Comments by "Helmuth Schultes" (@helmuthschultes9243) on "American Reacts to The Daintree Rainforest - Australia" video.
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Definitely a beautiful area. The rainforest is wonderful, especially if notvused to such lush tropical forests. The bountiful range of plants and flowers, the rich variety of birds, lizards, frogs snakes, spiders and so many other insects.
On aspect I have to mention is my doubts about oldest rainforest. The area has in not impossible long time span been very hospitable as that northern area of Queensland has had strong volcanic activity in past millions of years. Also the mountain ranges are remenants of older higher mountains weathered away and likely not been tropical as long as areas in Africa and South America, as Australia has moved far larger distances by continental drift than either of those two, so not been covering tropical regions as long as those two that have mostly had east-west travel mostly while Australia wandered northwards from Antarctic regions. Australia however has a number of temperate rainforests that carry very ancient plants, some dating back to very ancient times hundreds of millions of years back, even to times Antarctica and Australia were joined and climate was warmer and lush with dinosaurs inhabiting these. In NSW there was discovered an ancient pine species, Wollmai pine (or similar spelling) that apparently represents the earliest pine species, now assured continuity by botanical efforts to propogate the plant. Now even able to be purchased in plant nurseries, though the original is being highly protected though threatened more than once by major forest fires.
Another temperate rainforest once covered much of eastern Victoria, while most destroyed by modern people settling the whole Gippsland valley, now largely dairy farm paddocks and other farming land, plus coal mine, there is little evidence of original forest, felled for wood and much just burned for land clearing, a small patch in south Gippsland Hills in Bulga State forest of lush temperate rainforest remains. Not to detract from lush forests of the Victoria's mountains north of Gippsland valley and far east Victoria, with huge stands of very large Mountain Ash trees. Even Central Australia has examples of plants from times pre-dating flowering plants evolving. One great place lies near Hermansburg, west of Alice Springs in the McDonnell Ranges, called Palm Valley where examples of earliest palm species grow in a narrow valley. The only place such early palms exist on earth (other than botanical efforts to preserve these types). Then there are also very ancient cicads in other valleys of the ranges.
None of the above should be seen as detracting from the wonder of the Daintree forests. Tours of the area both land walks and boat tours of the rivers are wonderful and informative seeing much of plants and animals. Car tribulation is also nice to visit. For those seeking high end tourist facilities a little south of Daintree town lies Port Douglas, with premium tourist resort to simple camping, while Daintree offers excellent accomodation in very natural surrounds to basic camping facilities. At Port Douglas access to Great Barrier Reef, diving and fishing is readily available. Numerous tours of reef exist, much as from even further south in Cairns the last larger city of far north Queensland.
Other very ancient plants and forests exist in WA and far north the Kimberley Ranges to parks nearer Darwin in NT.
A wealth of great places, that sadly needs years to visit and absorb all these magnificent sights. I suggest a lifetime of experiences.
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