Well, here we are in Cooktown. We arrived yesterday afternoon after leaving the cousins in Atherton and Yungaburra. We spent 5 nights in Atherton with cousin Merv and Sue and enjoyed wonderful hospitality and a great time catching up, as I hadn't seen them for a number of years. Merv and Sue were our local tour guides driving us around Atherton and its surrounds............... visiting 'The Curtain Fig' near Yungaburra, the visitors History Museum in Malanda, the Millaa Millaa museum, Mungalli Falls, Crawford's lookout, lunch in Innisfail, Josephine Falls, The Boulders near Babinda and return to Atherton via Gordonvale and along the very winding Gillies Highway.
The next day Monday 15th August, Merv took us to 'The Golden Drop' a boutique Mango Winery, where we sampled the wines and purchased a coupled of bottles of dry and medium mango wine. Then onto the Mareeba Wetlands and Skybury - the Australian Coffee Centre.
Tuesday 16th August we left Atherton and went to stay the night with cousin Stan and Bec who live on Lake Tinaroo and run a cruise boat: Link : http://www.laketinaroocruises.com.au/ We had a fabulous afternoon enjoying a BBQ, 'Barra' fishing and sunset cruise on Lake Tinaroo. It has been about three years since we caught up with Stan and Bec in Newcastle and it was great to catch up. Once again the hospitality was wonderful and as we didn't have any success at 'Barra" fishing we have promised to go back and try our luck again in early September when we return from our Cape York Wilderness Challenge.
Cooktown is a beautiful, unspoilt, small historic coastal town surrounded by stunning countryside and nestled between Mount Cook and the mouth of the Endeavour River. It was here in 1770 that Lt James Cook, in desperate need of safe haven, beached the "HM Bark Endeavour", and named the river after his ship. Today we spent about four hours strolling this quaint town and plan to stay camped here until Tuesday 23rd August on cousin Merv and Sue's oasis here in Cooktown. Thanks guys!
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Atherton and its surrounds.....................
The Curtain Fig
Mungalli Falls Rapids
Crawford's Lookout
Josephine Falls
The Boulders------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lake Tinaroo...........
Cruising on Lake Tinaroo
Beautiful birdlife around the lake
Barra Fishing
A Dingo Pup on the rocks on the edge of the lake
Sunset on Lake Tinaroo
"The Birds" at sunset on Lake Tinaroo -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cooktown..................
Lighthose at Grassy Hills Lookout Cooktown
Looking down on the Endeavour River from the Grassy Hills Lookout
View of Cooktown from the lookout
The Cooktown Botanical Gardens
Memorial to Captain James Cook who landed here in 1770
Statue of Captain James Cook with Chris and Marea
Along the Wharf Precinct Cooktown
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