<h3>Cooktown Discovery Trail Summary</h3>
<p><strong>Day 1. </strong>Cooktown-Laura via Lakefield National Park 136 km, approx 2 hr 30 mins</p>
<p><strong>Day 2.</strong> Laura-Cooktown 143 km, approx 1 hrs, 30 mins</p>
<p> Kalpowar Crossing Camping Lakefield National Park. Courtesy of Tourism Queensland</p>
<h3>DAY 1. Cooktown-Laura.</h3>
<p>Road conditions unsealed, suitable for 4WD.</p>
<p>A dirt road links Cooktown to Lakefield National Park, past the Endeavour Falls and on through Battle Camp Road. Camping permits and information about the park can be obtained from QPWS rangers at Cooktown, New Laura, Lakefield or Bizant Ranger Stations. Crossing Laura River, you will come upon historic Old Laura Homestead, one of the oldest cattle properties on Cape York. The structure you see today was built in 1892.</p>
<p>You can bush camp in Lakefield National Park (permit required) or continue onto the township of Laura, where hotel and camping facilities are available.</p>
<p>Carry plenty of drinking water and fuel as there are no service stations in the park. </p>
<p> WARNING – CROCODILES. Estuarine crocodiles are present in creeks, rivers and waterholes in this area.</p>
<p> Giant Horse Gallery</p>
<h3>DAY 2. Laura-Cooktown.</h3>
<p>Road conditions sealed suitable for 2WD.</p>
<p>The area surrounding Laura is known as ‘Quinkan country’ and is renowned for its ancient Aboriginal rock art galleries, considered among the world’s finest. The ‘Split Rock’ site about 10km south of Laura is open to the public. To learn more about the region’s history and culture, visit the Quinkan Regional and Cultural Centre to organise a site tour. If you are interested in these areas you will need to contact them prior to starting your trip.</p>
<p>Another of Laura’s highlights is the annual Horse Races and Rodeo which are held on the first weekend of July, and the Indigenous Dance and Cultural Festival held every two years.</p>
<p>Follow the Peninsula Development Road south to the tiny township of Lakeland Downs, in the heart of the Laura River Valley. This is now a major coffee and banana growing region.</p>
<p>The final 80 km back to Cooktown crosses four rivers – the West Normanby, East Normanby, Little Annan and Big Annan. Allow time for a few stops in the last 30km – Black Mountain National Park, the historic Lion’s Den Hotel (a 4km detour from the main road) and finally Keating’s Lagoon.</p>
<h3>Enjoy the whole Great Tropical Drive</h3>
<p>Follow the Great Tropical Drive for 12 days and 2079 kilometres to some of Australia’s best known attractions – the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, Hinchinbrook Island and Undara Lava Tubes – and be prepared for many unexpected discoveries along the way.</p>
<p>The Great Tropical Drive passes through six unique regions of North Queensland: <br /> Cooktown, Port Douglas and Daintree, Cairns and Beaches, Mission Beach and the Cassowary Coast, Tropical Tablelands and Savannah Country, Townsville, Charters Towers and Hinchinbrook.</p>
<p>Information courtesy of <a href="http://http//www.cairnsgreatbarrierreef.org.au/" target="_blank">Tourism Tropical North Queensland</a></p>

<p>Make this your first stop in Laura for information on the region. A select range of Aboriginal arts and crafts are available for sale, and you can book guided tours to some of the world famous rock art sites in the region.</p>
<p>The centre has several interpretive displays with information on the Quinkan rock art galleries, local families and tribal elders, the gold rush days and cattle stations. A DVD showcases the Laura region and children can even learn traditional dancesteps.</p>
<p><b>Ph: (07) 4051 8471</b></p>
<p><strong>Peninsula Development Road, Laura, QLD, 4871</strong></p>

