The Project Description as Trekforce see it

Maliau Basin Conservation Area

This recently protected area is one of the most fascinating locations for tropical ecology and geology in the world, the basin is 25 km in diameter and almost round in shape, it has a high rim around most of it which has protected it from prying eyes and loggers over the centuries. The basin was formed by tectonic movement over the last several billion years, not by a meteorite like many would have you believe and is being intensively studied by experts from many fields of science.

The first discovery of the site was when a pilot nearly crashed into it in the forties and it was finally entered in the early eighties after several teams failed to get in before that.

The management committee are committed to providing the infrastructure and facilities to open up the area for research as well as parts of it for trekking.  Trekforce have already explored and mapped the only area where a trail can be built into the Basin from the new field studies centre.  This will be the main trail that both scientists and tourists will use to access the Basin.  However, at present it is not ready for use.  In many areas it is steep and dangerous requiring handrails and steps.  There are many bridges required and the trail still needs to be cut back and marked.  This will be the job of the next Trekforce team.  It is likely that Trekforce will also be responsible for writing an interpretation booklet that will accompany the trail with maps and sites of interest.

Despite the Basins outstanding pedigree as a site of incredible value from an ecology and geological perspective it is not yet considered safe from the loggers or miners who are all too aware that the timber and the newly discovered coal are extremely valuable.