For those intrigued by the diversity of tropical rainforests, Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is well worth visiting. Birds of paradise, cassowaries and a wide array of other birds can be seen by day, while at nighttime you can search for a tree kangaroo. Also during the night, you are going to be able to see curious possums, some of which are almost like skunks, and other marsupials that these days are limited to a small area of northeast Queensland.
Australia’s deserts are a bit of a hit and miss relationship, to the extent that wildlife is concerned. If you happen to be traveling during a drought year, all you could possibly be able observe are red, dusty plains, the odd group of Kangaroos and emus and a couple of sad looking trees. Return soon after substantial rain, however, and you are most likely to come upon something resembling an idea of the Garden of Eden. Fields of wildflowers, including white and gold daisies, stretch endlessly into the distance, filling the air with their scents. The salt lakes fill with fresh water and millions of water birds; pelicans, stilts, shag and gulls will be seen feeding on the ultra extensive fish and insect life of the waters. It all looks like a mirage and like a mirage; it’ll dissolve rather quickly if the land dries out, only to spring to life again in a few years or decades time. The fantastic diversity of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef is renowned and a boat trip over to the reef from Cairns or Port Douglas is exceptional.
Australia’s plants can be fascinating to observers, the diversity of prolific flowering plants on the continent has long puzzled botanists. Again, and Australia’s poor soils seem to be the cause of the confusion. Sandy desert plains are about the poorest soils in Australia, made up of almost pure quartz with few nutrients, this prevents any single fast growing species have learned to find the narrow niches of their own and so many species co-exist. Some live in the meter high sand dunes, some on top, some on east facing slopes, some on the west etc.The plants flowers need to be strikingly colored to attract pollinators, because nutrients are so lacking in this sandy world where insects such as bees are very rare.
Queensland has 506 areas of environmental or natural significance, making up just above 4% of the state’s 1,727,200 square kilometers. Of these locations, 219 are national parks, some of which comprise simply a single hill or lake, while others are vast expanses of wilderness. The remainders are a combination of state parks, resources, reserves and nature refuges. Queensland is furthermore home to five of Australia’s 16 Unesco World Heritage sites. The Wet Tropics Worlds Heritage Area, which extends 450km of Queensland’s northern coast, and the Great Barrier Reef are acknowledged as two of the world’s most assorted eco systems.
In Queensland’s northwest the Riversleigh Australian Fossil Mammal Site is among the world’s 10 best fossil locations. Then there’s Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island and home to a variety of fragile and complex ecosystems, including lush rainforests and crystal clear lakes. To receive any information about these areas, contact the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, which can often be found in many major towns.
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