This one I bailed out on during my 2011 RTW trip. Just too many forests on the Australian World Heritage List! But I had to finish it now while being in Queensland. It’s a vast site with an unknown number of components and there is little official UNESCO info available.

As I had been to the Wet Tropics of Queensland a few days before, I wondered what the differences were between the two sets of Rainforests from Gondwanan times. Google’s Gemini says: The fundamental difference between the two sites lies in the type of rainforest they preserve. The Gondwana Rainforests are predominantly subtropical and temperate rainforests. The Wet Tropics of Queensland, as its name suggests, is characterized by tropical rainforest. This climatic and ecological difference is reflected in their unique biodiversity. The Gondwana Rainforests are a sanctuary for ancient plant groups like primitive conifers and ferns, and are a significant center for the evolution of Australia's songbirds. The Wet Tropics, on the other hand, boasts an exceptionally high concentration of primitive flowering plant families, many of which are endemic to the region.

For my visit, I chose Lamington National Park. I stayed overnight in the town of Nerang (a suburb of the Gold Coast), so the next morning it was only a 45-minute drive to the Binna Burra entrance. I tried to be early, hoping to encounter wildlife along the road. Seeing koalas in the wild was high on my wish list for this Australia trip, and I could do with some better pictures of kangaroos, too. Along the access road to Lamington, several signs are warning of koalas crossing. There was even a flashing sign, like they have with road works, which made me think a group of koalas was trying to cross just in front of me. But I encountered nothing....

Lamington NP has two entrances; I chose the Binna Burra section. From here, several hikes start. The parking lot was busier than I had expected for a cloudy Monday morning, but I guess people arrive early here to start one of the long-distance hikes.

I took it easy with a combination of the Rainforest Circuit and the Tullawallal Loop track. These are both narrow but well-maintained forest paths. The forest is dense, and there are some attempts made at pointing out interesting tree and plant species (but not greatly successfully). The trees indeed are a bit different from those in the Wet Tropics, but both specialize in ferns.

The most notable thing this early is the bird "song" all around you. Due to the density of the forest, it is hard to spot the singers, but they make some weird noises. I managed to capture a glimpse of the Green catbird, whose song sounds like a crying human baby.

P.S.: I am wondering about the high community rating this WHS has received (3.31, in the same league as Maloti-Drakensberg, Vicenza, Hué and Xochicalco). To me, it was just another forest, without great scenery. Maybe when you're a birder, you'll get more out of it, but for the general public, a visit can hardly be satisfying.

P.P.S.: Later in the day, I got my wild koala and kangaroo pictures. A good area in the Gold Coast region, within an hour of Lamington NP, is the Coombabah Lakelands. This RAMSAR wetland has an almost urban setting; therefore, it sees a fair number of visitors and is maintained so that the wildlife likes to stay, as it has all its favourite plants. The hundred or so kangaroos aren't bothered by the people. Koalas are still hard to find, but they are present: the best tactic seems to be to start looking with a group, as you'll need more than one pair of eyes. I followed a party of three in front of me, and one of them spotted a koala - a fluffy ball high up on a tree branch.