'Avatar's rainforests inspired by Australia's tropical rainforests'

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Avatar's rainforests inspired by Australia's tropical rainforests

 

Avatar's surreal, pristine rainforest is proving a hit with movie goers, with many suffering the 'Avatar Blues' about not being able to go and live in this special, magical place. Well no need to be blue, these rainforests are real, with Avatar's forest over views inspired by the Wet Tropics Rainforests in Cairns, Australia, as seen from above.

Avatar designer Dylan Cole travelled the world visiting rainforest mountains and pristine areas to be inspired for his Pandora creation. He credits Skyrail Rainforest Cableway as providing the views he needed to create the low flying forest scenery in Avatar.

Indeed the rainforests of Avatar's Pandora and rainforests of the wet tropics of Australia have many similarities. On Pandora, the rainforests are special, beloved by the people who want to protect them as a precious natural resource. Around Cairns, Australia, the Wet Tropics Rainforests are a special, natural place, and World Heritage listed to protect it for future generations. In Australia, two World Heritage listed environmental treasures are located side-by-side: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Visiting the rainforests around Cairns is a magical, emotional experience.  Like the people of Pandora, the people of Far North Queensland value and cherish their rainforests. They fought to protect them, but they are proud of them and like to share this magical place with visitors from around the world.

The 7.5km cableway glides just metres over the treetops, providing amazing views over the rainforest canopy. It takes you from the coastal ranges, passing over cycads and Alexandra Palms, up the McAlister Ranger to Kuranda. Scenery changes with the elevation. At the highest and most remote point of the cableway, Red Peak Station, you can alight from the cableway to explore the forest floor and get close to towering, 400 year-old Kauri Pine trees. Wonder through the rich undergrowth on elevated boardwalks, passing by climbing wait-a-while palms, lush tree ferns, pandanus and tropical cordylines. Pear amongst the ferns and you might even catch a glimpse of the world's oldest kangaroo, a Musky Rat Kangaroo. The rainforest residents here may not be tall and blue - although there is the endangered Southern Cassowary, the largest, flightess bird in the southern hemisphere, which just happens to have a very blue neck, complete with red wattles and a bone casque on top of its head - but they are very special and instrinically linked to the survival and protection of their rainforests. Just like Avatar's Pandora.

The cableway descends from Red Peak Station into the Barron Gorge, passing over giant banyan trees with mighty buttress roots covered in clusters of basket ferns. No inch of rainforest canopy is deviod of life, all clinging together to reach the sunlight and flourish in tropical splendour. All easily, comfortably and sustainably seen from the gondola cabins. The second mid-station stop is at the mighty Barron Falls. This is a 260m high waterfall which, in the wet season - December to March - is a cascading monument to nature's deluge in this tropical paradise. Thousands of litres of water pour over the granite precipice, making a snaking journey out to the Coral Sea and throwing up plumes of water vapour into the air. No floating mountains, but you will be taken over the trees and through the clouds at this time of year, providing a magical, mystical rainforest experience.

 

The Wet Tropics Rainforests of Cairns Australia, lets you experience life in Avatar's Pandora for yourself. Its syngeries with the block buster movie go beyond the scenery, they are matched in the people's desire to protect the rainforest from harm.