<p>Cape York Adventures have been operating since 1996. Linking travellers from the mainland to the Torres Strait to immerse themselves with culture, tradition and rich history. They are based at the top of Cape York, in a Torres Strait islander community called Seisia. Offering 3 Island Tours, 2 Island Cultural Experiences, Private Fishing Charters, 4WD Tip Tours (Pajinka), 4WD Tours to Fruit Bat Falls, Twin Falls and Eliot Falls and more. With multiple vessels they can cater to any size group and occasion. .</p>

<p>Willie takes you to his ancestral rock art sites, high in the hills outside Cooktown. Here he shares the stories behind the art, and explains how the paintings speak of the essence of life and the lores of his people. With his great smile and infectious laugh, Willie will give you an amazing insight into Aboriginal society and spirituality, and show you how we all have a connection to the land, wherever we come from.</p>

<p>Listen and learn as your host Gerry introduces you to Nature’s Storehouse. Take a step back in time with your hostess Irene as she relates what it was really like growing up an Aboriginal under missionary rule. Maaramaka Walkabout Tours endeavours to preserve the knowledge of the flora and fauna found within Nature’s Storehouse – the bush and rainforest including the sand dunes. <br /> Gerry has a wealth of knowledge with regards to the many species of plants and trees to be found in our Rainforests and bushland.</p>
<p><b>Ph: (07) 4069 5381 or (07) 4060 9389</p>
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<p> Cycling past the Pilots Jetty<br />
</b></p>
<p>Ride past heritage buildings, visit our pioneering ancestors in the cemetery, go bird watching, stop for a dip in the public swimming pool or park the bikes and combine a BIKE and HIKE day activity on sections of the Scenic Rim walking trail.</p>
<p>Energetic riders can try a hill climb to reach the summit of Grassy Hill – the amazing 360 degree views are worth the sweat.</p>
<p>There are 3 interlinked cycle trails around Cooktown all of which have options for a <b>BIKE and HIKE</b> activity.</p>
<p>So why not combine your bike ride with a stroll through the cemetery or the Botanic Gardens, enjoy scenic coastal and beach walks or an take energetic hike up Mount Cook.</p>
<p>Pick up a Biking Trails brochure from the Cooktown Visitor Information Centre at Nature’s Powerhouse at the Botanic Gardens. </p>
<p><b>Regional Links to Cycling Clubs and Organisations:</b></p>
<p>Dan’s Mountain Bike Adventures –<b> </b><a href="http://www.dansmountainbiking.com.au" target="_blank">www.dansmountainbiking.com.au</a></p>
<p>Back Country Bliss Adventures – <a href="http://www.backcountryblissadventures.com.au/" target="_blank">www.backcountryblissadventures.com.au</a></p>
<p>All Trails Bicycle Tours – <a href="http://www.alltrails.com.au/alltrails-rides/item/26-cape-york-luxury-bike-tour-2011.html" target="_blank">www.alltrails.com.au</a></p>
<p>Raw Travel – <a href="http://rawtravel.com/trip/daintree_and_cape_york" target="_blank">http://rawtravel.com</a></p>
<p>Cairns Mountain Bike Club –<b> </b><a href="http://www.cairnsmtb.com" target="_blank">www.cairnsmtb.com</a></p>
<p>Cairns Cycling Club – <a href="http://www.cairns.cycling.org.au" target="_blank">www.cairns.cycling.org.au</a></p>
<p>Cairns Bicycle User Group – <a href="http://cairnsbug.org" target="_blank">http://cairnsbug.org</a></p>
<p>Cairns Crocs Triathlon Club – <a href="http://www.cairnscrocs.org.au" target="_blank">www.cairnscrocs.org.au</a></p>
<p>Rural, Rainforest and Reef (RRR) Endurance MTB Event – <a href="http://www.usmevents.com.au/Triathlon___Multi_Sport/Challenge_Cairns/Event_Guide/RRR_Mountain_Bike_Event.htm" target="_blank">www.usmevents.com.au</a></p>
<p>Far North Queensland Wilderness Bike Tour – <a href="http://www.fnqbiketour.org.au" target="_blank">www.fnqbiketour.org.au</a></p>
<p>Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride – <a href="http://www.ridefnq.com" target="_blank">www.ridefnq.com</a></p>
<p>Tableland Cycle Sports Inc – <a href="http://www.tablelandcyclesports.com" target="_blank">www.tablelandcyclesports.com</a></p>
<p>Tablelands Rail Trails – <a href="http://www.railtrails.org.au" target="_blank">www.railtrails.org.au</a></p>
<p>Tableland Adventure Guides – <a href="http://www.tablelandadventureguides.com.au" target="_blank">www.tablelandadventureguides.com.au</a></p>
<p>Cycling Far North – <a href="http://cyclingfarnorth.com" target="_blank">http://cyclingfarnorth.com</a></p>
<p>Bicycle Queensland – <a href="http://www.bq.org.au" target="_blank">www.bq.org.au</a></p>

