WRIGHT'S CREEK

Wright's Creek is an interesting part of the remnant rainforest around Lake Eacham on the Atherton Tableland. A walking track leaves the roadway down the hill from the Lake Eacham car park and follows the creek for a short distance below the road bridge.

The Lake Eacham rainforest is interesting because it falls on the edge of a basalt area and the soil types consist of basalt, metamorphic and schist, and various combinations of these.

Wright's Creek has cut a small gorge through metamorphic soil. The steep sides along the permanent stream and the constant damp conditions make the area an ideal habitat for ferns and fungi. The annual rainfall in this area is about 1540mm.

The plant list for the Lake Eacham rainforest area contains about 230 species of trees, shrubs and herbs and some 125 of these can be seen along the relatively short track at Wright's Creek. In addition, all of the fern species on this plant list can be found in this area.

There are many very interesting areas of rainforest on the Atherton Tableland, but the Wright's Creek area is particularly notable because it is so easily accessible and, though close to civilisation, still gives one the experience of the conditions found in any wet rainforest area. There is a very complex intermingling of plants here and, with the large number of fern species as well as the great variety of trees, shrubs and vines, it is an ideal spot for the visitor with limited time or energy to sample a tropical rainforest environment.