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Cooktown

endeavour river at cooktown
Fishing the Endeavour River from the jetty at Cooktown is a popular pastime for locals and tourists.

Latest news: The inland road to Cooktown is now sealed all the way!

Cooktown is one of Australia's most historically significant towns, in 1770 on the banks of the Endeavour River pictured above James Cook and his crew managed to fix his ship after their disastrous crash on the Great Barrier Reef. They spent seven weeks here, discovered many species of flora and fauna, most notably the kangaroo, and then managed to continue their journey further north where they planted the Union Jack and claimed Australia, otherwise this country might have still been New Holland today, which was its name before Cook claimed it.

james cook,  discoverer of the endeavour river
James Cook, the man Cooktown is named after

A hundred years later gold was discovered in the Palmer River and this put Cooktown on the map as a port and trading centre was needed to service the goldfields. It may be hard to imagine today when you walk through the sleepy village but once upon a time this town was the second biggest in Queensland with 4000 inhabitants and 30,000 people passed through the town during the goldrush, it had direct shipping lines with China, thousands of Chinese lived here and a hundred bars and brothels kept the miners entertained. A walk through the cemetery will give you a feeling of how tough life must have been in those days. After the goldrush the town was reduced to about 400 people, it was further hit by two devastating cyclones and was evacuated during World War Two but has since then grown to the current 1600. Locals are very happy with the completion of the sealed inland road, now that you no longer need a four wheel drive this will no doubt bring changes and more people to the town.

Click to enlarge, historic old building in cooktown
Cooktown still has some fine old buildings dating back
from the prosperous goldrush days

Click to enlarge, cooktown hotel
The Cooktown Hotel is another historic building
and a good place for a cold beer

Cooktown is located on the inland side of a headland which shelters it from the ocean winds that can blow quite strong along this coast and looks out over the Endeavour river. The shelter of this headland has also helped some rainforest to survive, there are a few patches of rainforest within walking distance from the town centre which form a nice oasis in the otherwise dry and dusty surroundings of the town. The town is packed with history, a visit to the James Cook Museum will give you a good insight on the colorful history of this town, they also have some items recovered from the ocean floor that Cook had thrown overboard to stop his ship from sinking. In the main street you can see some of the old buildings left over from the goldrush days and one time I observed from the balcony of the Cooktown Hotel how the kangaroos hopped through the main street in search of green grass when the traffic stopped after midnight.

Click to enlarge, Endeavour River at Cooktown
View of Cooktown from the Endeavour River

Click to enlarge, View of Cooktown from Grassy Hill
View of Cooktown from the Grassy Hill lookout

Another bit of history is the lookout on the top of Grassy Hill where the lighthouse stands. James Cook spent quite a bit of time on this hill in 1770 to observe the mouth of the river with its treacherous sandbanks to plan a passage out to sea, the last thing he needed was to get stuck again! Nowadays this lookout is a good spot to watch the sunset over the Endeavour river, a rare treat on the Queensland coast where in a lot of places the sun just disappears behind the Great Dividing Range.

Click to enlarge, lighthouse at Grassy Hill lookout, Cooktown
The lighthouse on Grassy Hill,
a good place to watch the sunset

Click to enlarge, sunset over Endeavour River at Cooktown
Sunset over the Endeavour River
seen from Grassy Hill lookout

What to do:

Cooktown is famous for its fishing, you can try your luck from the wharf but for some real fishing get on a boat and head up the river or out on the ocean.
To the right you see some happy fishermen on Mark Privett's fishing charterboat "Gone Fishing" showing off their catch.
Mark knows all the best spots and has many years of fishing experience in the local area. Contact him on 07-40695980 or visit his website fishingcooktown.com for more info on all styles of fishing, charters, scenic cruises, croc spotting etc.

 

Click to enlarge, some happy fishermen

 

There is no better way to see the area and learn about it than to go on a guided four wheel drive safari.
Bart of Bart's Bush Adventures has lived in the outback all his life and knows the Cooktown area, its history, and its flora and fauna, and its Aboriginal culture.
Tours vary from half day sight seeing to longer safaris all the way to the top of Cape York. Contact him on 07-40696229 or contact via email

Bart's Bush Adventures four wheel drive safaris

Cooktown also has a couple of nice beaches at Quarantine Bay and Finch Bay where you can go for a swim (outside stinger season). On the way to Finch Bay there is a very good botanical gardens and the impressive art gallery Nature's Powerhouse.

cooktown tourist information

For information and bookings during your stay go and see "The Best Little Toure House In Cooktown" in the main street at the northern end of town. Phone 07-40695381 or contact via email

Cooktown is also the departure point for flights to Lizard Island, a beautiful Great Barrier Reef island about 100kms. north, here you can either camp in the National Parks campground for a couple of dollars or go for the other end of the scale and stay at the Lizard Island Resort;

Lizard Island Resort

lizard island resort accommodation

Lizard Island Resort is located right on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a private paradise with 24 powdery white sandy beaches and a lagoon. It lies 240 kilometres north of Cairns and 27 kilometres off the coast of north Queensland. Lizard Island offers a total of 40 rooms, which are all well furnished with modern conveniences. The resort's relaxed bar and lounge are the ideal place to sit and enjoy a drink. Dining is one of Lizard's many pleasures. You can share the panoramic coastal views while dining seated on the broad sweeping verandah, or enjoy an intimate dinner, beachside, in a private marquee. PLEASE NOTE: Children under 10 years are not catered for.
More info and reservations....

