More Daintree dreams

Cape Tribulation was as expected, beautiful, serene and pristine... but we still didn't find any new coconuts.

Cape Tribulation, also known as Kulki ( pronounced "gool-gee") is an area of significance for the Eastern Kulki Yalanji Aboriginal people because of its use as a meeting place and source of  food, medicine and tools. The natural features of the area add to its spiritual significance.

Cape Tribulation was named such in 1770 after Lieutenant James Cook experienced hardship  when his vessel was damaged on a nearby reef. Since European settlement the area has been used for mining, timber and farming, but is now mostly a tourist destination.

The forest itself is significant as many species which flourish now have a long history and give us information as to the evolution of today's flora and fauna. The Daintree is one of the oldest living rainforests in the world.

We enjoyed a great rainforest walk, which was complete with many excellent signs and information boards, informing us all about the flora and fauna within the park. Some of the huge strangler trees/vines were amazing, as were the mangrove root systems, and understanding how animals and plants live in such a complex ecosystem was fantastic. Here are some images from the walk.

Many species of cycads (and other wet tropical rainforest plants) haven't changed much since they were around 230million years ago. 

Named for their spectacular pleated fronds, fan palms are found in wet rainforests from Cape York to the Paluma Range. While few plants are able to survive in oxygen poor, waterlogged soil, fan palm thrive. Their shallow roots allow them to absorb surface water and nutrients easily. They are also great absorbers of sunlight, with fronds that can grow up to 2 metres in diameter they reach 15-20 metres into the canopy and can capture the sunlight essential for their growth. 

Basket ferns grow on tree trunks or rocks, capturing nutrients from above to survive. They have two distinct types of fronds, the long green fronds carry the spores for reproduction and photosynthesis and the short brown fronds protect the root system and collect debris (nutrition for the plant). Home to birds, frogs, snakes and insects, sometimes other plants even germinate in the baskets.

The buttress roots of the looking glass mangrove allow the tree to stand tall in soft oxygen deficient mud. Special cells on the buttress also help the tree to breathe. They can only tolerate a little salt so are usually found where mangroves and rainforest merge.

 

Cassowaries are essential to many rainforest species as they spread seeds and assist in germination. Research has shown that one plant- the Ryparosa Kurrangii seeds that pass through the gut of a cassowary have a 92 percent chance of germination. So the survival of this plant species is dependant on the survival of the endangered cassowary.