Distance: 285 kim
Mareeba
It must have rained during the night, the car and camper were quite wet. It can’t have been heavy rain because the top vent was fairly wide open and during heavy rain some water “bounces'” in but the bedding was completely dry.
The sky however was clear as the sun rose. When I went for a shower I noticed several hot air balloons floating nearby.
Didn’t leave until nearly 9am so I could go to Coffee Works for breakfast. Not exactly what I expected but the food was nice if expensive.
On the Road
The drive to Cooktown was through some interesting and varied scenery much hillier than previous Queensland landscapes with some very steep climbs and descents.
Early in the trip it actually rained a couple of times, not for long and not much, but the sky cleared and clouded over several times during the trip.
Cooktown
Arrived in Cooktown about 1pm so, after unhitching the camper and having a coffee, I set off to explore Cooktown.
Most of its attractions are near the water front (the Endeavour River). There was the wharf built for the Queen’s visit, the place where Captain Cook actually landed and repaired his ship after he ran into the Great Barrier Reef plus various statues and monuments.
Grassy Hill was a pretty spectacular lookout overlooking the town, the river and the Coral Sea.
Back in the Caravan Park I was watching a Kookaburra catch its food in the creek when it came and perched close by.
