Australia's wettest place: 12 metres of rain in one year!

Australia's wettest place. The peak of Mount Bellenden Ker holds the national record for rainfall — 12,461mm. That's more than 12 metres of rain compared to Sydney or Brisbane, which both receive an average of around 1.1 metres annually.

On the Eastern flanks of this extraordinary mountain sits Possum Ridge, a critical 93-hectare rainforest property that is deserving of the highest level of environmental protection.

Aerial view of Possum Ridge at Bellenden Ker.

Why extreme rainfall creates irreplaceable habitat

This extraordinary rainfall at Mount Bellenden Ker, averaging over 8,000mm annually, creates perfect conditions for high-diversity rainforest. On the Possum Ridge property, our ecologist and botanist recorded 210 native plant species, including six threatened species under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld).

During our survey, we discovered evidence of the elusive Striped Possum, the reason for the property's name. This critical habitat also supports the Endangered Southern Cassowary and rare rainforest frogs found nowhere else. You can read more about the project here. 

The rare and elusive Striped Possum.

A critical climate refuge

Possum Ridge borders Wooroonooran National Park and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, creating a vital link in one of Australia's most biodiverse landscapes. As temperatures rise, this intact rainforest will serve as a critical climate refuge for many threatened and rare species. It must be protected.

The 93-hectare Possum Ridge property.

We've made a solid start

Thanks to supporters, solid progress has been made toward the $930,000 target to purchase and protect Possum Ridge. But we still need your help!

Due to its exceptional biodiversity, we are working to secure Possum Ridge under our Gondwana Rainforest Refuges program, to protect it in perpetuity as a registered Nature Refuge. You can support the project here.