Daintree National Park

Daintree National Park
Queensland
A typical rainforest scene in Daintree National Park
Daintree National Park is located in Queensland
Daintree National Park
Daintree National Park
Nearest town or cityDaintree
Coordinates16°18′05″S 145°14′53″E / 16.3014378°S 145.2480206°E / -16.3014378; 145.2480206
Established1988
Area1,200 km2 (463.3 sq mi)
Visitation753,000 (domestic visitors only) (in 2012[1])
Managing authoritiesQueensland Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteDaintree National Park
See alsoProtected areas of Queensland

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[2] and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988, it became a World Heritage Site.[2][3][4] The park consists of two sections—Mossman Gorge and Cape Tribulation, with a settled agricultural area between them which includes the towns of Mossman and Daintree Village.[5]

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 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.[6] 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 the area, after his friend Richard Daintree.[7]

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.[8][9][10]

  1. ^ "Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Community Survey 2012" (PDF). Department of Environment, Science and Innovation. December 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b Reid, Greg (2004). Australia's National and Marine Parks: Queensland. South Yarra, Victoria: Macmillan Education Australia. p. 21. ISBN 0-7329-9053-X.
  3. ^ Hema Maps (1997). Discover Australia's National Parks. Milsons Point, New South Wales: Random House Australia. p. 168. ISBN 1-875992-47-2.
  4. ^ Mounter, Brendan; Staley, Phil (25 December 2018). "Wet Tropics — how Queensland's Daintree rainforest was saved". ABC Far North. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. ^ "BBC World Service - Discovery, Daintree National Park". BBC. 25 April 2006. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  6. ^ Explore Queensland's National Parks. Prahran, Victoria: Explore Australia Publishing. 2008. pp. 10–13. ISBN 978-1-74117-245-4.
  7. ^ "Daintree discoveries". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Indigenous traditional owners win back Daintree rainforest in historic deal". the Guardian. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  9. ^ Richardson, ABC Far North: Holly (29 September 2021). "Elders 'break down' as world's oldest living rainforest – and 160,000ha of country – handed back". ABC News. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  10. ^ Lilit Marcus (29 September 2021). "Australia's Daintree rainforest returned to Aboriginal ownership". CNN. Retrieved 30 September 2021.