-A-While vine which is spiky and can cut you through clothing and the Stinging tree filled with small, unseen pricks that causes itchiness. Make sure to read our article on the dangers present in our rainforest with some very practical Daintree Survival Tips.
