Richard English is a grader driver in Far North Queensland. He is also a man with a surprisingly keen interest in tropical plants. While upgrading and widening the road to Lockhart River through the Iron Range National Park in the aftermath of cyclone Monica last year, he noticed a small rainforest tree on the roadside in full bloom. "I haven't seen anything like this before," he said. Neither had Tom Warnes, founder of the Cairns-based tour company Wilderness Challenge and a Cape York veteran with more than 20 years experience.

The small tree, maybe four metres tall, was unremarkable apart from its flamboyant flowers. Arranged as large bouquets, each flower had three petals. The young flowers where white, while the older flowers had faded to a creamy yellow. Distinctive were the large purple styles.

When shown digital images of the tree's flowers, Scott Templeton, Coen-based naturalist and intimate expert in the National Park, was also baffled. It was time to step up the identification process and ask the top expert: Mark Edington from the Plant Identification and Advisory Services of the Queensland Herbarium at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt. Coot-tha. His answer via email was quick and matter-of-fact.

"The plant in your photos is Crateva religiosa. This species is native to Cape York, as well as India, through Malaysia and Indonesia to Polynesia."

The excitement was short-lived, but the high hopes that grader driver Richard English may have discovered a new tree species were not entirely unwarranted. The flora of the Iron Range National Park and indeed most of Cape York is poorly documented and experts are convinced that the remote tropical region still has quite a few surprises in store. This became apparent when a new endemic plant, in fact a new genus, Astonia australensis, was recently discovered in Mungkan Kaanju National Park, west of Coen.

It is the complex, rich and largely intact nature of the 137,000 km2 peninsula in the tropical north of Queensland that has put the region on the radar of conservationists for quite a while now.

It is in a way ironic that the area of Australia that has seen the first confirmed landing by Europeans - Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon on the Duyfken sailed along the west coast of the peninsula in 1606, made landfall and mapped 300 kilometers of its coastline – is in fact still one of the least developed areas of Australia. Neither the gold rush era, which focused mainly on the gold fields along the Palmer River and smaller fields near Coen and within what is now Iron Range National Park, nor the arrival of pastoralists managed to alter the nature of the peninsula considerably. One exception is the large scale bauxite mining around the town of Weipa on the west coast of the peninsula.

The peninsula's main traffic arteries are the grandly named Peninsula Development Road, as well as Telegraph Road and Bamaga Road. These roads link the bustling tourist town of Cairns with the most northerly point of the Australian continent, Cape York. This road network is one of the last great 4WD adventures to be had. But left and right of the roads lay vast lands virtually untouched.

A worldwide study by Conservation International to identify the earth's last remaining wilderness areas lists the Cape York Peninsula "as one of the wildest tropical environments left on the planet".

Cape York is also a stronghold of Aboriginal culture. More than 60% of the roughly 18,000 people living on the peninsula are indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. Spectacular expressions of the heritage of Aboriginal people on the peninsula are the numerous rock art sites in the Laura area.

The sun is setting over the vast floodplains of the Nifold Plains in Lakefield National Park. The dry tropical grass acquires a golden glow. Spread over the plains are thousands of termite mounds, like high-rises of a gigantic metropolis. Lakefield National Park, with its vast floodplains, lily clad billabongs and waterholes, savannahs and river systems, is one of a string of national parks already protecting particularly sensitive areas on the peninsula.

The Jardine River National Park together with the Heathlands Resources Reserve cover 384,200 ha of remote wilderness and protect most of the catchments of the pristine Jardine River; the Iron Range National Park on the east coast of the peninsula consists of the Janet and Tozer Ranges with a large variety of ecosystems, including Australia's largest lowland rainforest; the Mungkan-Kaanju National Park, covers a large area north and northwest of Coen and has the wild Archer and Coen Rivers as a centrepiece. To the east of Lakefield lie Jack River National Park and Starke National Park, as well as Cape Melville National Park to the north east. There is also a cluster of smaller parks in the Cooktown area including the Endeavour River, Mount Cook, Annan River and Black Mountain National Parks.

As impressive as this list sounds, for environmentalists there are many gaps between these reserves and they feel a broader approach to protect the area's unique tropical wildernesses in all its facets is needed. Gaining World Heritage status for Cape York Peninsula could offer this protection. However, to achieve a suitable outcome, all parties concerned have to find common ground: pastoralists, indigenous people, mining industry, tourism industry, environmentalists and politicians.

