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About the Rain Forest
The tropical rainforests that surround Cairns are unique, beautiful,
and filled with plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.
Here you can find kangaroos that live in trees, mammals that lay
eggs, huge flightless birds, colorful orchids and countless other
species of plants and animals.
Want to explore the scrub? (That’s the local term for rainforest.)There
are any number of ways to explore and enjoy this abundance. Just
walking around town (especially in early evening) you can find wallabies
hopping about, huge fruit bats flying overhead, and colorful parrots
in the trees. A walk though the town’s botanic gardens and
nearby walking tracks through Mt. Whitfield Reserve can get you
out there.
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To
get further afield there are trains, gondolas, and guided day tours
into the rainforest. For the more adventurous there are mountain
bike rides, white water rafting, guided overnight hikes and any
number of camping safaris, ranging in length from three to 60 days
in length.
Try this link
for the most complete index of local adventures found on the web.
There are two regions nearby that are popular with backpackers.
Many backpackers head up to Cape Tribulation to stay at the several
hostels in the area, This beautful region, now protected as a World
Heritage Site, combines lush tropical rainforests and stunning beaches
and a casual, rural feel.
Another
popular backpackers destination is the Atherton Tablelands, a rural
area in the mountains behind Cairns. The area ia network or tropical
rainforests, rural farms and ranches, and small timber and pastoral
towns. plus a number of scenic National Parks.
There are two or three small hostels in the area, the most notable
being On
The Wallaby.
A number of day tours also visit the area, including Uncle
Brians' Fun, Falls and Forest, which is very popular with backpackers.
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