The book

Night falls quickly over Queensland’s tropical coast, and when it does, the rainforest canopy conceals the moonlight and stars from those below. As the sun sets, Ian sees Johnno at camp.

‘We’ve got to get in and feed those guys in the trees.’
‘Mate, I just got back after hitchhiking all bloody day. Fair go.’
Johnno has just returned from Cairns, having been arrested on the first day of the Daintree protest, but Ian insists. ‘Gummy and the others in the trees need resupplying.’

So now, within half an hour of getting back to Cape Tribulation from Cairns, Johnno is back up the track on disputed territory, breeching his bail conditions. The forest is crawling with police. In the darkness, Johnno and Ian cling to the shadows.

So begins The Daintree Blockade: the Battle for Australia’s Tropical Rainforests. Highlights of the book include:

  • A Foreword by Australian actor Jack Thompson;
  • Stunning page layouts by Punchbowl Design;
  • The 23cm by 18cm layout allows use of the over 250 photos to make The Daintree Blockade a visual journey, as well as a comprehensively researched and concisely written work of narrative nonfiction;
  • The use of many previously untapped resources, including photos and diaries from private collections, and over 80 interviews;
  • Personal accounts and anecdotes of those who were on the frontline;
  • Tells the previously untold story of the Daintree blockade, one of the most influential environment protests in Australian history, and set during Queensland’s tumultuous Bjelke-Petersen years.