 

Where to eat:

For breakfast from 7 am onwards you can't beat the food and the view of Cook's Landing Kiosk.

eating in cooktown
Bart getting some breakfast before heading out
for a day's touring with Bart's Bush Adventures

view over endeavour river
Breakfast with a view

For dinner try the RSL club or the Bowls Club next door to them.

Accommodation in Cooktown

Now that the road is sealed there will be more people heading up to Cooktown, you are advised to book your accommodation well in advance for the July/August peak season.

Pam's Place

on

Cooktown, the most northerly town in the east coast of Australia.
Pam's place is a modern hostel catering for people of all ages with twins,doubles and single rooms,all with air conditioning,ceiling fans and refrigerators. Three and six bed dorms also available.We have a large kitchen,TV and pool room,laundry and licenced bar
The Hostel is set in tropical gardens with salt water pool and an out door fire place .

Hotel and resort accommodation in Cooktown

Sovereign Resort

Cooktown accommodation

Sovereign Resort Hotel Cooktown is located in the centre of Cooktown and set amidst landscaped gardens, about 30 minutes flying time from Cairns International Airport, with fantastic flights up the coast over rainforest and reef. All guestrooms at the resort are tastefully decorated with several modern amenities. Guests can dine at the in-house restaurant that serves a wide variety of cuisine and later enjoy drinks at the on-site bar. You can relax with a dip in the outdoor swimming pool amidst palm trees and a natural setting that surrounds the resort.
More info and reservations....

 

Mungumby Lodge

Cooktown accommodation

Mungumby Lodge is a private wilderness retreat located on a freehold estate, near the settlement of Helenvale, thirty-five kilometres south of Cooktown. Within walking distance are opportunities to swim in jungle waterfalls, observe wildlife, relive history or simply enjoy the Lions Den, which is an amazing historic Australian pub. Surrounded by nature, Mungumby boasts 10 spacious wooden bungalows with private en-suites and a large spacious main building with wide-open living areas. For meals, reading or just plain relaxing by the pool, guests can use the spacious main house building, which is surrounded by large tropical gardens and a pool.
More info and reservations....

 

 

How to get there:

Option A: Go on a guided tour from Cairns; pass through Cape Tribulation, head up the famous Bloomfield track and include the Palmer River goldfields, Cooktown, the Lions Den pub and Aboriginal rock art at Laura. More info....

 

Adventure North Australia

Adventure North operate 1 to 3 Day 4WD Safari tours to Cooktown.

Travel the rugged terrain of the scenic coastal road to Cooktown renowned as one of the most spectacular locations in Australia.

Cross the Daintree River by cable ferry, travel through the World Heritage Listed Daintree National Park. The 4WD ONLY BLOOMFIELD TRACK allows you to venture through the heart of the Daintree Rainforest. Traverse mountain ranges and river crossings.

Lunch at a typical Aussie Bush Pub the famous Lions Den Hotel. View mysterious Black Mountain, free time to explore Cooktown. Return travel is via the Mt Mulligan Highway, the outback of Far North Queensland. Overnight in Cape Tribulation and Cooktown options available.

Creek crossing on the Bloomfield track
Creek crossing on Bloomfield track

Contact via email

Visit website for more info....

Phone 07 - 40537001

 

australia car rental

 

Option B: Take the coast road; follow the highway north through Mossman, cross the Daintree river and continue a beautiful scenic drive through rainforest to Cape Tribulation. Spend a night at Cape Tribulation in some rainforest accommodation, (or a few nights, there is heaps to do and see around here) and then continue up the infamous Bloomfield Track, you will need a four wheel drive for this. There are lots of beautiful beaches, creeks and rainforest along this road, and also the Bloomfield Falls and the Lions Den Hotel which is a must do stop for a drink. To allow yourself more time to explore this magnificent stretch of coastline you can also stay overnight in Bloomfield at Bloomfield Cabins & Camping.


Crossing the Bloomfield River on the way to Cooktown
Photo by Thelma Chalmers
Bloomfield Cabins & Camping

Option C: Take the inland road;
YES! THEY'VE DONE IT! THE INLAND ROAD TO COOKTOWN IS NOW SEALED ALL THE WAY!

Follow the coast road north from Cairns, turn left just before Mossman and head up into the hills. You'll come to a T intersection where you can turn right to go to Cooktown or make a short detour to your left for a lunch at Lobo Loco cafe in Mount Molloy which is famous for its ginormous burgers. A bit further up the road is the Mount Carbine Hotel which is a good place for a beer. Closer to Cooktown are some more places worth stopping; the Annan River and Black Mountain.

hamburger in mount  molloy
Ginormous burgers in Mount Molloy

Click to enlarge, black mountain
Black Mountain, a mysterious place on the way to Cooktown

Click to enlarge, Annan River on way to Cooktown
Gorge in the Annan River, bridge on the way to Cooktown in the background

Click to enlarge, Mount CArbine hotel on way to Cooktown
Mount Carbine Hotel on the inland road

 

By public transport bus: Sunpalm Coaches do regular runs up and down both the inland road and the coast road, phone 07-40842626, or contact via email

Country Road Coaches

coach transport to cape tribulation

This bus does a run all the way from Cairns to Cooktown, so is a good option if you plan to head further north after your Cape Tribulation stay. They depart Cairns at 06.45 in the morning, arriving in Cape Trib about 10.45 but not every day, contact them for up to date info. More info....

Phone 07-4045 2794

 

By plane: Skytrans now flies to Cooktown four times a day, between Cairns, Townsville and the Torres Strait. With a fleet of 20 aircraft, the company operates scheduled services from Cairns to Aurukun, Coen, Cooktown, Karumba, Lockhart River, Townsville and Yorke Island with a connection to Horn Island, more info on www.skytrans.com.au

 

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