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Daintree Rainforest Tour




Daintree Forest

Daintree Rainforest Tour

We recently travelled to Cairns to gain some respite from a chilly Canberra winter. In early August the days in Cairns were around 25C and simply wonderful. This trip is a little different from our normal camping trips, as we luxuriated in a resort for a few days. Whilst soaking up the sunshine we decided to have a look around the area.

Daintree Argo advertFor our first day-trip out of Cairns we headed up to the Daintree Forest. It was a great choice and we found a small personalised eco-tour conducted by Peter and Sally Maher from their cattle grazing property. Ceri and I prefer to stay away from the madness of  large organised bus-type deals and the friendly Maher's with their Argo 8 Wheeler really appealed to us.


The property is bounded by the Daintree River, rainforest creeks and the Daintree National Park. What an amazing place to live!

Daintree Peter MaherBookings are made at the Daintree Village and the tour leaves from their property which is five minutes away. Peter unloaded the 8-wheel low-impact ARGO and we hopped aboard to begin our trip. As we made our way across the farm we passed a few of their beautiful Braham cattle and Egrets who share a symbiotic relationship with these beasts. The cattle stir up insects while grazing and the birds follow
Daintree ceri in their wake harvesting the bounty. We then
started climbing up through old logging tracks, right into the rainforest canopy with spectacular panoramic views over the valley and river below. Peter stopped every now and again and would explain various aspects of the vegetation and forest. As the advert says, this is the Ultimate Off-Road Experience and getting there is half the fun!


Daintree Forest Argo


Contact:
Peter and Sally Maher
Upper Daintree Road, Daintree, Qld, 4873
Phone: 0409 627 434
Email: petersally5@bigpond.com

Daintree Forest CycadThe Daintree Rainforest
The Daintree Rainforest is a tropical rainforest near Daintree, Queensland, on the coast, north of Cairns in tropical far north of Australia. At around 1200 square kilometres the Daintree is Australia's largest contiguous areas of rainforest. Named for Richard Daintree, part of the forest is protected by the Daintree National Park and drained by the Daintree River. The Daintree Rainforest contains 30% of frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species. 20% of bird species in the country can be found in this area. All of this diversity is contained within an area that takes up 0.2% of the landmass of Australia.  

The Daintree Rainforest's addition to the World Heritage List in 1988 in recognition of its universal natural values highlighted the rainforest.

Daintree Forest podsThe Daintree is an outstanding example of the major stages in the earth's evolutionary history, an example of significant ongoing ecological and biological processes, and an example of superlative natural phenomena. It contains important and significant habitats for conservation of biological diversity. The Daintree Rainforest is over one hundred and thirty-five million years old – the oldest in the world. Approximately 430 species of birds live among the trees, including 13 species that are found nowhere else in the world. The primitive flowering plant Idiospermum australiense is also endemic to the Daintree.


The Argo 8 Wheeler
For those interested in the mighty little machine that took us on the Daintree Rainforest tour, it features:
  • Power to all wheels for optimum performance in challenging terrain
  • One-piece ergonomic handlebar steering control
  • State-of-the-art automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT)with high and low range forward, and reverse
  • Contoured dash design and densely padded foam front bench seat
  • Excellent approach and departure angles to easily overcome obstacles
  • Innovative design and space for up to 6 passengers
And comes with the following standard equipment:
  • Hydraulic vented disk brakes for ease of operation
  • Full skid plate for lower body protection
  • Front & rear axle bearing extensions for increased axle & bearing life
  • Convenience Group (12 volt outlet, cup holders, grab handle)
  • Voltmeter, hourmeter, temperature gauge, low oil pressure light
  • 25" Rawhide III tires with aggressive tread pattern and lug size
  • Emergency/Parking Brake
A great way to see the countryside!
Daintree panoramic view


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