ON TO COOKTOWN

We were travelling along the Bloomfield Track to Cooktown. On the way we stopped at Wujul Wujul a small aboriginal settlement of 300+ people. They have started to take tourists on guided walks as a business venture. We were late for our scheduled walk to the falls and the guide couldn't be contacted or found so we took ourselves with the driver who hadn't been there before. It wasn't a long walk.

 We could see the Bloomfield Falls/Wujul Wujul Falls in the distance.

 We scrambled over rocks forever keeping an eye out for crocodiles. By now I was loosing patience with my camera. It wasn't working properly. Every now and then it would overexpose and burn out photos. It didn't matter if I used automatic or manual. Most of the waterfall shots were burnt out. Luckily it would perform properly now and then so I did manage to get some decent shots for the rest of the trip. I also used my iphone when the camera messed up.

The Bloomfield River, Wujul Wujul

 Then it was back in the bus until we reached The Lions Den Hotel for lunch. 

It was a typical outback hotel except this one's claim to fame is that it is the oldest continuously licensed hotel in Australia. 

We had lunch outside in the shade of the trees. The further north you go the hotter the weather.

 It is full of junk memorabilia which has been left by passing tourists over the years. The walls are full of written messages from patrons.

As we continued on our way to Cooktown for a two night stop we passed Black Mountain, with the weirdest geological mystery. The aboriginal people are fearful of it and they won't go near it.

 It is a mountain made entirely of black rocks. Scientists don't have an explanation for it.

 

We arrived at The Sovereign Resort, Cooktown and dropped our luggage before we were taken up Grassy Hill to  Cook's Lookout to watch the sunset. We had a 360° view. Looking west we could see the small town of Cooktown and the Great Dividing Range in the distance.

The evening light was setting the grasses aglow as we looked north over the Endeavour River.

 The sunset was magnificent.

 Turning away from the sun and looking east over the sea . It was beautiful but Captain Cook didn't think so when he climbed this hill on 30th June 1770 and all he could see were reefs as far as he could see. He had beached his ship, "The Endeavour," here as it had hit a reef further south. The sailors tried to fill the hole with sails and they threw overboard a canon and anchor to make the ship lighter. However, it was still taking on water so Cook beached the ship here and camped until they repaired the ship. Thus making "Cooktown" the site of the first white settlement in Australia. He found a passage going north.