Cook's
ship, Endeavour, was damaged on a reef close to the coastline,
prompting him to name Cape Tribulation after all the troubles he
encountered in the area. However, the local Aboriginal people, the
Kuku Yalanji, have, for thousands of years, called it by its
traditional name of Kulki.
North
Queensland is blessed to host not just one, but two World Heritage sites
- the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Heritage Area. This means
that wildlife and plant life on both the land and the sea are protected.
To
qualify for World Heritage listing, an area must satisfy four criteria:
-outstanding
examples of major stages in the earth's revolutionary history
-continuing biological evolution
-exceptional beauty
-habitat for endangered species
Areas
in Far North Queensland were recognized as meeting all of these
criteria, and lobbying began in the early 1980s to try and get these
areas protected under World Heritage listing. Finally, on 9 December
1988, the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area was declared.
The
plant life and wildlife in the Wet Tropics have elements that relate to
eight major stages in the Earth's evolutionary history, dating back to
420 million years ago. Today, it contains a high proportion of
Australia's plant and animal species, including many unique and
endangered species.
However, there is a constant danger that the World Heritage status could
be lost if its heritage values are degraded or destroyed, so every care
needs to be taken by locals and visitors alike to ensure that this
precious land is fully protected.
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