Stop #11 - Cooktown by Jai

On the first full day in Cooktown we went on a history tour. We saw statues, museums and played on the musical Endeavor. After sightseeing, we went to a little shop that had delicious pies and tarts that had cream and fruit which was really sssssswwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttt... Oops day dreaming, now let's get on with the history of COOKTOWN!!! 

So, it starts off in the year 1770. On June 11, the Endeavor, which was being sailed by Captain James Cook, got stuck on the coral reef near Cape Tribulation (he named it this because of the troubles he had there). Captain Cook needed to find a place to repair his ship. After looking for a while, on June the 18th 1770, Captain Cook managed to find a place to beach the Endeavor, and that place was....drum roll please..... COOKTOWN!!! On our history tour, we saw the anchor of the Endeavor, read about the Endeavor at the museum and played on the musical version of it.

Once Captain Cook left Cooktown in 1770, not much changed in Cooktown. Then 100 years later William Hann discovered gold in the Palmer river. On the 23rd October 1873, the  ship Leichardt  arrived in Cooktown with government officials, miners, horses and supplies, signalling the beginning of the Palmer river GOLDRUSH!!! People from all around the world came to Cooktown and the  Palmer river to try to get rich from mining gold.

Then Cooktown became the major port for the gold rush. It had 20 restaurants and 32 stores , 6 butchers, 5 bakers, 3 tinsmiths and chemists, watchmakers, bootmakers, saddlers, two newspapers, a school, a courthouse and several churches. It wasn't until 1937 that a road suitable for transport was built to connect Cooktown to Cairns.

Now, compared to what it was, Cooktown is a small town. There are (only a few) shops, markets, caravan parks and hotels, oh and did I mention the delicious pie place? Cooktown is also known for it's big trade winds which occur in the dry season. We went to Archer Point and it was so windy we could literally lean on the winds.

Overall, Cooktown was very interesting, very windy and has delicious food (mostly because of the tarts).

Jai's top five things to do in Cooktown :

(1)         Go to the delicious pie and tart shop (at the wharf). Unfortunately it does not have a name

(2)         Go to Archer point when the trade winds are there, and lean on the winds

(3)         Play on the musical Endeavor

(4)         Visit James Cook Museum

(5)         Go on a fishing charter (because dad brought us home lots of seafood)!!!