All those historic sites in Cooktown

posted in: Queensland

Cooktown is as far north as we made it on Cape York.  This is about as far as the bitumen goes.  I was expecting to see a town that catered to 4WD adventures and such, but instead it felt very much like many other small Aussie towns.  Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Lots of historic sites in Cooktown.  This is a fountain in memoriam of Mary Watson, the very definition of irony since she died from lack of water after an Aboriginal attack. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? This one is in memoriam of Captain Cook. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes?Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? This one is to a British explorer, Edmund Besley Court Kennedy.  According to the plaque he was speared, only a few of his party survived. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? This was a day where we attempted to go to a waterhole for a swim but couldn’t find what we were looking for.  So to help the kids forget we gave them ice cream.  🙂 Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? This is a cannon that had been given to Cooktown for protection during World War I. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? One of our favourite things in Cooktown was the musical ship.  So, so fun to try all the different ways to make music.  Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? We’re fascinated by all the large termite mounds.  🙂 Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Here it is.  Or here he is.  Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? James is a family name, common on both sides of our family. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Look at TurboBug.  ‘Who is this guy anyway?’ Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Along the path were all sorts of tiles telling the history of the town. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Look, the lighthouse on Grassy Hill! Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? We came across the Milbi Wall which tells the story of European settlement from the Aboriginal point of view.  Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? It begins with lovely stories and legends. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? I had each of the kids find a section they wanted me to read.  This one was about why the emu can’t fly. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Then the stories turned into more concrete history and information. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? We found this rather large rock marking the exact spot where Captain Cook came ashore. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? A few steps lead down to it, but it pretty much blocks the path to the beach.  It seemed a bit odd, I suppose they are trying to protect the spot a bit. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? On the town map I saw something that said ‘The Queen’s Steps’.  Since Queen Elisabeth had visited Cooktown during her 1970 trip to Australia they had erected some steps for her to use when she disembarked.  I imagined these elaborate steps  and I really wanted to see them, but couldn’t find them during our walk.  I started asking random people and no one knew what I was talking about.  Finally a local woman realised what steps I must be referring to, she didn’t know they were even called the Queen’s steps and had even sat on them the day before while she sipped her coffee.  After much wandering around, I found this.  Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? Um, yeah.  I pretended like I was taking a picture of the sign so no one would think Mr Fishing Man was my focal point.  🙂 The harbour is nice, but this far north there are too many crocs to worry about so no swimming beaches. Historic Sites in Cooktown | How Many More Minutes? One last thing about Cooktown…when we were driving into town we were lucky to see a dingo cross the road in front of us.  A wild dingo, how cool is that???

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