The locals will tell you Cooktown was Australia's first tourist resort.
And they're right if Lieutenant James Cook and his crew count as the first tourists.
In 1770 Cook stayed seven weeks in Cooktown on Queensland's lower Cape
York Peninsula, repairing the damaged ship the Endeavour. It was the
longest period Europeans had ever spent on Australian soil.
These days Cooktown enjoys a steady flow of visitors, although it is not what you would term over-run. The historical and natural attractions of the town and surrounds are well preserved, offering travellers an authentic experience untainted by commercialism.
In 1874, at the height of the Palmer River gold rush, the town buzzed with people and wealth. There were 94 hotels and every service provider imaginable. Today things are much more laid back. About 2,000 people live in the district and the locals will tell newcomers to town that there are only five pubs: three on the way up Charlotte Street and two on the way back!
Cooktown is a quirky place - there's a message tree outside the post office to which all manner of news is fixed. The trunk is plastered in everything from "houses for rent" to community information and town gossip.
It's the quintessential tropical north small town; mango and frangipani trees line the ultra-wide streets where Queenslander houses and colonial architecture stand in varying states of decay, all amid a strong historical air.
If there's a place you've stayed or something you've done, but we haven't listed, review it for us!
COOKTOWN
Hostels