For the past 20 years, The Wilderness Society has been spearheading the push for more protection of the peninsula and ultimately world heritage status. Lyndon Schneiders, The Wilderness Society's Northern Australia Campaign Manager, says the Society's general view is that the whole region would clearly have world heritage values. He points out that in a large remote area such as the peninsula, the majority of the eco-systems are still operational. But he is aware that a push to declare the whole area as world heritage would not be received favourably by the Cape York communities.

"It's going to be a trade-off between the values that exist on Cape York, particularly in respect of world heritage and what the community out there is going to accept," Lyndon Schneiders said.

"What we are arguing for and what's been accepted at the Queensland government level and is increasingly being accepted at the national government level, is an initial assessment to identify the values on the Cape: to do an inventory of the existing studies and research that been conducted on the peninsula now for some 50-odd years and then to run them past the existing world heritage criteria. It then really does become a political decision."

More national parks are not an option for him.

"That landscape needs people on it, needs to be managed, it needs fire management, it needs weed and feral animal management, it needs to be looked after."

According to Scott Templeton, avid birdwatcher and nature photographer, one of the most important areas for a possible World Heritage listing could be the Iron Range and the McIlwraith Range, with a high level plateau covered in rainforest between Lockhart River and Silver Plains.

"There are prehistoric animals up there," he enthuses.

After several expeditions into the rugged and remote ranges to photograph rare and endangered animals, he is convinced that the listing is warranted.

"This area has got the most concentrated variety of endemic species related to Papua New Guinean species that go back to the Eurasian period. I call it a living museum," he said.

Scott Templeton has photographed cuscuses, green pythons and palm cockatoos in that secluded wilderness. The Register of the National Estate backs Templeton's assessment:

"It is believed that as a result of the altitude, isolation from the southern species and inaccessibility of the ranges, the MacIlwraith Range is today one of the most interesting sites for botanical exploration in Australia. The same could be said for many other fields of scientific endeavour."

While the Wilderness Society is campaigning for World Heritage status, the Queensland State Government and conservation groups are step-by-step buying large tracks of land on the peninsula.

In 1994 the State Government purchased Silver Plains Station east of Coen, followed by Kalpowar Station in 1995, Bromley Station in 2000, pastoral properties at Shelbourne Bay, Lilyvale and Archer Point in 2003, Mt. Croll station in 2005. Additionally, Bertiehaugh Station was recently bought by Steve Irwin's Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and turned into the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. The organisation hit the headlines recently regarding its battle against aluminum miner Cape Alumina Pty Ltd, which has lodged mining lease applications that would impact on the reserve, as a large part of the mine would be on it. And Picaninny Station was bought in 2007 by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and turned into the Picanniny Plains Sanctuary.

This environment conservation trend deeply worries pastoralist Cameron Quartermaine on Watson River Station, roughly 150 km south east of the bauxite town of Weipa. Like the other remaining working cattle stations in the region he and his family feel increasingly isolated and slowly squeezed out of the area. His immediate concern however is not so much the push for World Heritage but the Wild River Scheme (see breakout below), initiated by the Queensland Government. The possible impacts and the validity of this scheme are in the forefront of the Quartermaine's thoughts. The Watson River and its tributaries as well as parts of the Archer River basin are on their property. Cameron fails to see the need for protection:

"Why are the rivers so pristine?" he asks and then answers his own question.

"We must have done something right".

"It is in our best interests, financially and spiritually, to look after the land," adds his wife Doreen.

"We can't understand why they lock up areas. Why do anything? The trouble with Wild Rivers is locking up a potential source of water. It's totally wasted."

Cameron believes that there is great potential for the Peninsula to become the nation's fruit and vegetable bowl, as well as a reliable source of water in case climate change causes more trouble for the southern regions of Australia, making agriculture harder or even impossible there. Fiercely proud of their land and their achievements, the Quartermaines, like so many people on the peninsula, are confused about the timeframe and implications of the scheme. There are rumours, half-truths and assumptions swirling around on the peninsula like disturbed hornets.

The Queensland government has just now started the lengthy process of consultation by sending coordinators into the remote region. According to Warwick Sinclair of the Queensland Government, these coordinators "play a key information role in conducting consultation meetings with land-holders, traditional owners, local councils, industry representatives and community groups."

On a station tour with Cameron, he explains his ideas of looking after the land. "The secret is, not to overstock," he says, "and to adhere to a strict fire regime." He admits that the vegetation is thickening in places due to a lack of hot fires. Hot fires, usually triggered by lightning strikes in the storm season in November, keep saplings down. To reduce the chance of devastating bush fires later in the year, Cameron and his crew are burning fire breaks early in the season, when there is still moisture in the grasses.

