If you are so far north you might as well
make it to the end of the bitumen. That means Cooktown. The drive there puts the bus through its paces
again, particularly getting into the tablelands. It is a completely different
landscape once we are up there. Lots of agricultural activities, like fruit
growers, like strawberry growers… like, let’s get a really large box of strawberries
and make jam while traveling up to Cooktown.
There is a spot in Cooktown where you can park
your motorhome provided you are fully self contained that is right in the city
centre. The signage is confusing us though. It is not clear where we can and
cannot park and finally we decide on a spot. Only moments later however the
ranger comes to let us know we have parked on a heritage listed curb. We are so
ignorant. No idea that there is even such a thing. Imagine the weight of our
set up, on top of the curb, better move again.
Cooktown doesn’t disappoint. The view from
the top of the Lookout Hill is phenomenal, with the ocean and the river system.
The history of captain Cook getting to shore here and trying to get out again,
interacting with the local aboriginals and how it all went down, it is all
around us in this place. Little signs tell us what we are looking at.
The Cook museum is also well worth a visit.
Other than that we spend a little time on a very nice unpretentious little
beach, which has some rocks for the kids to climb. All the more charming.
We cannot find a restaurant, but there is a
take-away at the harbour where they are feeding five massive gropers.
Other things I will remember from our visit
to Cooktown is the incredible amount of mud-flea bites I have on both my feet,
at least 30 on each side. Jolmer is setting his crab pots again, this time in
muddy mangrove and the little tiny biting things seem hungry for my blood. I
hate them.
Unfortunately no crab makes it to the
cut-off size either, so no crab for us.
The crabpots in town, cleverly hidden away
are again checked by other people, so perhaps we would have had better luck
there, but we will never know.
A nice playground is set up right on the
shore, in the way of a musical pirate boat. Very original.
We are glad we got to satisfy our
curiosity, briefly and most enjoyable. Cooktown. Great place.
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