South Endeavour Trust: Kings Plains
Lakeland, Qld 4871

Kings Plains is a spectacular 68,000 hectare cattle property around 300 km north of Cairns and about 50 km SW of Cooktown.  It is jointly owned by South Endeavour Trust and combines conservation with sustainable grazing enterprise.  Kings Plain is of high conservation significance in that it lies at the intersection of three bioregions, the Wet tropics, Einasleigh Uplands and Cape York - and provides a vital link between the Wet tropics and Cape York.  This property is a key corridor for north-south migrations along the Cape and also has high densities of Gondwanan rainforest flora.

Major conservation works on the property include sediment reduction projects that are aimed at slowing and helping prevent gully sourced sediment from the station moving into the Normanby river and thence out to the Great Barrier Reef.  reef trust funding hopes to prevent 33,000 tonnes of sediment per annum from the property going down the river.

Volunteers will engage in various sediment reduction strategies -  including building diversion structures and brush structures to impede water flow in the gullies, replanting and seeding gullies to slow their rate of advance and general habitat restoration programs.  Volunteers will be based at bush camping locations in canvas tents - and have a fabulous 1000 star plus experience!  All camping gear is provided with comfortable stretcher beds.  Being based at Kings Plains also allows volunteers the opportunity to explore some of the Daintree on the way to and from project - and longer stays may have the opportunity to spend the weekend or down days in Cooktown - or go to the famous Split Rock Aboriginal art site at Laura. 

Kings Plains is  a conservationist's dream in its own right - a permanent wetland (Kings Plains Lake) has complex mosaic of open water, large areas of lotus lilies, giant waterlilies and extensive reed beds. The plains downstream of the Lake are often covered with hundreds of Brolgas, and the chance to see Jabirus, red-tailed Black Cockatoos and Bustards.