Hafen
Cooktown

OVERVIEW

Visit two of Cooktown’s most iconic sites: one, a mysterious heap of enormous boulders; the other, a pub that’s been a fixture in the bush for since 1875. First up is a geological oddity steeped in aboriginal myth – and still giving most visitors the chills. Black Mountain is an enormous labyrinthine jumble of granite, some as large as a house, randomly stacked on each other as if defying gravity. Over millions of years, the soil that was once between them has eroded away, creating a warren of narrow gaps and passageways that lead deep inside the “mountain.” Needless to say, this has led to many accounts of people and even entire herds of cattle disappearing inside this maze without a trace. Even just gazing out on this place is haunting. Your next stop will be a haunt of a different sort – a legendary watering hole in the bush that’s been serving offbeat frontier characters their afternoon “coldies” for well over a century. Many have left a record of their visit scrawled on the Lion’s Den Pub’s walls, doors – even its roof. You’ll be served a cool drink of your own here, and a deep draft of atmosphere.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel south from Cooktown by coach to where two iconic landmarks await you in the bush.
• Visit Black Mountain’s pile of huge granite boulders riddled with maze-like passageways and imagine how people and cattle could get lost and vanish inside.
• Stop in at the Lion’s Den Pub for a complimentary cold one, and to soak up the seriously quirky character – and characters – in this hole-in-the-bush venue.
• Hear about the cyclone and floods which almost swept away the pub in December 2024 and how remote communities came together to rebuilt the iconic pub.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a jaunt around Cooktown and get an excellent introduction to this frontier town in Queensland’s far north. The town’s name and early fame are both tied to one pivotal event that took place here in 1770: British explorer and cartographer Captain James Cook’s ship Endeavour smacked into the Great Barrier Reef offshore. Limping into what became known as the Endeavour River to beach the vessel and repair the damage, he inadvertently established the first non-indigenous settlement in Australia. You’ll travel to the top of Grassy Hill to see a monument commemorating his landing and marvel at stunning 360-degree views out to the water. It’s a scene little changed from what Cook would have seen for himself 250 years ago as he scanned the reef-line for a safe route back out to open sea with his repaired ship. At the James Cook Museum, housed in a grand former convent built with 1880s gold rush wealth, see actual relics from the Endeavour, including her anchor and a cannon jettisoned during the grounding. Later, an amble through the Botanic Gardens introduces you to exotic Aussie flora like chocolate pudding trees, jackfruit, blue ginger and the Cooktown Orchid, state emblem of Queensland.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a guided overview of Australia’s first non-indigenous settlement, founded temporarily and by accident by Captain James Cook.
• Drive through town and up to the top of Grassy Hill, where Cook saw much the same views you will.
• Visit a museum brimming with artifacts from Cook’s ship, from journals to an anchor and cannon.
• Take a relaxed stroll through tropical botanic gardens established in 1878 and see colorful, curious plants long-used for food and medicine by local aboriginal peoples.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Settle back for a cruise along a serene, mangrove-lined river little changed from when pioneering explorer Captain James Cook named it in 1770. Departing the pier aboard a vessel optimized for sightseeing, you’ll venture into a landscape rich in indigenous wildlife and natural beauty – as it was when Cook beached his HMS Endeavour along this watercourse to make emergency repairs after an unplanned encounter with the Great Barrier Reef just offshore. The Endeavour River banks are still clad in mangroves backed by a seemingly impenetrable rainforest beyond. You can still expect to see large crocodiles sunning in the shallows, and sea eagles flying overhead or perched in the overhanging branches. The brilliant flashes of color you may see flitting about the forest are lorikeets, sunbirds and orioles, and long-legged Jabiru or black-necked storks are commonly spotted wading at the river’s edge. Even though Captain Cook and his crew only spent 48 days here before sailing on, Cooktown earned the distinction of being the first non-indigenous settlement in Australia. As you cruise the river and harbor, you’ll learn more about the area, including its history of pearling and the rapid wealth that came after gold was discovered nearby in 1872.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise Cooktown harbor and the Endeavour River aboard a vessel designed for comfortable touring.
• Learn about Captain Cook’s time spent along these same waters in 1770 and the unique designation this remote town holds in the history of Australia.
• Glide up the river, its mangrove banks alive with wildlife including crocs, sea eagles, storks and colorful lorikeets and sunbirds.
• Hear stories of how gold strikes in the 1870s completely changed life here, and how pearling in these waters evolved from small aboriginal pursuit to big business.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.