56-560: The Daintree National Park is located in Far North Queensland , Australia, 1,757 km (1,092 mi) northwest of Brisbane and 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Cairns . It was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland . In 1988, it became a World Heritage Site . The park consists of two sections—Mossman Gorge and Cape Tribulation, with a settled agricultural area between them which includes
112-581: A tourist attraction . The river rises on the slopes of the Great Dividing Range within the Daintree National Park below Kalkajaka at an elevation of 1,270 metres (4,170 ft) AHD . The river flows in highly meandering course generally north, then east, then south and then east, through the rainforest where the water is fresh. At this convergence point, an abundance of wildlife congregate, particularly fish. The river
168-569: A distinct species in 1989. Black and white Striped possums ( Dactylopsila trivirgata ) are quite common throughout the park, particularly in the coastal lowlands north of the Daintree River, although to see one while spotlighting requires a mixture of luck and know-how. Due to the river's isolation, saltwater crocodiles - once threatened in the region due to hunting - have flourished in recent years, beneficiaries of legislation that protects them. There have been numerous reports of deaths in
224-662: A new species of coconut palm. Hill also expressed the view that the land around the upper Daintree River would be able to support a large population, noting it would be suitable for the cultivation of sugarcane and other tropical crops as well as for grazing land. He also believed the Daintree River would be an effective transport route to the Palmer goldfields to the west. In April 1886 Queensland Government offered land for sale in Dagmar, 4 parcels of 160 acres (65 ha) each, followed by further land sales and pastoral leases. By 1894,
280-653: A number of blocks of land had been sold along the Daintree River in the south-east of the present boundaries of the locality. In 1942 the Queensland Government set aside land in Dagmar to create a reserve as a source of timber (later known as the Dagmar State Forest). The timber reserve appears on a 1950 map. The northern and eastern parts of the locality of Noah are within the Daintree National Park. The south-western part
336-604: A tropical climate and as such, the name Tropical North Queensland is also used as the name for the region, mostly due to the tourism industry. Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) defines its area from Cardwell in the south up to the Torres Strait in the north and west to the Queensland border with the Northern Territory. However, the phrase Tropical North Queensland is ambiguous and may be used to name
392-551: A wider area including parts of North Queensland , or even Mackay . Daintree River The Daintree River is a river that rises in the Daintree Rainforest near Cape Tribulation in Far North Queensland , Australia . The river is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of Cairns in the UNESCO World Heritage –listed Wet Tropics of Queensland . The area is now primarily
448-623: Is an Australian Aboriginal language in North Queensland. The language region includes areas from the Upper Herbert River to Mount Garnet . Yir Yiront (also known as Yiront , Jirjoront , Yir-yiront , and Kokomindjan ) is an Australian Aboriginal language. Its traditional language region is in Western Cape York within the local government areas of Aboriginal Shire of Kowanyama and Shire of Cook , in
504-474: Is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Mossman and Daintree areas of North Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Shire of Douglas and Shire of Cook , particularly the localities of Mossman, Daintree, Bloomfield River , China Camp, Maytown , Palmer , Cape Tribulation and Wujal Wujal . Warungu (also known as Warrungu , Warrongo , and Waroongoo . )
560-551: Is joined by two minor tributaries before flowing through the Cairns Marine Park through thick mangrove swamps where the water is highly saline; and then empties into the Coral Sea , north of Wonga Beach . The mouth of the Daintree River opens onto a giant sandbar that shifts with each changing tide. The river descends 1,270 metres (4,170 ft) over its 127-kilometre (79 mi) course. The catchment area of
616-549: Is located in the southern part of the park. Located 75 km (47 mi) north of Cairns via the Captain Cook Highway and Mossman, the gorge offers many scenic exploration walks including Baral Marrjanga, Lower river track, Rex Creek bridge, and the Rainforest circuit track. It is inhabited by incredible flora and fauna including Boyd’s forest dragon and Victoria’s riflebird . Cape Tribulation also lies in
