14 June 2017 - Cooktown and surrounds

Overcast today, windy in places and overcast skies, barely saw the sun all day.  We were touring around Cooktown today but most of the 225 kms covered, was in getting to and from Wajul Wajul and the Bloomfield River.

First things first.  Cooktown has plenty of sights in its own rights and needless to say, there are references to Captain Cook's visit in June 1770.  In fact, one of the picture captions below points out it was 247 years to the day.

We visited the town firstly, looked at the Endeavour River and then headed for Grassy Hill Lookout, on the hill behind Cooktown.  It is a goldmine of information and of visual delights.

140617 Cooktown's main Street

140617 The Endeavour River looking upstream

140617 The Endeavour River looking downstream and out to sea

140617 Cooktown from Grassy Hill Lookout

140617 Endeavour River from Grassy Hill Lookout

140617 Looking south from Grassy Hill Lookout

140617  The Lighthouse at Grassy Hill Lookout

140617 The story of the Lighthouse at Grassy Hill Lookout

140617 Cook's Lookout on Grassy Hill and his report

140617 Joseph Banks Journal - 247 years ago to the day

140617 Video taken from Grassy Hill Lookout, 

overlooking Cooktown

Next we visited Finch Bay, a short distance south of Cooktown, but did not venture too far along the waters edge for fear of crocodiles.  We certainly take notice of the warning signs.

140617 Finch Bay south of Cooktown

140617 The beach at Finch Bay 

- no swimming - crocodiles

The town of Wojul Wojul on the Bloomfield River is close to the Bloomfield Falls so off we toddled, 25 km south and then 50 km eastward to reach our destination.  The road was very interesting to drive.  It was a good bitumen road in the main and travelled through beautiful rainforests and by water filled creeks.  However it  suffered from innumerable curves, dips, crests and quite a few other cars, all heading to or from the Bloomfield Track and Cape Tribulation.  We hope to get there ourselves but from Mossman.

Wojul Wojul is an aboriginal settlement and looks to be well maintained. 

140617 Wajul Wajul Aboriginal Settlement

The Bloomfield Falls are a few kilometres from the town.  It was a short walk from the road's end to the Falls.  The Falls were great and fully justified our efforts to get to them.

140617 The Bloomfield Falls

140617 The setting for the Bloomfield Falls

140617 Video of Bloomfield Falls

On the way we passed the famous Lion's Head Hotel.  Unfortunately we were short of time and could not stop for an inspection.

140617 The famous Lion's Den Hotel at Helenvale

140617 Jim's Mental Asylum (a property named elsewhere as "Jim's Place")
and opposite the Lion's Den Hotel

Late in the afternoon we headed about 30km north of Cooktown to Endeavour Falls.  These Falls were smaller than Bloomfield Falls but nonetheless were worth the visit.

140617 The Endeavour Falls north of Cooktown

140617 Another view of Endeavour Falls

                                   

140617 Video of the Endeavour Falls

It was late when we arrived home but, given we did not have any sun during the day, we did not miss it when night fell.  On the plus side, it is quiet outside - no wind!

We will see what tomorrow brings as we turn south for the first time and head for Mossman.