Cyclone Larry swept across the coast on 20th March 2006 with Category 5,300 km/h winds leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Immediately after the storm the rainforest was stripped of a lot of its foliage, though thankfully the fast growing nature of tropical plants means that the rainforest has returned to its lush green state.
However cyclones are nature’s way of renewal and regeneration and although it will take many years of growth for the forest to resemble its pre-cyclone state, it is well on the way. The trail from the car park gives a good indication of rainforest pre and post cyclone. As you leave the car park and proceed down the stairs to the bridge, you can see the 30m high canopy and the relatively clear understorey of mature undisturbed forest protected from the cyclone. Higher up the hill, the wonderful panoramic views of the coastline and interior are closing to give way to the new foliage.
The built environment has been completely repaired and refurbished with lots of new features and is better than ever.