Things to do

Rainforest

Roam an ancient tropical rainforest

The Wet Tropics is 80 million years older than the Amazon, a vast swathe of pristine wilderness running from Cooktown to Townsville in the south. Within its 9000sq km (about the size of Cyprus), you’ll find an extraordinary array of landscapes and landmarks, including 30 national parks. Discover waterfall after waterfall on the Atherton Tablelands; witness where two World Heritage areas (reef and rainforest) meet at Cape Tribulation and Mission Beach; cruise the Cooper Creek wilderness within the spectacular Daintree.

The Wet Tropics biodiversity is staggering – home to more than 650 species of vertebrates and 230 types of butterfly as well as hundreds of tiny creatures, reptiles and mammals. Sheltering 47 animal and 227 threatened plant species also makes this World Heritage-listed rainforest region an Arcadian ark of global significance. The Wet Tropics are also home to Australia’s own avian icon, the southern cassowary, the world’s second-heaviest bird. Not only is it visually striking, but it’s also fleet of foot, clocking up speeds of 50km/h.

Eighty per cent of the Wet Tropics looks just as it did at the time of European settlement, as though these ancient Gondwanan rainforests have just emerged from a prehistoric time capsule. Rugged isolation has allowed ancient species to survive and evolve in this cool mountainous refuge, including rare and endemic animals such as the Thornton Peak skink and Kuranda tree frog. This land is also home to more primitive flowering plants – such as the native guava and the pepper tree – than any other place on Earth.

A bird’s eye view

The Wet Tropics rainforest is a motley of textures and shapes featuring an endless expanse of greens. Disappear into the primitive world atop of the canopy, so close you can almost touch it.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Modern ways to explore ancient rainforest

There are so many shining stars in the Wet Tropics – Discover the wonders of the World Heritage Area.

Red Peark Station boardwalk at Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Kuranda
6 reasons to see the rainforest with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Welcome to Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, an aerial experience through Australia’s most famous rainforest, the Wet Tropics.

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Cairns Adventure Group white water rafting
Adventure
Rainforest Adventures in Tropical North Queensland

From mild to wild, there's endless opportunities for rainforest adventures in Tropical North Queensland.

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Cairns Botanic Gardens
Cairns & Northern Beaches
How to explore the rainforest near Cairns

Flying into Cairns, you can see the city’s close proximity to the rainforest so you know don't have to go far to explore this wonder. In fact, you can even find it in an inner-city suburb.

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daintree rainforest boardwalk
Cairns & Northern Beaches
Walk on the wild side with these rainforest boardwalks

From wandering through the top of the rainforest canopy, to venturing to thundering waterfalls, these rainforest boardwalks are short on distance but big on experience.

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outdoor bath tub at silky oaks lodge
Atherton Tablelands
10 relaxing ways to sleep in the rainforest

This summer, swap your inner city stresses for cool, rainforest rejuvenation, checking into one of these accommodation providers in the rainforest.

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Kuranda
Unlock the secrets of the rainforest with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Discover the history of this ancient rainforest with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which glides across the top of this World Heritage-listed wonder, 364 days of the year.

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Pamagirri dancers at Rainforestation in kuranda
Kuranda
The Rainforest People of Kuranda

Known as the colourful village in the rainforest, Kuranda has a much deeper history that stretches way beyond its famous quirky markets. Learn more about the Indigenous people who have called Kuranda home for at least 10,000 years.

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discovering the rainforest at mamu tropical skywalk
Wet Tropics Rainforest
10 Things you didn’t know about the Wet Tropics Rainforest

Get to know our famous forest, which spans 8940 square-kilometers and covers more ground than Samoa, Luxemburg and Puerto Rico, with this list of 10 things you didn’t know about the Wet Tropics.

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Barron Falls flood
Seasons
Embrace Summer in the Wet Tropics

Summer in the Wet Tropics brings a different beauty to the area. For locals, it offers a sense of nostalgia; for visitors, an understanding of why it’s affectionately named “the big wet”.

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lumholtzs tree kangaroo
Wet Tropics Rainforest
Endemic species of the Wet Tropics to tick off your list

The Wet Tropics is a living museum, home to a myriad of animals; furry, feathery and scaly, some of which can be found no where else on the planet. Here's the endemic species that you can only see in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest.

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Fitzroy Island tile
Cairns & Northern Beaches
Everything you need to know about Fitzroy Island

If you want proof not all Great Barrier Reef islands are born equal, pay a visit to the supermodel of the island world, Fitzroy Island.

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Emerald Creek Falls
Explore Iconic Landscapes
20 waterfalls near Cairns

Mighty mountain ranges and Wet Tropics Rainforest create the optimum environment for a myriad of extraordinary waterfalls. Fall in love with these 20 waterfall wonderlands only a short drive from Cairns.

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Unique Nature
Tropic Tweets – Guided Birdwatching Tours in TNQ

Short on time or new to birding? Consider a guided birdwatching tour in the wet tropics. With over 300 species to discover, let the experts lead you to avian wonders. It's the perfect solution for capturing that elusive species or maximising your birding experience. Join a guided tour and let the birding adventure begin!

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Explore the Wet Tropics Rainforest

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