WALKING COOKTOWN

 Yes, the best way to view, read and feel the historical town names after Captain James Cook when he and his ship the HMB Endeavour ran afoul on the Great Barrier Reef seriously damaging the hull just off Cape Tribulation.

We parked and walked to read the signage telling the history of each historical post/person/event.

The Cannon was brought to Cooktown in 1885 and is still fired at the Cooktown Discovery Festival in June each year.
One of the six deck guns and their carriages, iron and stone ballast, hoops and staves, casks and decayed stores that were thrown overboard to float the Endeavour off the coral reef.  Over 50 tonnes weight.

The Stone Cairn - where James Cook beached HM Bark Endeavour for repairs.

Chinese Monument

Mick the Miner - in memory of the Palmer River Gold rush.

The Queen's Steps - made for HM Queen Elizabeth II for her visit in 1970

We then ventured up to James Cook Museum - home of the "Endeavour Anchor and Cannon".  Originally a convent school, built in 1889.

The James Cook Museum is a fascinating attraction where every visitor can enjoy a stroll through history in the beautifully restores Sisters of Mercy convent school building, originally built in 1889.  Administered by the National Trust of Queensland, the James Cook Museum is considered one of the most significant Trust museums open to the public.

 

Highlights include displays of the original HM Bark Endeavour anchor and cannon, Cook's diary extracts, stories from local Aboriginal elders, the Palmer River Gold Rush, every day life in early Cook's Town and the Chinese who flocked to this area.  This is certainly one of the most stunning museum's we have visited and an asset to Cooktown and should not be missed.

Unfortunately we had to leave before we had taken all of the exhibits in as it closes at 1pm.


SATURDAY 7th  October - we took a look through the Markets held at the Lion's Park before heading over to the Information Centre and Cooktown Botanic Gardens.
Wow, we entered the information centre to be greeted by a very helpfull staff member who directed us to take a look through the Vera Scarth-Johnson gallery.

Vera was interested in art and botany and wad inspired by botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander who accompanied Lt. James Cook on his 1770 voyage.  She decided to paint 200 of the area's known plants.  She gave 154 of her botanical illustrations upon trust for the benefit of Cooktown before she lost her battle to Parkinson's Disease.

Vera's work desk showing two of her works of the Cooktown Orchid upon the wall.

Yes, I had to find the "Cooktown Orchid" - is the Queensland State Floral Emblem.  The colour varies from pinkish-mauve to cerise or purple and then is a rare white.

From the orchid house we entered the historic Solander garden - part of Australia's oldest Botanic Gardens, established in 1878, the Gallop Botanic Reserve (encompasses 154 acres) on the edge of Cooktown and contains the Cooktown Botanic Gardens and walking trails to Finch Bay and Cherry Tree Bay.

The Solander Garden has living specimens of the 325 plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander.  They were here for longer than elsewhwere in Australia.  This makes the area the basis of the European knowledge of Australian flora of the time and therefore a very important part of our Australian heritage.

We strolled the pathways featuring exotic fruit trees as well as native and exotic palms, orchids and a huge variety of tropical species.  Read about the plants and the history while we listened to the calls of the fruit doves and other speies of birds amongst the huge trees.

Found this little orchid in the cut flower area amongst other wonderous flowering plants.

After getting bitten alive by mosquitoes for a couple of hours wandering the paths looking at the butterflies, trees, ferns and flowers we left and drove on out to Finch Beach before heading back to park ourselves in front of the television for Bathurst Supercars for the weekend.  Yes, Wayne was out of  bed before 7am so not to miss anything today - Sunday.!!!!

NO Darling, you cannot swim in that sea!!  It looks so inviting.