Aboriginal perspectives of the wet tropics of Queensland
It’s a place where rivers charge through gorges, waterfalls drop from vertiginous escarpments, and thousands of plant and animal species – many of them endemic – thrive in one of the country’s oldest wilderness areas. Home to the Daintree Rainforest, the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland has undeniable global significance.
This ecosystem is of particular significance to these landscapes, and the ancient Dreamtime stories they hold. It holds a particular important place in Aboriginal cultures and traditions and has done for millennia.
The Kuku Yalanji, whose Country lies north of Cairns / Gimuy, have a spiritual connection to the rainforest, says Traditional Custodian Juan Walker on his Walkabout Cultural Adventures tours through the verdant Daintree around Port Douglas.
Having lived here his entire life, Juan knows every nook of the rainforest – hidden waterholes to swim in, where Ulysses butterflies like to show off their iridescent blue wings, and what native plants you can consume, like the luminous lime-green ants clinging to leaves of a bush. Most people wouldn’t even notice them, but Juan encourages guests to give them a lick – they taste sour and lemony.
A view of a rocky river in Mossman Gorge with a guide from Walkabout Cultural Adventures, Queensland © Tourism Australia
Indigenous Dreaming stories reveal just how deeply significant the Daintree is to Kuku Yalanji culture. And these Dreaming stories are ancient – your guide on a tour from the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre will gently remind you that you’re exploring the world’s oldest rainforest with a First Nations member of the oldest continuously living cultures on the planet.
You may hear the story of why the region’s cassowaries have a hard helmet on their heads, and how the rainforest was formed millions of years ago. You’ll also discover the rare fauna species that make the Daintree so special, like the Thornton Peak melomys and Bennett’s tree-kangaroo.
Guide Juan Walker from Walkabout Cultural Adventures gazing up at the Daintree Rainforest, Queensland © Tourism Australia
Ancient stories will also bring the rainforest to life during a Dreamtime Walk as part of the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience at Rainforestation Nature Park outside Cairns. Your guide will describe the role of the Rainbow Serpent and demonstrate how local Aboriginal communities used spears and boomerangs to hunt for food.
Two people on a Dreamtime Walk through Mossman Gorge, Queensland, from the Mossman Gorge Centre © Tourism Australia
The Mandingalbay Yidinji have sustained the land and water south-east of Cairns for millennia. But recent overuse and the introduction of foreign floral and faunal species saw biodiversity decline, a situation that Djunbunji Land and Sea Rangers were determined to reverse.
They’ve spent years working with scientists to catalogue plants, animals and culturally significant sites, which you’ll discover on a Djunbunji ranger-guided Hands On Country Eco Tour with Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours. As a result of the rangers’ protection efforts, the rainforest region is once again thriving, and your eagle-eyed guide will point out the birds, fish and saltwater crocs that you’d likely cruise right past without a Traditional Owner at your side.
A group of Indigenous performers at Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience amid the rainforest in Queensland © Tourism Australia
Note: The NRMA is in partnership with Tourism Australia’s Discover Aboriginal Experiences. We are committed to promoting First Nations culture and experiences. The original text has been modified for clarity and style.
