Along a Rainforest River

In 2024, we took an hour-long trip along a rainforest river in Queensland, Australia.

On a trip reminiscent of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, we traveled down the Baron River near Kuranda, Australia.

The tour boat operator (who did not have a pistol) pointed out a variety of things I did not see.

Like crocodiles.

Can you see them?

I missed seeing them half the time.

It helped when they moved.

What else did we see along the rainforest river?

Biodiversity.

Or, maybe we didn’t see much of it, but the boatman pointed out the facts!

According to him, and signs we read along the Skyrail trail, Biodiversity refers to many things.

“The rainforests of the world are home to more than half the animal species that live on Earth. Many of them live only in the rainforest.”

In Australia’s tropical rainforests, scientists have found:

• 58 frog species
• 64 fish species
• 110 mammal species
• 162 reptiles
• 327 bird species
• more than 40,000 insect species.

We didn’t see that many!

Along the rainforest river

On that slow day, we saw mostly turtles, fish, and birds.

We did learn more facts about the rainforest as we voyaged downriver.

A large number of animals, insects, birds, reptiles, and plants also live in the ravines above the river.

Here’s a list:

• 30% of Australia’s orchids
• 65% of their ferns.
• 36% of their mammals.
• 50% of Australia’s bird species.
• 25% of frogs and other reptiles
• 60% of Australia’s butterfly species.

From the rainforest river, it appeared to be a dry forest stretching up to the sky.

The one bird I really wanted to see, I only glimpsed at the zoo.

The flightless cassowary — a prehistoric-looking bird — is responsible for much of the diverse plant life in the forest.

It runs around, eating, defecating, and spreading seeds.

More sights along the rainforest river

Modern life, fish, birds, and is that a crocodile?

We learned about crocodiles and their ability to surprise folks at the Australia Zoo.

Crocodiles make no ripples on the water surface as they cruise underwater.

That’s why they can sneak up on folks standing beside even the smallest creeks.

Too often, people never knew what was coming.

Unless they were pointed out to me along the rainforest river, I never saw them.

In a surprising twist, I learned the river is the sole source of sand for beaches north of Cairns!

This cruise ended at a dam, which generates enough power to produce electricity for most of eastern Australia.

The Australian rainforest is a powerful place, whether you’re on the rainforest river or merely riding above.