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Date: September 2005
Location: Cooktown, Queensland Australia
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!
Spending an hour or two in one of them is a great way to meet the characters and orientate yourself when you first arrive.
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.
One of the best ways to see the town is with Cooktown Tours. Local expert
guide Mal Coventry escorts two tours in his comfortable air conditioned coach.
Both the Historical Town Tour and the Black Mountain/Lion's Den Tour are excellent.
The Historic Town Tour is a comprehensive 90 minutes, taking in the historic
buildings of the town, the lighthouse and magic view from Grassy Hill, the exotically
planted Botanical Gardens and the fascinating Pioneer Cemetery containing the
graves of the earliest settlers.
Mal's alternative tour takes you out of town to see the surrounding countryside.
Highlights are the Annan River, the mysterious Black Mountains -
a 1,000 foot high stack of massive granite boulders and the rustic Lion's Den
timber slab pub, where you can enjoy a cold beer and sign your name on the
pub walls just as thousands have done before you.
One piece of graffiti simply states "we came, we saw, we drank and drank and drank!". The Lion's Den is just that sort of place - and you can safely have a few quiet ales in the knowledge that Mal's the driver!
Other tour operators run Great Barrier Reef fishing, diving, snorkelling and seaplane tours from Cooktown Harbour.
A self-guided tour should include the Cooktown Museum, the Endeavour River
Gallery and the bushwalking trails of Mount Cook. A half-day trip to swim in Trevethan
falls is also recommended. Don't be surprised to see the brilliant blue Ulysses
Butterfly flashing in and out of the lush foliage surrounding the falls.
An experience not to be missed is a meal on The Burragi, an ex-Sydney Harbour
ferry-come-floating restaurant which is moored on the waterfront near the Cooktown
wharf. The menu features fresh local seafood and tropical fruits.
There are a number of motels and a backpacker lodge on offer. Top of the range
is the four star Sovereign Resort on Charlotte Street. The Resort was developed
out of the Sovereign Hotel (built in 1874), which in typical Cooktown style was
affectionately dubbed the Half Sovereign when part of it was cyclone damaged in
the 1940s. The resort's facilities include well-appointed air conditioned rooms
(some with views of the harbour), a swimming pool, an open air verandah restaurant
and stylish bar area.
Hillcrest guest house offers bed and breakfast style lodgings amid tropical gardens. Either stay in the main guest house or a private unit. Guests can enjoy the magnificent walk-in bird aviary, the pool and restaurant and an art gallery featuring the work of local artists.
Backpackers are well catered for at Pam's Place with a choice of dormitory
style rooms to air-conditioned double or twin room with bar fridges.
For more information:
Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Tel +61 7 4031 7676
- By Jane Hodges
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