<p>Cooktown boasts a number of beautifully maintained historic buildings including the fabulous Cooktown Museum on Helen St and the Old Bank in Charlotte St.</p>
<p>The Cooktown Museum is open daily, located in the carefully restored St Marys Convent, on the corner of Helen and Furneaux Streets. Displays feature artefacts, images and information, depicting the time James Cook spent here in 1770 repairing the Endeavour and interacting with the local Aboriginal people. The discovery of Gold at the Palmer River gave rise to the birth of Cooktown over 100 years later. Museum exhibits tell some fascinating aspects of the local Chinese, European and Aboriginal histories of this region. The restored Endeavour anchor and one of her 6 cannons are features of the Cooktown Museum.</p>
<p>The Cooktown and District Historical Society have mounted a magnificent exhibition -Cooktown through the Years-in the stately 19th Century Historic Bank building in Charlotte Street. Open from Easter through to October. All visitors and tour groups are welcome. </p>
<p>Nature’s Powerhouse is located in the historic Botanical Gardens and features the works of Vera Scarth Johnson who gifted her detailed botanical artworks to the people of Cooktown. </p>
<p>Artists and Craftspeople abound in the area, inspired by the landscapes, colours and stories. </p>
<p>The Old Railway Station Building in Charlotte Street is the perfect outlet for the artistic members of the Cooktown Creative Arts Association. Run by volunteers and the artists it is a treasure trove of local creations.</p>
<p>The Elizabeth Guzeley Gallery is located next to the Cooktown Post Office on Charlotte St and regularly holds exhibitions of local artworks, an annual Art Awards competition and co ordinates the Cooktown Art Festival.</p>
<p>The Black Cockatoo Gallery is a hidden gem for those exploring the Bloomfield & Ayton areas. Artist Ross Franzi and friends have created a stunning gallery with some wonderful sculptures, fabulous paintings and stunning pieces inspired by the unique, untouched environs of the region.</p>
<p>The Quinkan and Regional Cultural Centre at Laura displays and sells works by local Aboriginal artists. It is open daily from 9am with flexible summertime hours.</p>

<p>The road to the goldfields was extremely hazardous, the transportation of goods was expensive, difficult and time consuming. When officials refused to upgrade the road, pressure mounted for an inland railway. The Government, realising the richness of the Palmer fields and a large voting population, finally agreed to build a railway.</p>
<p>Alderman D’Arcy, Mayor of Cooktown ‘turned the first sod’ of the rail line on 4 April 1884. Due to labour shortages and the wet season the first section between Cooktown and the Palmer Road, 48 km (30 miles), was not completed until November 1885. In the first month of operation the section carried more than 570 passengers and 125 tonnes of goods!</p>
<p>Within three years the line was extended to Laura with stations at Sandown, Sandy Creek and Welcome. It was here construction ran into difficulty. There was a change of government and concern grew over escalating costs. It was estimated that the 75 km of line from Laura to Maytown would cost almost £lm sterling ($2m).</p>
<p>After much debate, Parliament decided that the Maytown line would be built when a feasible route was found and in the mean time agreed to build the Laura River bridge at the cost of 12,500 pounds.</p>
<p><b>Normaby</b><b> River Rail Bridge</b><b><br /> </b>The bridge, comprising five 80ft spans of iron lattice girders on concrete piers, was 536ft long and 55ft high. It took 17 months to build and was ready by October 1891. A locomotive and rolling stock were sent across it as a test – the maximum deflection at full speed being half an inch. That 90 ton train was the first and the last to cross the bridge. Although Cooktown people lobbied long and hard to have the line completed, the Cooktown Railway had effectively come to a full stop.</p>
<p>However, the railway was an important element of early Cooktown. By 1885, the landscape was dotted with related facilities – station and residence, carriage and engine sheds, wells, a coal stage, horse ramp, railway store, goods shed, weighbridge, double-tier tank-stand and a crane for the wharf.</p>
<p><b>RM6 ‘Captain Cook’</b><b><br /> </b>As passenger and cargo tonnage figures dropped and operating expenses rose, it was decided to close the line. The government offered a lease of the line and rolling stock to the Cooktown council for 1 pound per week. Council assumed control of the railway in September 1903.</p>
<p>The first motor on the Cooktown Railway, RM6, Captain Cook, was converted from a Napier motor car at Ipswich workshops in 1916, and went into service at Cooktown in November of that year. Captain Cook ran until 1924, travelling 80,000 miles on theCcooktown Railway, this is in addition to over 100,000 miles covered as a road vehicle.</p>
<p> <b>“Captain Cook” at Alderbury 1916-1930</b><b><br /> </b>After about 12 months – during which time the council made a profit – the government resumed control of the railway but it never really picked up again and by 1960 the government was ready to close the line again – this time for good.</p>
<p>After a stop/start history spanning 76 years to 1961, the Cooktown railway was sold for scrap. A sorry end for what could have been a major tourist drawcard to the area today. The station was sold and removed. However, the top section was relocated to Anzac Park and now houses the Cooktown Creative Arts Association.</p>
<p><i>Sources:</i><i><br /> <i>Knowles, J W, 1980, The Cooktown Railway, 2nd edition, Brisbane.</i><br /> <i>Cooktown Library, 1996, The Cooktown Railway.</i><br /> <i>Ruig, J L, 1991, Cooktown to Laura Railway.</i></i></p>

