Cooktown

Elim Beach is a lovely bush campground.  Right on the beach - you can camp on the sand if you like.  We like something a bit more substantial under our wheels so camped about 50m from the sand.  There are fresh water springs all over the place and some bubble up through the edge of the salt water.  Round bottomless tanks mark the springs on the beach.








We decided to do a day trip to Cooktown, about 80km south-east of Elim, about an hour's drive.  Cooktown is just how you would imaging a coastal town in country Queensland to look. It's a popular tourist destination, well serviced by road.  Cooktown, named after Captain Cook, is on the Endeavour River, which is the only Australian river named by Lieutenant James Cook.  

When his ship, The Endeavour, ran onto and was holed by the Great Barrier Reef in 1770, he put into the river estuary for several weeks to effect repairs.  Initially, he thought it was a harbour.  The Cook Lookout has great 360 degree views of the coast and hinterland.

 We called into the Information Centre which is located at the Botanic Gardens.

There was a great exhibition on Snakes, with many specimens and plenty of information about snakes in North Queensland and the Cape.  There was also an excellent exhibition of botanical paintings by a local artist.

There are some great examples of colonial architecture.  Some, like this white mansion are available for purchase.  This one, nestled in the palm trees, is a restaurant.











Like much of Queensland, a significant contribution to Cooktown's development is owed to mining.












The Queen's Steps were built when Queen Elizabeth visited the town in 1970, so she could step ashore from the Royal Yacht Britannica.  These days they provide a handy place for fishing.