"We use burning as a tool," Cameron explains. "We try to burn right on storm time, following nature's example." To get the frequency of the burning right was trial and error, he admits. "Ideal is no more than every two to three years."

The result of this intricate fire regime is a land that is looking healthy and largely untouched. The Quartermaines purchased the 89,000 hectare virgin block of land in 1985. They came up here with a vision to breed quality cattle.

"When you think of Cape York you think mongrel cattle," he explains.

"When we brought Brahman up here we were told we were stupid. We'd like to quote Wayne Bennett who said that 'when you only do what you've always done, you'll only get what you always got'.

"This is why this country falls behind. There are times of change."

For the last 20 years the family has put every cent into their cattle.

"We believe one day the cattle will turn around and provide for us."

It seems that Watson River Station could turn into a role-model for the peninsula, a scenario where running cattle and conservation won't necessarily sit at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Also affected by the Wild Rivers Scheme are the Quartermaines' close neighbours and friends, the MacLean family.

Four years ago Cameron and Michelle took over Merluna Station. The property encompasses more than 168,000 hectares and Cameron and Michelle MacLean are currently running 3,000 cattle on the land. To boost their income they branched out.

"At the moment, cattle are just a hobby," says Cameron. "We also do contract work."

And they had also ventured into tourism, offering guests authentic station-stays in cabins. With the prices for cattle so low, it pays to stand on as many feet as possible up on the peninsula.

Confronted with the push for World Heritage and the Wild River Scheme, pastoralist Cameron MacLean believes there is a place for everyone on the peninsula. He is not against conservation but opposes the practice of government and environmental groups in buying whole stations for their cause.

"They should not come in and buy the whole lease because they want a part of it. It's all going to happen together, tourism, cattle, mining…"

As far as the cattle industry is concerned he also sees overstocking as a threat to the land.

"The best thing they can do is stipulate stocking rates," he says.

As the impact on cattle stations like Merluna or Watson River Station will most likely be limited, by far the most affected by the Wild River Scheme is the Archer River Roadhouse 66 kilometres north of Coen.

The roadhouse and the surrounding 380-hectare block of land is "the only freehold tourism operation that lays smack bang in the middle of a high preservation area", according to Brad Allan, co-owner of the roadhouse. The property is perched high on the southern side of the Archer River, less than a kilometre away from the water.

As a tourism business, the Archer River Roadhouse is a petrol station, a mechanic's garage, a restaurant and souvenir shop as well as a camping area. Brad Allan's concern is that the Wild River scheme will effect future development, necessary due to increased traffic and visitor numbers and so impact on future expansion.

"To have a tourism business you need infrastructure," he says.

"My worry is they let you expand but it might become cost prohibitive."

What irks Brad is that although as a freehold block they own the land outright, their options will now be restricted.

"Freehold land used to stand for something in this country, but the problem now is tenure security," he said.

"What I would like to see is this little block to be exempt."

He points out that there are existing exemptions, for example the gas pipeline or the Comalco Mining leases.

An overwhelming majority of vehicles passing the roadhouse, famed for its sumptuous burgers, carry tourists. A trip to the tip, Australia's most northerly point, is like a pilgrimage for many 4WD enthusiasts. For those who don't have the vehicles and equipment, several tour companies offer the still arduous trip to the nondescript rocky point, with its battered metal sign stating "You are standing at the northernmost point of the Australian continent" to 4WD buses.

Besides the mining and cattle industries, tourism is the third economic force on the sparsely-populated and remote peninsula. It is a force that is becoming increasingly important. Brad Alan estimates that about 40,000 vehicles a year now pass the Archer River Roadhouse in both directions - and the numbers are rising. In 1982 there were only about 300 cars per year.

Already visitors complain about "gridlock" situations along the track to the popular Fruit Bat Falls, for example.

Representatives of Queensland Tourism and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recently conducted a survey into the current infrastructure, the positioning and the future demands on national parks, as well as the issue of bush camping and possible commercial opportunities for investment into tourism developments, like the construction of bush camps.

The focus was especially on the Lakefield National Park, Iron Range National Park and the Telegraph Track with Twin Falls and Fruit Bat Falls. This survey is part of a bigger framework, a larger tourism strategy for the Cape. According to Simone M. Bennett from Tourism Queensland, nature-based tourism has been identified as a growth sector for Cape York Peninsula.

