If You Go -- Planning A Trip To The Daintree Rain Forest

Brigitta Flick and Dr. Hugh Spencer founded the Cape Tribulation Tropical Research Station in the Daintree rain forest of Northern Queensland 10 years ago.

Spencer calls himself a generalist. His background is in neuropharmacology and conservation biology. Flick's academic work in Germany and the U.S. ranged from tissue- and psychobiology to plant physiology and conservation biology.

A third member of the full-time team, Teresa Elizabeth, concentrates as a conservation activist with the Daintree Rainforest Task Force. Outside researchers also are able to use the station's facilities for work, and positions are available for volunteers and interns.

Research at the station stretches beyond the study, rescue and rehabilitation of flying foxes. Current projects include evaluation of alternative technology for the tropics, phenology of cluster figs and genetic diversity of the region's rare endemic plants. Some work is done in collaboration with institutions such as the universities of Queensland and Sydney and the Harvard Herba- rium.

The Bat House education and environmental interpretation center is the public face of the AUSTROP Foundation, an independent, non-profit environmental organization under whose banner the research station also operates. Find it on the Cape Tribulation Road a mile or two north of Coconut Beach Rainforest Resort.

Manned by volunteers, it provides environmental and tourist information for the area, plus information about ongoing research. (At least one flying fox is always on duty.)

Admission is $2. That income, plus the sale of books, T-shirts, bat memorabilia and other souvenirs, helps fund research.

For information about research, volunteer and internship programs: Cape Tribulation Tropical Research Station, PMB 5, Cape Tribulation, QLD 4873, Australia. Attention: Dr. Hugh Spencer, Director. Phone 011-617-4098-0063. E-mail: austrop @austrop.org.au. Web: www.alt news.com.au/austrop/.

Also available on the Web site are links for related environmental organizations, activities, information and technology - especially relating to the Daintree and flying foxes.

Coconut Beach

The 250-acre Coconut Beach Rainforest Resort was listed by Conde Nast Traveler magazine as one of the world's "top 25 escapes."

It is about 110 miles north of Cairns, 55 miles north of Port Douglas at Cape Tribulation. Rates from $100 to $235 per night.

More information: Coconut Beach Rainforest Resort, Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation, QLD 4873, Australia. Phone 011-617-4098-0033. Web: www.coconut beach.com.au/. E-mail: reservations @coconutbeach.com.au.

General information

Bus transportation is available to Cape Tribulation from Port Douglas and Cairns via Coral Coaches, 6107-4031-7577 (in Australia).

For general information about travel and accommodations in the Daintree-Cape Tribulation area, check these Web sites: -- Cairns Online: www.cairns.aust. com/About/daintree.htm. -- Triple A Matilda: http://matilda. aaa.com.au/online/qld/daintree/. -- Queensland Tourism: www.qttc. com.au/.

Mail: Level 36, Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; or: GPO 328 Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia. Phone 07-3406-5400. -- Australian Tourist Commission: www.aussie.net.au/.

Mail: 2049 Century Park East, Suite 1920, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Phone 310-229-4870.