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#1732780603089672-506: Is one of six species of pigeon that live in the park as well as significant populations of the endangered cassowary , a flightless bird of substantial size. The buff-breasted paradise kingfisher is a seasonal visitor. Mammals include the striped possum , Daintree River ringtail possum , brown bandicoot, long-nosed bandicoot, musky rat-kangaroo , Bennett’s tree kangaroo, swamp wallaby, platypus and short-beaked echidna. At least 23 species of reptile and 13 species of amphibian can be found in
728-474: Is part of the much larger Daintree Rainforest, region in Northern Queensland encompassing 894,000 hectares (2,210,000 acres). The river and its surroundings are home to some of the most primitive forms of animal and plant life in the world. The surrounding mountains and valleys provided protection from the forces to adapt to climate change by sheltering several species of plants. A notable example
784-465: Is the indigenous people who once inhabited the regions surrounded by the Daintree River. The tribespeople were hunter-gatherers who lived in groups of eight to twelve, camping along the banks of the river and living on a staple diet that included a selection of bush tucker harvested from the vegetation from the forest surrounding the Daintree. It has been estimated that the tribe resided on the banks of
840-538: Is the only region of Australia that is the indigenous country of both Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders . Far North Queensland supports a significant agricultural sector, a number of significant mines and is home to Queensland's largest wind farm, the Windy Hill Wind Farm . Various government departments and agencies have different definitions for the region. The Queensland Government department of Trade and Investment Queensland defines
896-611: Is the primitive She-oak Gymnostoma australianum . This pine-like tree is the only remaining species in the Gymnostoma group of plants in Australia, and is now restricted to very isolated pockets north of the Daintree River. The genus was once widespread throughout Gondwana , and its relatives are still found in parts of the Pacific and south-east Asia. Of the five species of ringtail possum found in north Queensland rainforests,
952-401: Is undeveloped land. Much of the national park is covered by tropical rainforest . The Greater Daintree Rainforest has existed continuously for more than 110 million years, making it possibly the oldest existing rainforest. The persistence of this rainforest is believed to be a product of a fortuitous continental drift ; after the breakup of its parent supercontinent a portion drifted toward
1008-696: The Atherton Tableland , Hinchinbrook Island and other resort islands such as Dunk Island and Green Island . Major attractions around and in Cairns include Cairns Aquarium , Cairns Botanic Gardens , The Reef Hotel Casino , Kuranda Scenic Railway , Barron Falls and the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway . Towns and localities attracting large numbers of tourists include Cape Tribulation , Port Douglas , Mission Beach and Cardwell . The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates
1064-593: The Australian mainland , between Australia and Papua New Guinea . The region is home to three World Heritage Sites , the Great Barrier Reef , the Wet Tropics of Queensland and Riversleigh , Australia's largest fossil mammal site. Far North Queensland lays claim to over 70 national parks , including Mount Bartle Frere ; with a peak of 1,622 metres (5,322 ft) it is the highest peak in both Northern Australia and Queensland. The Far North region
1120-593: The Cinereus ringtail possum ( Pseudochirulus cinereus ) is almost wholly restricted to the Daintree catchment. Within the park, this species is found only in upland rainforest on Thornton Peak and the upper reaches of the Daintree and Mossman Rivers. Once considered a light-coloured form of the Herbert River ringtail possum , commonly found throughout the Atherton Tablelands , it was described as
1176-717: The Daintree Range loosely forms its southern boundary. The locality takes its name from the Heights of Dagmar (now the Dagmar Range), which was named by explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple in his 1873 exploration of the North East Coast of Queensland . In his report to the Queensland Parliament, Dalrymyple described the range as "jungle-clad hills" but he provided no explanation as to
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#17327806030891232-826: The Pacific Ocean in the east and extending inland to west of Mount Mulgrave . This includes the local government boundaries of the Shire of Douglas , the Shire of Cook and the Aboriginal Shire of Wujal Wujal and the towns and localities of Cooktown , Mossman , Daintree , Cape Tribulation and Wujal Wujal . It includes the head of the Palmer River , the Bloomfield River , China Camp , Maytown , and Palmerville . Kuku Yalanji (also known as Gugu Yalanji , Kuku Yalaja , and Kuku Yelandji )
