Attraction Attractions Cooktown - Holiday Gold Coast

ATTRACTION COOKTOWN

Cooktown Aboriginal Art Tours Logo and Images

Cooktown Aboriginal Art Tours

9 Boundary St, Cooktown QLD 4895

These magical award-winning Aboriginal tours with Nugal-warra Elder, Wilfred (Willie) Gordon, are now listed as One of Australia’s Ultimate Must-Do Experiences.

Willie, the traditional story-keeper of the Nugal-warra clan, takes guests to his ancestral rock art sites at Wangaar-Wuri, high in the hills above Hope Vale, outside Cooktown. Here he shares the stories behind the art, and explains how the cave paintings speak of the essence of life and the lores of his people.

With his great smile and infectious laugh, Willie gives an amazing insight into Aboriginal culture and society, and shows how we all have a spiritual place, wherever we come from.

Cooktown War Memorial Logo and Images

Cooktown War Memorial

Charlotte Street, Cooktown QLD 4895

Recruitment for WWI in the Cooktown region drew men from the tin mining industries around Rossville and Shiptons Flat to the south. After the war, the population of the town was small and early ANZAC commemorations were low key. In 1934 the citizens of Cooktown revived ANZAC Day marking the 16th anniversary of the stand at Villiers Brettoneux. A temporary cenotaph was established at the Cook Memorial. This became the location for future Anzac ceremonies for many years. The Cook Memorial, a tall sandstone column, is located to the north of ANZAC Park, was unveiled in 1888 when Australia was celebrating its centenary. The Cooktown RSL later built a memorial to both WWI and WWII soldiers in a park in the main street, renamed ANZAC Memorial Park. The memorials comprise two granite boulders with metal plaques, the largest of which commemorates all who served in WWI. The smaller listing for WWII service reflects the dwindling of the town in the mid-twentieth century. The second boulder is a general war memorial.

Cape Melville National Park Logo and Images

Cape Melville National Park

Cape Melville National Park, Wakooka Road, via Cooktown, Cooktown QLD 4895

This beautiful yet rugged park features the rocky headlands of Cape Melville, massive tumbled granite boulders of the Melville Range, sandy beaches of Bathurst Bay, sandstone escarpments of Altanmoui Range and inland dunes. Rainforest, mangroves, heathlands, woodlands and grasslands are found here. The isolation of this park means that many plants and animals are found only here and nowhere else in the world; the best-known of these endemic species is the foxtail palm. Bush camp on the eastern side of Bathurst Bay near Cape Melville in one of several camping areas along the beach, or at Ninian Bay camping area on the park's eastern coast. Walk along the sandy beaches of Bathurst Bay or take the short track up to the Mahina monument that commemorates lives lost in the pearling fleet disaster of 1899. Fish and boat in the adjacent marine parks. Take your mountain bike or trail-bike along the park's internal roads and tracks. This park is extremely remote and visitors must be well prepared and entirely self-sufficient. Be aware of estuarine crocodiles (be croc wise) and dangerous stinging jellyfish. Camp only in the designated areas.

Mount Cook National Park Logo and Images

Mount Cook National Park

Ida Street, Cooktown QLD 4895

This park features the rugged Mount Cook, which provides a scenic backdrop to the town of Cooktown. Rainforest and tropical woodlands with a heath understorey cover the upper slopes and sheltered gullies. Mount Cook was named after Lieutenant James Cook, navigator and explorer, who had repaired the Endeavour in 1770 where Cooktown now stands, after damaging it on the reefs off Cape Tribulation. Take the steep two kilometre walk to the lookout for scenic views over the Great Barrier Reef and coastline. Climb one kilometre further to Mount Cook's summit. See large granite boulders covered with ferns. Look for tree snakes and lace monitors. Take binoculars for birdwatching.

Flinders Group National Park Logo and Images

Flinders Group National Park

Flinders Islands National Park, 180 kilometres north west of Cooktown, Cooktown QLD 4895

Seven remote and ruggedly attractive islands, with a rich cultural landscape, form Flinders Group National Park. The islands contain important Aboriginal story and burial sites, along with nationally significant rock art showing early contact with Europeans. The islands lie adjacent to Cape Melville and are within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Visit the islands on a commercial cruise vessel or in your private boat. Walk the 2.8 kilometre interpretive trail to learn about the Yiithuwarra 'saltwater people'. Contemplate their rock art in the Ship and Yindayin rock shelters on Stanley Island (Yindayin). Bush camp on Flinders Island (Wurriima). Watch seabirds and look for turtles and dugong. Enjoy the remoteness of this unique park.

Cooktown Scenic Rim Trail Logo and Images

Cooktown Scenic Rim Trail

Mount Cook National Park, Cooktown QLD 4895

Cooktown's Scenic Rim Trail displays all aspects of the town's historical and cultural delights. Experience a range of diverse natural habitats, each with their own special features and species. Walk through mangrove lined banks of the Endeavour River, an estuarine environment which forms a complex breeding ground for various wildlife. Pass through open forest on the lower reaches of Mount Cook, until the trail reaches the rainforest. Up through the dim rainforest light, weave past vine thicket and around walls of buttress roots. The trail crosses Alligator Creek, (only cross at low tide) and continues along the beach towards the northern end of Finch Bay. On the decent to the small secluded beach at Cherry Tree Bay enjoy magnificent coastal views. Sometimes fish, turtles and even dugongs can be seen in the bay. The Scenic Rim Trail is broken into nine different sections, catering for a range of fitness levels.

Hope Islands National Park Logo and Images

Hope Islands National Park

37 kilometres south-east of Cooktown, Cooktown QLD 4895
This island national park includes East and West Hope islands as well as Struck Island and Snapper Island. East and West Hope islands are low-lying cays. West Hope Island is a shingle cay formed from piles of loose shingle (coral debris) on which only the most hardy plants such as mangroves survive. East Hope is a typical sand cay, forested with tall coastal trees such as beach almonds. These islands are among the most important bird-nesting sites in the northern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Thousands of pied imperial-pigeons visit the islands to breed each summer. A delight for birdwatchers and fishers, these tropical islands provide a haven for nature lovers. Relax and enjoy the natural beauty. Bush camp at one of four camp sites on East Hope Island. Watch the birdlife along the shore. Listen to the calls of the pied-imperial pigeons in the trees during summer months. Go snorkelling or diving to discover amazing reef life. Make use of public moorings and throw in a fishing line.
Cooktown Scenic Rim Trail Logo and Images

Cooktown Scenic Rim Trail

Mount Cook National Park, Cooktown QLD 4895
Cooktown’s Scenic Rim Trail displays all aspects of the town’s historical and cultural delights. Experience a range of diverse natural habitats, each with their own special features and species. Walk through mangrove lined banks of the Endeavour River, an estuarine environment which forms a complex breeding ground for various wildlife. Pass through open forest on the lower reaches of Mount Cook, until the trail reaches the rainforest. Up through the dim rainforest light, weave past vine thicket and around walls of buttress roots. The trail crosses Alligator Creek, (only cross at low tide) and continues along the beach towards the northern end of Finch Bay. On the decent to the small secluded beach at Cherry Tree Bay enjoy magnificent coastal views. Sometimes fish, turtles and even dugongs can be seen in the bay. The Scenic Rim Trail is broken into nine different sections, catering for a range of fitness levels.