Cooktown
COOKTOWN ACCOMMODATION | Cooktown Campsites | Cooktown Hotels
COOKTOWN ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL | Cooktown Information | Cooktown Photos | Cooktown Postcards | Cooktown Tourist Attractions | Cooktown Map | Cooktown Weather
 |
 |
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 plantlife 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 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. Heading further afield, you can visit the Black Mountain National Park, Coloured Sands and Lakefield National Park. |
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.
POPULAR QUEENSLAND TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
PLEASE NOTE: The Queensland travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for Queensland Holidays can be found on the main Queensland Holidays location guide. |