<p>The Queensland Government sent a representative to the Endeavour river to examine it as a potential site for the gold-field port.   Mr. G.E. Dalrymple arrived on October 24th, 1873 and camped in the exact spot Cook had selected 100 years prior. Although he had been sent by the Government to make a report on the port setting, the desperate need for facilities prompted the Government to forgo the report and they dispatched the A.S.N. Coysteamer ‘Leichhardt’ to convey Government staff to the Endeavour River.</p>
<p>Arriving one day after Dalrymple himself, they immediately started setting up the operation.  Among the staff about the ‘Leichhardt’ was the Gold Commissioner, an Engineer of Roads (sent to find the best route between the Palmer and Endeavour rivers), a lieutenant to survey the estuary, and a police party to keep law and order. Over seventy prospectors and miners also disembarked, all with dreams of becoming rich in these new gold fields.</p>
<p>The population of ‘Cooks-town’, as it was then known, was close to 4000 people by the middle of the following year.  The towns name was later changed to its present moniker of ‘Cooktown’ in June of 1874.</p>
<p>Gold flowed as freely as the water it was found in, and the population continued it’s increase, and by the turn of the century it was the second largest township in Queensland.  The population had reached in excess of 30,000 people, and the town was serviced by no less than 65 registered hotels, 20 eating houses, 32 general stores and a multitude of other businesses and outlets. People were drawn from far and wide, by the lure of gold, making a rich and complex tapestry of peoples.</p>
<p>Of the 2940 people reported to live in Cooktown by the 1883 census, 480 were Chinese.  The residents of Maytown (centre of the Goldfields) were listed at 481, and the maximum number of land-holders (people with legal title) during the rush was 1009.</p>
<p>Two Newspapers kept the people informed, three Banks supported the financial needs of the area and a bridge connected the township to rich pastoral and mineral lands to the north.  Gold was not the only alluvial deposit found, tin was also discovered south of the township and settlements began to spread even further afield.</p>
<p>Queensland’s most northern township had to cope with large movements of freight and people, to which five wharves serviced the transport vessels and a police station handled all local and overseas shipping. Custom’s House, the Quarantine Station and Immigration Hostel all helped control the movement of both freight and passengers, in and out of Cooktown.</p>
<p>The pearling fleet and beche-de-mer fishermen plied their trade between Bloomfield, Cooktown and Thursday Island.  By the late 1880’s when the Cook Monument was erected, transport services also included 250 bullock teams and over 200 pack horse teams to carry supplies, building materials, mining equipment and the Royal Mail.   These services all ran between Cooktown, Rossville, Maytown, Laura, Coen and the Wenlock River to the North.</p>
<p>Unfortunatly by the late 1880’s many of the established gold claims began to fail, which resulted in the return of many Chinese to their beloved homeland.</p>
<p><b>No Gold, No Men</b></p>
<p>With the gold deposits steadily falling, so did the population, services and facilities.  Many men, both young and old were drawn into the ranks of the Australian Army, and other armed services during the First World War. This had a devastating effect on the already failing township.  To further add insult to injury, with the close of the First World War in 1918, Cooktown was dealt another blow, with a number of commercial buildings in the main street burning to the ground.</p>
<p>Some say that the fire was a result of a long standing dispute between retailers, but no-one knows for sure. The town wells were quite limited for water and the pressure was too low for fire fighters to connect their hoses to.  So they dragged the fire truck to the edge of the river and tried to get the water pumping.  Although the pressure from the river was far greater than the wells, it proved too high and the hoses were all split in two.  There was no alternative but to let the buildings burn themselves out.  This tragedy lasted for several days, and the vacant sites remain a  reminder of what was even today.</p>