1288-527: The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu . Cairns has the highest population of Papua New Guineans outside of Papua New Guinea itself. Yalanji (also known as Kuku Yalanji , Kuku Yalaja , Kuku Yelandji , and Gugu Yalanji) is an Australian Aboriginal language of Far North Queensland. The traditional language region is Mossman River in the south to the Annan River in the north, bordered by
1344-591: The Australian coast. It impacted the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland in April 2006. In January 2011, Cyclone Yasi passed over Tully and resulted in an estimated $ 3.6 billion worth of damage, making it the costliest cyclone ever to hit Australia. In December 2023, Cyclone Jasper crossed the Far North Queensland coast south of Cooktown as a category two cyclone. It later stalled over
1400-519: The Daintree river for over 9,000 years. Due to the ever-shifting deep centre of the sandbar, entering the Daintree River has always been a problem for ship captains. The area was missed by Captain Cook when passing in the voyage where his ship was wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef . The Daintree River was first seen by Europeans in 1873 after they were attracted to nearby regions due to its vast natural reserves of gold . George Elphinstone Dalrymple ,
1456-498: The Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people. Many of the natural features of the landscape hold spiritual significance for the traditional owners. One of these features is the location of the bouncing stones at Thornton Beach. The rocks here are hornfels, metamorphic rocks resulting from the effects of a major intrusion of granite that produced the coastal mountains. They are very elastic, when bounced on
1512-761: The Queensland Gold Commissioner on the Gilbert gold field at that time, was the first European to visit the river and he named the river in honour of Richard Daintree , an English geologist and the Agent-General for Queensland in London. The Daintree was rated second to the Proserpine River , as the river in Queensland where people were most likely to spot a saltwater crocodile from 2000 to 2012, with 145 sightings recorded over
1568-490: The Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns Civic Theatre, and Cairns Art Gallery. The region supports a large tourism industry and is considered a premier tourist destination in Australia. Nearly one third of international visitors to the state come to the region. Attractions include the Great Barrier Reef , Daintree Rainforest and other Queensland tropical rain forests within the Wet Tropics of Queensland heritage area,
1624-409: The area, after his friend Richard Daintree . In 2021, a historic deal made with the Queensland government has led to the eastern Kuku Yalanji people taking formal ownership of Daintree National Park. The Great Dividing Range is close to the coast in this region. This section covers 56,500 ha (140,000 acres) of mostly inaccessible rainforests and mountain woodlands. The popular Mossman Gorge
1680-618: The area. Many mining towns have come and gone, going through a boom and bust cycle as mines were depleted. The Mount Mulligan mine disaster occurred on 19 September 1921. Seventy-five workers were killed, making it the third-worst coal mining accident in Australia. The region suffered Queensland's worst maritime disaster on 4 March 1899 when the Mahina Cyclone destroyed all 100 ships moored in Princess Charlotte Bay . The entire North Queensland pearling fleet
1736-564: The area. Currently, there is no bridge to enable crossing the river, so access is limited to the Daintree River Ferry , a commercial ferry that traverses the river for the purpose of tourism. Other features that surround the river include Kalkajaka , Daintree Range , Thornton Peak and the Cape Tribulation Rainforest. The Daintree River is home to a dazzling array of tropical life. The Kuku Yulanji
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1792-441: The catchment and the influence of the cyclonic forces in the adjacent Coral Sea. In March 1996, record flood levels swamped roads and properties throughout the Daintree region. Statistics gathered at the time recorded 606 millimetres (23.9 in) of rain falling in 24 hours. In 2011, two new causeways were completed over Cape Tribulation Road, making the drive mostly floodproof in all but the most severe rain events. In particular,
1848-585: The catchments of the Coleman River and Mitchell River . Following the removal of Aboriginal people from their traditional lands, it is also spoken in Pormpuraaw and Kowanyama . Yidinji (also known as Yidinj , Yidiny , and Idindji ) is an Australian Aboriginal language of North Queensland. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region , in such localities as Cairns , Gordonvale ,
1904-464: The choice of name. Others have claimed he so named it because of a resemblance to the Dagmar Cross . Dalyrmple described the land from the range down to the Daintree River as "luxuriant jungles, filling all the broad valley, and giving evidence of many thousands of acres of the same rich agricultural lands ... soon to be the gem of Australia", prophesying that agriculture rather than mining would be
