Cooktown
 
Cooktown was settled by Captain Cook in 1770 when the Endeavour boat was
beached here, and is where Joseph Banks gathered 186 different species of
Australian plant life along the Endeavour River. Cooktown grew to the second
largest town in Queensland after the Palmer River Gold Rush, although WWII and
various cyclones almost destroyed Cooktown.
Webber Esplanade is to the north of the town and starts at the tip of Grassy
Peak, where you will find the Powder Magazine which is the oldest brick building
in Far North Queensland. There is a great view from the headland as well as from
the top of the hill and it makes a pleasant walk back towards town, along the
Endeavour River. Once in town, the road turns into Charlotte Street and is where
you will find a bank, some cafes and restaurants, many shops, a post office and
several pubs. There are also some memorials and monuments along Charlotte
Street, for Captain Cook and other explorers.
You can find out about the area at the Cooktown Museum and the wonderful James
Cook Historical Museum. There is also a good display in the window of Jackey
Jackey. Another great place to visit is the Mt Cook National Park, and well
worth the climb nearby Mt Cook. The walk to the top takes and back down again
takes about 3 hours, although the views are fantastic.
Cooktown is also a great place from where to explore the surrounding National
Parks, with a variety of different tours offered. Around the town you can cruise
along the river with Cooktown Cruises. Heading further a field, you can visit
the Black Mountain National Park, Coloured Sands and Lakefield National Park
with Cooktown Tours.
There are several places to stay around the town, with a few campsites, and
several guest houses, motels and hostels. There are also some good places to eat
out. If you didn't fancy the drive from Cairns to Cooktown, then you can either
hop on a Transtate Airlines flight, or catch one of the Coral Coaches from
Cairns via either the Cooktown Developmental Road or the Bloomfield Track.
Click here to go back to Australia page
If anyone wants to send me any pictures so I can place them
on the site then email me at
tim@timsaxon.co.uk
This site is © Copyright Tim Saxon 2004-2005, All Rights Reserved
site optimised by site-pro.co.uk
Steve's free web templates
|
