The Daintree National Park in Queensland, Australia, is not only home to the oldest continuously existing rainforest in the world, but also a botanical paradise in which the Australian fan palm (Licuala ramsayi or Livistona australis are typical representatives) plays a leading role in the visual drama.
This palm species symbolises the lush, original flora of the tropical north. Its leaves are no ordinary fronds, but circular, perfectly folded fans that can reach a diameter of several metres. These architectural masterpieces of nature form an impressive umbrella structure that protects the damp forest floor from the glistening sun and at the same time creates magical plays of light when individual rays of sunlight fall through the gaps.
The fan palm thrives particularly well in the swampy and damp sections of the Daintree. They often form dense groves in which you feel like you are in a cathedral-like room - a green hall whose roof is supported by countless, perfectly shaped leaves. Viewing these gigantic fans is a tribute to the creative power of nature and emphasises the uniqueness of this rainforest, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It captures the essence of the tropical Daintree: ancient, majestic and of untamed, structural beauty.
Jiri Viehmann - photographer with a passion for nature, travelling and the beauty of the world.
Jiri Viehmann is a passionate nature and travel photographer who uses his camera to capture the diversity and beauty of our planet in impressive images. His works tell stories of quiet moments in the..
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