1960-542: The continent at a length of approximately 14,500 kilometres (9,000 mi) and is the longest national highway in the world. Despite being Highway 1, not all sections of the Savannah Way are designated as a federally funded National Highway and certain sections remain unsealed. Despite being in a housing crisis, the region has a very high unoccupied house rate. In the 2021 Australian census in Douglas Shire
2016-471: The deaths of seven people. In early 2000, Cyclone Steve caused major flooding between Cairns and Mareeba . Cyclone Larry crossed the Queensland coast near Innisfail in March 2006. The storm resulted in an estimated $ 1.5 billion worth of damage and damaged 10,000 homes. 80% of Australia's banana crop was destroyed. Cyclone Monica was the most intense cyclone on record in terms of wind speed to cross
2072-596: The increasingly rare littoral (beachside) rainforest. The Daintree river is the southern boundary for the region - reinforced by the need to take a cable ferry across the Daintree river. Much of the coastal flatlands, especially to the south of the Alexandra range, and in Cow Bay , were cleared for agriculture in the late 1800s with a major clearing push in the 1970s. A lot of this has since recovered or has been settled. The Daintree National Park's traditional owners are
2128-583: The local rock pavement; The park contains the Mossman River to the south, the Daintree River and the Bloomfield River to the north. This section of the park includes the entirety of the Dagmar locality , in the Shire of Douglas , Queensland . The section also includes the northern and eastern parts of the adjacent Noah locality. The Daintree River forms the locality of Dagmar's north-eastern, northern, and north-western boundaries, while
2184-604: The longterm feature of the Queensland economy . Another of the expedition members, Robert Johnstone (a sub-inspector in the Queensland Police Force ) climbed to the top of the Heights of Dagmar, describing the range as "fine open grassy hills of good soil; the extent of rich jungle land is very extensive". Another expedition member Walter Hill (a botanist) described the soil "first class" and identified
2240-460: The notorious bottleneck at Cooper Creek was raised 3 metres (9.8 ft). In 2019, the river peaked at 12.6 metres at Daintree breaking the 1901 record of 12.4 metres. In 2023, a new record of 15 metres was recorded at Daintree after torrential rains from ex- Cyclone Jasper flooded the catchment. People are drawn to the area for its ancient vegetation, scenic surroundings, and the diverse array of native wildlife and plant species that inhabit
2296-527: The park. Far North Queensland Far North Queensland ( FNQ ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland . Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula , which stretches north to the Torres Strait , and west to the Gulf Country . The waters of Torres Strait include the only international border in the area contiguous with
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2352-403: The park. Among the reptiles present are Boyd's forest dragon , eastern water dragon , chameleon gecko , northern leaf-tailed gecko, the scrub or amethystine python , keelback , and the green and northern tree snakes . Frogs found in the park include the Australian lacelid , white-lipped treefrog , colourful-eyed treefrog and common mist frog . The introduced cane toad is also present in
2408-484: The park. Originally the cape belonged to Cape Tribulation National Park from 1981 but was amalgamated into Daintree National Park in 1983. This section covers 17,000 ha (42,000 acres) including the coastal range ( Thornton Peak , Mt Hemmant, and Mt Sorrow, going north from the Daintree river) and contains Australia's last extensive stands of lowland rainforest. It has extensive (and relatively) unspoiled beaches from Thornton Beach to Cape Tribulation beach – fringed with
2464-466: The period. The Wet Tropics of Queensland was given UNESCO World Heritage listing, inclusive of the Daintree River in recognition of "its outstanding natural universal value as an outstanding example representing; the major stages of Earth's evolutionary history, significant ongoing ecological and biological processes, superlative natural phenomena and as containing important and significant habitats for in situ conservation of biological diversity. The river
2520-413: The pole to become Antarctica , disturbing ocean currents and becoming quite chilly, while other portions were moved to hotter and drier locations. The rainforests of the parent continent preserved its climate, and so also its original trees. Tree species, once thought to be long extinct, have only relatively recently been discovered here. The park supports more than 430 bird species. The wompoo fruit-dove
