Wet Tropics of Queensland

The Wet Tropics of Queensland "is one of the most remarkable places on earth. Spread along 450km of rugged Tropical North Queensland coastline between Cooktown and Townsville, the area is home to ancient remnants of the Gondwanan forest that once covered the Australian continent . . . While mostly rainforest, this stunning landscape features diverse habitats including open forests, woodlands, wetlands and mangroves. It is listed as the second most irreplaceable natural World Heritage site on earth by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Wet Tropics has provided a safe haven for the evolution of species over millions of years and is a refuge for ancient songbirds, from which two-thirds of the world’s birdlife today are descendants. It is also home to the musky rat-kangaroo, the oldest surviving member of the kangaroo and wallaby family." The area "supports the highest level of biodiversity of any region in Australia. At last count, more than 3,300 species of plants and more than 700 species of vertebrate animals call the Wet Tropics home. This includes more than 700 species of endemic plants and at least 88 species of vertebrate animals found nowhere else on earth." Threatened species in the region, such as the lemuroid ringtail possum, have been observed to be in decline, despite recovery actions.