The best known botanical feature of Lake Barrine is the twin Rough Barked Kauri Pines (Agathis Microstachya). These giant forest emergents are estimated to be about 1,000 years old and are considered one of the earliest known species of rainforest tree. Towering above the rainforest canopy, they have achieved a height of 50 metres and 2.2 metres in trunk diameter.

The Bull Kauri species is the largest of all the Kauri’s on record and it is a pine even though it does not have a needle leaf. ‘Kauri Pine’ is the common name derived from the Maori name of the related New Zealand Kauri species (Agathis Australis).

The Amethystine Python (Liasis Amethystinus) is Australia’s largest snake. The largest on record was measured at 8.5 metres or 28 feet.

The Scrub or Amethystine Pythons are slow growing. A 4.5 metre (15 ft) python is said to be around 50 years old. During the cooler months the Amethystine Python can often be seen sunbaking on the edge of the lake. They feed on fruit bats, bandicoots, gliders, rats and birds.

The Eastern Water Dragon is about as close to a crocodile that the lake has. This small reptile is a pre-jurassic species that has remained relatively unchanged for millions of years. It is a small lizard that can often be spotted sunbaking on logs in the water and around the lakes edge. Rainforest dragons use their colouration and shape to camouflage themselves. The Eastern Water Dragon can hold its breath underwater for 90 minutes.

The Australian Pelican ( Pelecanus Consicillatus) is Australia’s largest water bird and will travel large distances to find food and water. While they are known to feed and disappear, they will often return to the same place when it is known to them as a good feeding area. Their huge flesh-coloured bill is used to scoop up food like fish and frogs.

The Saw-Shelled Turtle is a short-necked freshwater turtle. They live in permanent freshwater like Lake Barrine, but occasionally leave the water to sunbake and lay their eggs. They are a mainly carnivorous species with a diet consisting of small fish, frogs, insects and fallen fruit.

From the beginning of the cruise, the boat is accompanied by Ducks. Specifically, the Pacific Black (Anas Superciliosa) and the White Eyed Duck (also known as the Hardhead or Aythya Australis) are native to this region and contain themselves to fresh water in order to feed. At different times of the year duck types can change. However the Pacific Black Duck is a year round resident, the Whistle and Hard Head (White Eye) spend most of the year here.

The Musky-Rat Kangaroo is the smallest of all kangaroo species, restricted to the north-eastern tropics of Australia

The Long-finned Eels (Anguilla Reinhardtii) are mostly carnivorous, feeding on fish that live in the lake. The life cycle of the eel is an amazing process that sees the baby female eels (Elva) climb their way over 700 metres to reach Lake Barrine. When they are approximately 15 years old they make a journey back down the Mulgrave River to oceans near New Caledonia to mate and die, where the cycle starts once again.

The volcanic explosions that created the Maar Volcanoes now known as Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham occured approximately 10,000 years ago.

The lakes themselves formed around 10,000 years ago when there was a shift in the earth's climate.

A Maar volcano was formed when hot molten rock came into contact with groundwater. This caused a build-up of steam, gasses and pressure which blasted the central core from the volcano. This massive explosion caused the crater which subsequently filled with rainwater.

The Scrub or Brush Turkey was originally found right along the East Coast (from Sydney North) of Australia, but due to clearing many have disappeared. The Turkeys are one of the family of Megapodes (large footed), and a mound building bird. They scratch up a mound of leaves and lay their eggs amongst them allowing the heat from the composting vegetation to hatch the eggs. The male turkey has a sensitive temperature sensor in his beak with which he tests the temperature of the mound daily and adjusts the depth accordingly to achieve a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius. The chicks are orphans right from when they dig themselves out of the mound. They can run as soon as they leave the nest and within a few days their feathers dry out and flight is possible.