There’s more to south-east Queensland than Australian extreme sports holidays with an abundance of natural features. Antarctic beech trees Nothofagus moorei have changed little since Australia formed part of Gondwana — a time when rainforest dominated the land. The presence of closely related beech species in New Zealand and South America support the theory that the continents were once joined.
The Tweed volcano caldera (crater) is considered one of the best remaining erosion-formed calderas in the world. Lamington, Springbrook and the Border Ranges national parks sit on the rim of the caldera with Mt Warning in the centre.
The rainforests are home to a range of animals which originated on Gondwana. Freshwater crayfish, land snails and Richmond birdwing butterflies are among species found at Lamington National Park.
The area also contains habitat which is vital to the conservation of important threatened species. The rare Albert’s lyrebird Menura alberti is only found in the rainforests near the Queensland and New South Wales border.
The endangered eastern bristlebird Dasyornis brachypterus is also found in south-east Queensland national parks. With only three small populations remaining in Australia, protecting the bristlebird’s habitat is vital to its survival.