Australia's rainforests are amongst the oldest
in the world. They contain plants whose ancestors
existed on the ancient
super continent Gondwana.
Entering the rainforest, we look back onto a 120 Mill year long history of evolution. Thus, Australia's rainforests are like a unique picture book of evolution. Experts compare them therefore with the Galapagos Islands.
Intensive logging started in these rainforests with the European settlement. In the early days, the timber industry formed a major economic base of the emerging Australian nation.
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Almost too late, large parts of the forests were protected in National Parks because of a strong environmental movement. A look at the map shows that only patches remain of the once continuous forest belts. But we look at the map of a whole continent, and the remnants are still large enough to walk for weeks on end in them. Parts of these National Parks were included in the World Heritage list of the UNESCO in 1986. The
Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia (CERRA) between Sydney and Brisbane are of particular significance.
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