What is the name of the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforest in the world, in Queensland?

The oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforest in the world, in Queensland, is the Daintree Rainforest. It lies in Far North Queensland, mainly between the Daintree River and Cooktown, and forms part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area.

The rainforest is estimated to have existed continuously for more than 110 million years, with some broader estimates reaching around 180 million years for related ancient rainforest communities. Its survival is linked to Australia’s geological history and continental drift, which helped preserve a warm, wet climate in parts of the region while other ancient forests disappeared.

The Daintree is named after the Daintree River, which honours geologist and photographer Richard Daintree. Its plant life includes ancient conifers and primitive flowering-plant families with evolutionary links to Gondwana. A common mix-up is confusing the Daintree’s age with the Amazon’s size: the Amazon is vastly larger, while the Daintree is celebrated for its exceptional antiquity and continuity.