The 12 best rainforests in Australia

Tropical, lush and leafy, the Daintree lives its life in all shades of green. This World Heritage-listed wonder is the oldest continually surviving rainforest in the world, with more tree species in one hectare than in the entirety of the United Kingdom. Explore the emerald canopy via a river cruise, rainforest boardwalk, crocodile tour or treetop zipline.

The Tarkine is one of the most remarkable and ancient native forests on Earth. A cool temperate rainforest, this huge swathe of untouched, emerald-toned wilderness in Tasmania is home to massive ancient trees, countless waterfalls and incredibly significant ancient Indigenous sites. Wandering through, you'll be left speechless by the millions of shades of green, primeval trees and strong, tumbling rivers. Conservationists have fought for decades to preserve this phenomenal natural spot, so be sure to thank them when you're marvelling at this Tasmanian beauty.

The lush and diverse ecosystem of K’gari’s Pile Valley is the only place on Earth where rainforests grow on sand dunes – which is a big part of the reason it nabbed a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Thousand-year-old satinay trees stretch high into the sky, creating a majestic canopy that exceeds 50 metres. You can experience the marvels of this rare natural wonder on foot by following the four-kilometre Pile Valley circuit track, starting and ending at Central Station. Pack a picnic to enjoy along the way, but stay alert from dingoes roaming the rainforest. 

While Melbourne stands tall as a bustling metropolis, all it takes is a measly one-hour drive to land you at a natural mecca complete with botanic gardens, popular leafy bushwalks, picnic areas and sweeping views of the city in the distance. There are more than 30 walks, but a good place to start is the 1,000 Steps Memorial Walk. It commemorates the soldiers who fought in WWII on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. Being a temperate rainforest, the Dandenong Ranges present some pretty spectacular waterfalls alongside the vegetation – put Sherbrooke Falls high on your priority list.

Yep, rainforests – plural. This massive stretch of tropical vegetation traverses both New South Wales and Queensland, encapsulating multiple national parks, including Lamington, Dorrigo, Springbrook and Barrington Tops. The Gondwana Rainforests is the world’s largest area of subtropical rainforest, offering plenty of accommodation options, like cabins, huts and campgrounds, where you can situate yourself right amongst the action. Here, you’ll also find some of the world’s best-preserved volcanic shields, glow worm caves, ancient Antarctic beech trees and some endangered species that you can't find anywhere else in the country, let alone the world. 

Not only does the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area’s gorges give insight into a time when the land was covered in glaciers, but human remains in some of the limestone caves show us that people have lived here for over 20,000 years. The ancient rainforests are full of history left by Indigenous people in the form of carvings and rock paintings. The area takes up about one-fifth of the whole of Tasmania and is considered one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests. 

The South Coast isn’t all just sparkly beaches and coastal living. The Minnamurra Rainforest Centre marks the start of a lush meander through greenery on raised boardwalks and it's only a 1.5 hour drive from Sydney. Revel at Minnamurra Falls from various viewing points along the Minnamurra Falls Walk or take the Lyrebird Loop Walk for a quick track that’s perfect for families with little ones. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot one of the birds that the walk is named after, or you’ll more likely hear them – imitating dog barks, passing cars and even some human sounds.

The only thing cooler than exploring a rainforest is doing so amongst the canopy. The Corrigan Suspension Bridge is part of a short walk that will take you from treetop to treetop. But if you’re looking for something a little more daring, you can embark on one of the longer tracks. If you’re really up for an adventure, you can hike the Grand Strzelecki Track, which will give you three to four days' worth of rainforest scenery. Just like Minnamurra, it’s a great place to keep an ear out for lyrebirds. 

The Northern Territory’s claim to fame usually lies in one massive rock surrounded by orange dirt (Uluru, I’m looking at you), but that doesn’t mean there isn’t gorgeous greenery to be explored as well. The expansive Litchfield National Park, one hour south of Darwin, encompasses patches of monsoonal vine forest. It’s a type of rainforest that is ‘closed’, meaning that the canopy closes over during the wet season to retain all of that water for the vegetation to survive. Meanwhile, in the dry season, trees shed their leaves to save water. There are more than 15,000 of these monsoon vine forest patches to explore in the NT so grab your four-wheel drive keys quick-smart. 

This lesser-known Queensland rainforest sits neatly in between Cairns and Brisbane making it a little less humid than the Daintree. Eungella National Park, and its sub-tropical rainforests, are one of your best bets for spotting little platypuses in the wild. Broken River is home to some quaint picnic grounds with a platypus viewing deck, or you can strap on the scuba tank and head out to Finch Hatton with the team at Rainforest Scuba for a real up-close-and-personal experience. If you like to stay on dry land, explore the canopy via zip line. 

Visiting this national park is a no-brainer if you’re driving the Great Ocean Road, especially if you like waterfalls. The park stretches from Torquay towards Princetown, and up towards Colac, and is one of the best places in Victoria to embrace a cool temperate rainforest. Head out on one of the many coastal walking trails and you’ll discover lush forests, quiet sandy beaches and more than one koala poking its head through the gum trees.