Exploring the Rain Forest

The 110-million-year-old World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, 2 hours north of Cairns, gets most of the attention, but tracts of rainforest closer to Cairns are just as pristine. These rainforests and the Daintree are part of the Wet Tropics, a World Heritage area that stretches from Cape Tribulation to Townsville. This dense, lush environment has remained unchanged by ice ages and other geological events, and the plants and animals retain primitive characteristics. In the tract's mangroves, eucalyptus woodlands, and tropical rainforest are 65% of Australia's bird species, 60% of its butterfly species, and many of its frogs, reptiles, bats, marsupials, and orchids.

Because so much rainforest wildlife is nocturnal and often difficult to spot, consider joining Wait-a-While Rainforest Tours (tel. 07/4034 1202; www.waitawhile.com.au) on a day-into-night tour into Daintree and Atherton Tablelands. Atherton Tablelands tours $187/person, max 11 people; in 4WD $297/person, max 6 people. Daintree Wilderness Experience tour in 4WD $297/person, max 6 people; Birding and Wildlife in 4WD $220/person, max 6 people.