2576-420: The rate of empty homes was 18%. Significant industries include tourism, cattle grazing, agriculture and mining of both sand and bauxite . Agricultural products generate between $ 600 and $ 700 million a year. Sugar cane , tropical fruits including bananas, mangoes, papaya, lychees and coffee are grown in Far North Queensland. The region is home to the world's biggest silica mine at Cape Flattery . The mine
2632-510: The region as an area comprising the following 25 local government areas; Aurukun , Burke , Cairns , Carpentaria , Cassowary Coast , Cook , Croydon , Doomadgee , Douglas , Etheridge , Hope Vale , Kowanyama , Lockhart River , Mapoon , Mareeba , Mornington , Napranum , Northern Peninsula Area , Pormpuraaw , Tablelands , Torres Strait Islands (not autonomous) , Torres Strait Islands (autonomous) , Weipa , Wujal Wujal , and Yarrabah . The main population and administrative centre of
2688-507: The region is the city of Cairns. Other key population centres include Cooktown , the Atherton Tableland , Weipa , Innisfail and the Torres Strait Islands . The region also consists of many Aboriginal and farming groups. The northeastern point of Highway 1 passes through the region in the city of Cairns and connects the southern-running Bruce Highway to the western-running Savannah Way . Highway 1 circumnavigates
2744-513: The region's population at 280,638 in 2014. The region contains 25.6% of the state's Indigenous population, or 28,909 people, making up 11.8% of the region's population. In addition to its large Indigenous community, there is also a large number of Melanesians in Far North Queensland, due to the region's close proximity to Melanesia . The majority of them are from Papua New Guinea or are South Sea Islanders , who descend from labourers who were blackbirded and brought to Queensland from Fiji ,
2800-433: The river occupies an 2,107 square kilometres (814 sq mi) of which an area of 33 square kilometres (13 sq mi) is composed of estuarine wetlands. The river is surrounded by mountains and deep valleys. Combined with the climatic conditions of the area the river is prone to quickly developing floods with little warning due to the high rainfalls on the 1,000-metre-high (3,300 ft) mountain ranges around
2856-431: The river on an old fashioned cable ferry there is a range of boardwalks and untouched beaches to explore, and the endangered cassowary can be encountered anywhere. Daintree National Park is valued because of its exceptional biodiversity. It contains significant habitat for rare species and prolific birdlife . The name is derived from the Daintree River, which was named by George Elphinstone Dalrymple , an early explorer of
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#17327806030892912-438: The southern York Peninsula resulting in record rainfall along the eastern coast that lead to the 2023 Cairns floods . Port Douglas received more than a metre of rain in a few days. The region has many unique native animal species such as crocodile, endangered southern cassowary, koala, flying possum, python, water dragon, wallabie, flying fox, tree kangaroo, platypus, leaf-tailed gecko and bandicoot. Far North Queensland has
2968-535: The southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi . Far North Queensland is the location of the first amber fossils to be found in Australia. The four-million-year-old fossils were found on a beach in Cape York Peninsula but were probably washed ashore after drifting with the currents for about 200 km. In the 1860s, Richard Daintree discovered gold and copper deposits along several rivers which led early prospectors to
3024-400: The towns of Mossman and Daintree Village . One entrance to Daintree National Park is located south of the Daintree River at Mossman Gorge where a visitor centre has been built from where tourists take a shuttle bus to the gorge, where they can take a walk or a refreshing swim. The most spectacular and oldest part of the Daintree Rainforest is north of the Daintree River. After crossing
3080-542: Was established in 1967 and was severely damaged by Cyclone Ita in 2014. Rio Tinto Alcan operates a bauxite mine on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula near Weipa which contains one of the largest bauxite deposits in the world. In recent years, Far North Queensland has become increasingly known for its artistic and creative offerings, with the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair , and Cairns Festival both held annually. Active arts organisation include
3136-458: Was in the bay at the time of the cyclone. Approximately 100 Aboriginals assisting survivors and 307 men from the pearling fleet were drowned. Its pressure was measured at 914 hPa with a recorded tidal surge of 13 m, the highest ever in Australia. The 1918 Mackay cyclone hit the Queensland coast in January of that year, killing 30 people. In March 1997, Cyclone Justin resulted in
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