Purchase and protect Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road

COMPLETED PROJECT SNAPSHOT

Thanks to the generosity of thousands of donors, fundraising for this property was completed on March 1, 2025.

Action: Purchase and protect Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road (RP738993)

Location: Cow Bay, Queensland, Australia

Size: 8.9ha/89,000sqm

Vegetation type: Regional Ecosystem 7.3.4 Mesophyll vine forest with Licuala ramsayi

Threatened species: Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii), simple pauper orchid (Aphyllorchis anomala), China camp laurel (Beilschmiedia castrisinensis), Gray’s walnut (Endiandra grayi), Noah's walnut (Endiandra microneura), climbing pandanus (Freycinetia percostata), iron malletwood (Rhodamnia sessiliflora), Daintree myrtle (Rhodomyrtus effusa). 

Endangered ecological community: Lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community is listed as endangered under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road

We had our ecologist undertake a comprehensive survey and prepare a report confirming its high conservation value and priority for acquisition. We negotiated a price, and in early September 2024 our generous supporters donated enough funds for the deposit. We raised the balance required to purchase and protect this property on the 1st of March, 2025. Thank you to all the donors and supporters that made this outcome possible.

Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road

Special values of this Daintree property

Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road is an 8.9 hectare freehold property located at Cow Bay in the Daintree Rainforest. It's situated within the Hutchinson Creek catchment that drains north to the nearby Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef.

Its purchase will consolidates past land acquisition for conservation in Cow Bay. Lot 92 offers significant habitat linkage across the landscape between the coast and the mountains.

The property forms a vital link of vegetated connectivity as it shares a boundary with Lot 93 Cape Tribulation Road, another 8.9 hectare property that we purchased for conservation in 2022. On two other boundaries it adjoins the Daintree National Park and World Heritage Area. Securing this property will provide a significant benefit to the endangered southern cassowary which has been observed at this location on many occasions. 

In August 2024, our ecologist undertook a vegetation survey and he identified 188 species of native plants on the property. Of these, 7 are listed as threatened species on the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992.

Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road

Threatened species of plants

The 7 plants listed as threatened species are:

Simple pauper orchid (Aphyllorchis anomala)

This leafless ground orchid was identified by 1 plant in the middle of Lot 92. It is only known from between Rossville–Atherton and Conway and Finch Hatton in Far North Queensland.   

China camp laurel (Beilschmiedia castrisinensis)

This tree has large fruits dispersed by the southern cassowary. The species has a very restricted distribution, being the area between the Bloomfield and Daintree River in lowland rainforest below 660m.

Gray’s walnut (Endiandra grayi)

This tree is has large fruits dispersed by the southern cassowary. The species is restricted to the area between Cape Tribulation and the Daintree River at altitudes up to 40m. This tree was identified as a handful of seedlings.

Noah's walnut (Endiandra microneura)

This tree is has large yellow fruit that are dispersed by the southern cassowary. The species is restricted to the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation areas below 250m. A small number of juvenile specimens were noted across Lot 92.  

Climbing pandanus (Freycinetia percostata)

This climbing monocot was observed climbing a high tree on Lot 92. The climbing pandanus restricted mainly to the Daintree Rainforest and again on Cape York at Iron Range and overseas in Papua New Guinea. This climbing grass-like plant possesses unique leaves that trap water and thus provide habitat for invertebrates and frogs.

Iron malletwood (Rhodamnia sessiliflora)

This small understorey shrub is listed as endangered under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. It is otherwise a common species within regrowth however is now susceptible to damage by the exotic fungus myrtle rust. Previous damage was noted on the species in the field.

Daintree myrtle (Rhodomyrtus effusa)

This small understorey shrub to 3m is listed as endangered under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. It is common in central parts of Lot 92. The exotic fungus myrtle rust threatens the species survival with active rust and previous damage noted on many specimens however some fruit was observed.

Noah's Walnut (Endiandra microneura) is a threatened species. 

Restoration work

Significant disturbance occurred in the past through clearing for agriculture and there are 18 species of exotic plants on Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road. These plants will be removed from the property.

Lantana (Lantana camara) is present within regrowth and is listed as a Class 3 weed under the Biosecurity Act 2014 and a Weed of National Significance (WONS). Pond apple (Annona glabra) is quite common in the regrowth and is listed as a Class 3 weed under the Biosecurity Act 2014 and a Weed of National Significance (WONS). Singapore daisy (Sphagneticola trilobata) is present along the roadway and is listed as a Class 3 weed under the Biosecurity Act 2014.African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is present on the site, as are a small number of garden weeds including rose apple (Syzygium jambos), shoebutton ardisia (Ardisia elliptica) and Heliconia psittacorum. 

Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road

The Daintree Lowland Rainforest itself has now been identified as part of an endangered ecological community. In November 2021, the Australian Government listed the lowland tropical rainforest of the Wet Tropics ecological community, in the endangered category under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The listing was effective as of Friday November 26, 2021 and includes the Wet Tropics of North Queensland, from near Ingham (just south of the Cardwell Range) in the south to north around Cape Tribulation. While now listed as endangered, the Daintree Lowland Rainforest is still not fully protected. The freehold properties in the Daintree lowland remain at risk from rural residential development.

Stronger together

The Save the Daintree program is built on a partnership between Gondwana Rainforest Trust and Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation. We recognise that we are Stronger Together and raise funds for the buyback of properties in the Daintree Rainforest and their management for conservation.

FAQs

We’ve provided answers to the most frequently asked questions for the purchase and protection of Lot 92 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Lowland Rainforest here.