<p>The turn off is 68km north of Mount Carbine – turn/off coordinates from the bitumen <b>UTM</b> <b>55 256 946E  82 03 400N</b> . From the turn-off on the highway  a dirt track (Whites Creek Road) continues out to Maytown – this can be very  rough and slow going depending on when the road was graded last.</p>
<p>The northern access is via the Old Maytown-Laura Road which  is a legendary 4WD track only suited for experienced drivers with well-equipped, high-4WD vehicles. It is recommended to travel in convoy and some sections may require a winch.</p>
<p>Roads are impassable in the wet season from November to April when flash flooding can occur. Sidetracks are restricted access.</p>
<p>Today old mines, rusting machinery, Chinese alluvial workings and traces of the Maytown township are all that remain of the once thriving settlements which sprang up around the Palmer Goldfield over 100 years ago.</p>
<p>Mining does still occur at the Reserve and metal detecting is not allowed.</p>
<p>There are two designated camping areas in the reserve; one on the southern side of the north Palmer River and the other at Dog Leg Crossing on the north bank of the Palmer River. There are no facilities at either of these camping areas and campers need to be totally self-sufficient. Camping permits are required and fees apply.</p>
<p>See further information on the history of the <a href="https://www.cooktownandcapeyork.com/do/history/gold-rush">Palmer River</a> Goldfields</p>

<p>The Quinkan Galleries are internationally renowned and offer a unique opportunity to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Laura region. The site consists of five clustered rock shelters, each depicting its own stories and evidence of past occupation. The final shelter features the Quinkan family, including the tallest recorded Quinkan figure, standing at an over 3 metres high.</p>
<p>This is a special cultural site, and local Indigenous guides share its stories and significance with passion, knowledge and respect.</p>
<p><strong>Guided Tours</strong></p>
<p>Private guided tours are available from May to September and typically take approximately 2 hours. Tours are conducted by experienced local Indigenous guides and can be tailored to visitors. Bookings are essential and tour pricing is available on application (POA).</p>
<p>To book a private guided tour, visit the Ang-Gnarra Aboriginal Corporation website or contact the team directly:</p>
<p><strong>Self-Guided Tours</strong></p>
<p>Self-guided tour options are also available for visitors wishing to explore the area at their own pace. Please contact Ang-Gnarra Aboriginal Corporation for current access information and conditions.</p>

<p>The Gateway to Cape York precinct is a unique, new tourism development that entices travellers and tourists to stop and view the information and educational displays. The precinct also includes BBQs, park benches, photo opportunities and public artwork sculptures.</p>
<p>A key reason people travel in Cape York is to experience the beautiful natural environment, it is projected that there will be a large increase of visitors in the coming years, however increased visitor numbers can mean increased environmental impacts and problems. It is imperative that these visitors are well informed so they can help to protect the Cape.</p>
<p>This vital new tourism infrastructure is intended to offer travellers a place to have a break and view the educational displays; taking time to understand a little more about the beauty and unique opportunities of Cape York Peninsula.</p>
<p>Download the <a href="https://www.cooktownandcapeyork.com/do/lake_laura/GatewaytoCapeYorkOpeningBrochure.pdf" target="_blank">brochure here</a> </p>

<p>Jarramali Rock Art Tours is an Aboriginal owned and operated business, run by friendly and experienced Kuku-Yalanji traditional owners. Our guests will have the opportunity to experience significant and amazing rock art sites in the Laura region. </p>
<p>The Quinkan Rock Art provides an extensive legacy and is one of the best on the planet. Quinkan Rock Art is outstanding for its variety, quantity and quality, an absolute must see! This is Australia’s national history, our crown jewels. It’s something all Australians should be acquainted with, proud of and work hard to preserve. Come on a journey to this remote landscape and unravel the stories, thousands of years old that were hidden in our rock art.</p>
<p>Tours will give an enchanting narrative of our peoples ways and culture through the stories that are told through rock art, evidence of the oldest living culture on earth. This will result in a guaranteed incredible Aboriginal cultural tour experience.</p>