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 A rainforest creek in the Wet Tropics surrounded by tall Tree Ferns. Port Douglas and north Queensland, like much of northern Australia, is a land of 2 distinct seasons - the 'wet' and the 'dry'. Known to Port Douglas, Daintree and Cairns locals as the 'Green Season', it is a time of abundant growth in the rainforests and savanna around Port Douglas and across far north Queensland. Locals will often tell you that the rainforest looks its best just after a torrential downpour when the creeks are flowing and the plants are dripping with moisture. The wet season falls between December and April and is when we usually receive more than 60% of our rainfall. In Port Douglas we may have 1500+ mm (2 metres/6 feet) of rainfall and on the high peaks of the Wet Tropics such as Bartle Frere, Bellenden Ker and Thorntons Peak there can be over 6000 mm (6 metres/18 feet) of rainfall in just 3-4 months. A common misconception of those coming to the area is that it will be raining for weeks on end and that they will be stuck in a hotel room for the duration of their holidays. The reality is often very different!  The impressive Din Din (Barron) falls in wet season flood Rain will often fall overnight or early morning with the clouds clearing to reveal a beautiful sunny day. We can have weeks of sunny weather between tropical storms and even if you do get a few days of rain whilst on Port Douglas holidays there is still plenty to do - like a rainforest tour! The rainforests, sclerophyll forests and savanna of tropical north Queensland rely on the rains of the wet season to rejuvenate and grow. At the end of a long dry season you can visibly see the effects of a lack of rain. From dry and limp looking Basket and Antler ferns in the rainforest, to dry creek beds and parched grasslands. As the wet season develops and the streams, creeks and rivers all begin to flow with renewed vigour the environment quickly changes. The savanna and sclerophyll forests become a sea of green grasses and new growth. The rainforest becomes alive with dry streams flowing again, funghi quickly growing and plants bursting with life. The heavy rains of the wet season prepare the land for the dry times that will inevitably follow. Join Blue Adventures on a Wildlife Tour or Rainforest & Outback Tour to learn more about our unique and diverse environments, how these habitats have developed over millions of years and to see how the plants and animals have adapted to live in such extremes.  Savanna wetlands grow and shrink with the wet season and are an important habitat for many native waterbirds.
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AboutWith World Heritage rainforest and Outback Queensland on our doorstep, Port Douglas is ideally situated to explore tropical north Queensland. Archives
April 2017
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