"Tourism is generally based on the Cape's natural assets, specifically its unspoiled wilderness, remoteness and open spaces. The foundation for nature-based tourism to play a role in the future of the region is the flow of tourists along the Peninsula Development road that provides access to the Cape and its unique National Parks," she said.

"To date, unregulated bush camping has led to the environmental degradation of the region which has consequently negatively impacted on the visitor experience. The Cape York Camping and National Park Tourism Plan works toward identifying appropriate camping areas for Cape York and associated visitor infrastructure needs, in line with the market demand to build a world-class experience. "The plan will identify commercial opportunities available for Traditional Owners, tourism operators and local communities to build, manage and maintain campgrounds and tourism infrastructure to capitalise on visitations to their region."

An existing bush camp and a role model for future camps could be Jowalbinna near the Quinkan Reserve south west of Laura. Tom Warnes and Wilderness Challenge took over managing the run-down camp from the Trezise family in 2006 and turned it into a textbook operation.

The biggest draw card of Jowalbinna is guided access to some of the best rock art in Cape York and arguably in Australia. After guided walks along the escarpment to various rock shelters with paintings of giant walleroos, quinkans and spiritual figures, guests spend the evening around a large campfire. Although officially retired from the company, Tom Warnes frequently joins guests at the campfire.

A pioneer in tourism on the peninsula Tom Warnes feels that he's been fortunate enough to have travelled across northern Australia many times since 1983 when he first visited Cape York.

"Nature-based tourism has really taken off in the intervening quarter century and Cape York ranks alongside Kakadu and The Kimberley as a very desirable soft-adventure destination for many Australians and international visitors," he says.

He applauds the increase in protecting the wilderness of the Cape York Peninsula and sees opportunities for the Peninsula. But he is also aware of future tourism pressures.

"There is no doubt that a World Heritage listing of parts of Cape York will increase tourism visitations, putting additional pressure on this fragile environment. We must protect the Cape's natural and cultural assets but we should also encourage and support tourism."

"Tourism will provide employment and add support to remote economies, but it will also increase knowledge of the environment and has the potential to positively influence conservation attitudes."

He sees, however, that the existing infrastructure would not cope with increased visitor numbers.

"For example, the provisions of basic toilet facilities in a few managed areas (National Parks) have struggled to keep pace over the years, but no real facilities exist at all at unmanaged camping locations along several well-known travel corridors, resulting in pollution of the otherwise pristine environment. World Heritage management plans must include facilities for the expected increase in visitations, otherwise we will degrade the very thing we are trying to conserve."

Another important player in the battle about the future of Cape York is outspoken indigenous activist David Claudie. He is a member of the Pascoe River settlement and a leader of the Kaanju tribe. The small community sits above the floodwater level of the Pascoe River and, at the moment, only a few dozen members of the Kaanju tribes live here. During the dry season, the sandbanks and deep pools between polished rocks are a favourite playground of the kids and adults alike. Weeping bottlebrush flower and their red pedals, together with bright yellow water gum leaves, blanket the ground along the water.

It is in this enchanting surrounding where David Claudie outlines his vision for his land.

"This place here is so special for my tribe. It is our livelihood, this is where we originated from. The whole place is special, I can't break it down to one thing."

He believes that the role of managing the land is theirs.

"World heritage on a global scale - fair enough. But when it comes down to the ground, it should be our world heritage view, where we should manage the land in terms of conservation or environmental aspects. Government should be given our management plan instead of trying to put us in their management plan."

His wish for a bigger role and bigger responsibilities of indigenous people in the future of the Cape York Peninsula moved a step forward when a large area of the Peninsula was declared an 'Indigenous protected area' and handed over to 22 Aboriginal families to manage in June 2008.

David Claudie sees a realistic possibility to build a local economy with the money that will flow into the area. His stand is supported by figures which show that if you compare Kakadu with neighboring Arnhem Land, there is a much larger amount of money per square kilometre flowing into the world heritage-listed national park. He points out that Arnhem Land, an environment with equal values but no protective status, receives 100 times less money per square kilometre.

He voices the hope that western science and what he calls "indigenous science" will one day come together.

"I guess there are two circles. When you put those two circles together, that makes three circles. We should all meet at that middle circle, where world heritage comes from this way, indigenous world heritage comes from that way. We should make a plan in the middle so that each one is not stepping on each other toes. Each one is working together, working in a unit."