GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK (GBRMP)

GBRMP was created in 1975 under legislation called the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. The Marine Park is 345,500 km sq in area (the largest marine protected area in the world) Southern boundary is just north of Bundaberg and the Northern boundary is in the Coral Sea, south of the Gulf of Papua. The average depth of the water is 35 metres and has  2900 reef systems and 900+ islands.

DISTANCES                                                  (approx to the nearest kilometre)

back to top

CLIMATE

The Daintree Rainforest in Australia provides one of the best examples of tropical environment in the world. It is part of a region in Tropical North Queensland called the “Wet Tropics.” It receives vast amounts of rain, however this usually occurs in torrential downpours that last only a few hours at a time. When it’s not raining, usually the sun is out in full force highlighting the vibrant colours of the rainforest and the sea.

The rainforest has about 120 days of rain per year, with an average of 2013 mm falling per year. Floods develop quickly in the river when rain is plentiful. In the wet season of 1996, record flood levels swamped roads and properties throughout the Daintree region. Statistics gathered at the rainfall station recorded 606 millimetres of rain falling in 24 hours on March 6th of that year.

Climatic data was first recorded in the Daintree Rainforest in 1884, and has continued every since. The average minimum temperature is 21-22 degrees Celsius and maximum of 28-29 degrees. Temps in the rainforest are surprisingly mild due to the protective canopy layer of tall trees. The air is often humid but cool.

• The highest recorded temperature is 36.7 degrees Celsius.
• The lowest recorded temperature is 8.9 degrees Celsius.

Sea temperatures range from 23 degrees in July (winter) to 29 degrees
Every season in the Daintree region offers a different, unique experience. The climate is truly tropical with the Dry Season, roughly May to October, offering warm days and cool nights with low humidity. November to April is generally the Wet Season when the heavens frequently open releasing torrential rain, and the days and nights are hotter.

The most popular season for visitors tends to be during the cooler Dry Season although many people take advantage of the Wet Season months, between November and April, when the region is not as crowded, the weather is very often superb and everything is looking lush and green with all the creeks and waterfalls running to capacity.