January 16, 2025: Daintree Rainforest has thrived for ~180 million years while dinosaurs and ice ages have come and gone. This is a place where dragons run, and crocs rule.
The most extraordinary place on Earth
David Attenborough, referencing Daintree
After visiting the Great Barrier Reef, Jean and I joined a day tour to explore the second UNESCO World Heritage site near Port Douglas: The Daintree. It is the oldest rainforest in the world, with unique flora and fauna found nowhere else.
Origins
Daintree’s emerald canopy was already ancient when the Amazon formed. The story begins with rocks, when Australia’s Great Dividing Range rose about 300 million years ago. The peaks wrung orographic precipitation from the tropical ocean air, resulting in alluvial soils where the forest began. Those same peaks block the worst of the cold Antarctic winds from the southwest, sustaining an ideal tropical forest environment. Cloud-stripping and rainfall continue to sustain the forest today.
Daytrip
We joined a Daintree day trip with Tony’s Tropical Tours. Their guide, Rob, kept our group engaged with his humor and histories. His keen eyes spotted a Boyd’s Dragon hiding on a tree. When frightened the tiny lizard leaps from its perch and runs away on its hind legs like a little velociraptor.
The far end of our tour took us to Cape Tribulation, named by the ubiquitous Captain James Cook. “Here began all our troubles” he noted in his journal. His ship Endeavor struck a coral reef (now “Endeavor Reef”) about 20 miles offshore, and he had to put ashore for repairs. It is a beautiful area – but you have to watch for crocs.
Salties
The highlight of the day was a short Daintree River Cruise. Bruce, a local croc, had killed a wayward calf and was feasting on wagyu in the mangroves. As our colorful skipper said “You see some f***in’ cool s*** out here.” True, and gruesome. As we snapped our photos, he told stories of human casualties in the area over the years.
I was glad we were in a big boat, and kept away from the railing.
Bruce is a female croc, so only about 10’ long. The males can grow to over 20-feet long (as long as an F150 SuperCab long-bed) and can weigh up to 3300 pounds (as heavy as a Toyota Corolla). These “salties” are the largest reptiles on the planet. We saw one of these beasts, “Mo,” on the Mowbray River just south of Port Douglas. We used a very long lens for that photo!
A Jungle Swim
Yes, we went swimming, even after seeing the crocs. Cooper Creek is high in the hills above the croc zone, cool and inviting in the hot jungle summer. It was a great way to end our day.
Next up in the Australia Journey: Lord Howe Island