<p>The Mount Cook walk is a strenuous climb. From the Hannan Drive carpark the trail enters a sheltered bushland gully and winds amongst granite boulders, following the mountains contours. The walk has been enhanced by constructing a track with granite steps that blend with the surroundings.</p>
<p>Shortly before the trail mounts the long spur to the summit, a short path on the right leads to a lookout with views over Cooktown. From the junction the summit trail zigzags up to a saddle where another short path leads to a lookout with coastal views. (All the lookouts on Mount Cook are on top of large boulders.)</p>
<p>The steepest section is the last few hundred metres to the summit. Boulders to the left of the track just before the tower have views. There is a clearing beneath the tower, but no views. </p>
<p>From the clearing two paths head east to boulder lookouts where there are spectacular views from Quarantine Bay to the mountains behind Cedar Bay.</p>
<p>The Great Barrier Reef may be a sail-ship navigator’s nightmare, but the spectacular vantage point from the top of Mount Cook is a dream eyrie. Directly below, Monkhouse Point divides Quarantine Bay from Walker Bay, which extends beyond the Annan River to Grave Point, Walker Point and Archer Point. Looking seaward it is easy to see Captain Cook’s dilemma – a maze of reefs stretch to the horizon in every direction. About 20 kilometres to the northeast lie Boulder and Egret Reef. Dawson Reef is 5 kilometres to the east and Cowlishaw Reef is 10 kilometres southeast. In the distant east Osterland Reef lies north of Rosser Reef and Cairns Reef. The Hope Islands, visible in the far south-southeast are almost 30 kilometres away.</p>
<p><b>Difficulty Level:</b> Strenuous</p>
<p><b>Distance:</b> 6 kilometres return</p>
<p><b>Duration:</b> 3-4 hours return</p>
<p><b>Access:</b> Self Guided</p>
<p><b>Trail Management Contact:</b><i> </i>Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service</p>

<p>This walk is only recommended for self reliant walkers with extensive bushwalking experience.</p>
<p>The trail to Cedar Bay starts at Home Rule Rainforest Lodge and walkers are requested to stop at the lodge for directions to the starting point. The strenuous, 28 kilometre return walk takes 6 to 8 hours walking time each way. It is essential to start the walk in the morning, the earlier the better, to arrive at the bay before nightfall. Because the trail is not well-used some sections are indistinct, so make sure you don’t lose sight of the orange markers. It is rough undulating country, so wear strong hiking boots and protective clothing. Carry everything you need, but take lightweight gear as it is a long way to carry a heavy pack.</p>
<p><b>Home Rule to Slaty Creek – 1¾ hours </b></p>
<p>The walk starts on an old logging track and heads straight into the rainforest. The track splits a few minutes into the walk – go right. Shortly, the track splits again – go left. A few more minutes brings you to Wallaby Creek. About 10 minutes beyond Wallaby Creek the track forks again – go left.</p>
<p>After the track crosses another small creek it swings north, climbing straight to the top of a moderately steep ridge. From this point it swings east at ninety degrees and starts to descend, passing amongst large rainforest trees, tree ferns and Licuala palms.</p>
<p>About 1 hour into the walk you come to a narrow gully spanned by two thin metal pipes. From here a narrow trail continues on from the old logging track. The trail heads north to Slaty Creek, about 1¾ hours from Home Rule.</p>
<p><b>Slaty Creek to Black Snake Rocks – 2½ hours</b></p>
<p>After crossing Slaty Creek the trail swings east and follows the creek for about 1·5 kilometres to the junction of Slaty and Granite Creeks, where there is an excellent campsite. Beyond the junction the trail meanders through forest beside Granite Creek for a while and then gets rougher as it winds through scattered granite boulders, crossing a few small creeks. Eventually the trail scales a slope covered with huge granite boulders and arrives at Black Snake Rocks.</p>
<p>Black Snake Rocks is an open area, with a creek and a good campsite, but (obviously) be aware that snakes do bask on the rocks. The creek next to the campsite is the last reliable water source before Ashwell Creek at Cedar Bay.</p>
<p><b>Black Snake Rocks to Cedar Bay – 2½ hours</b></p>
<p>Beyond the campsite the trail meanders across a flat densely forested plateau. This area was extensively mined in the past and remnants of miners’ activities crop up regularly. Most noticeable are water diverting channels dug by tin miners early last century. The trail runs alongside a channel just before it reaches a clearing crisscrossed with trenches full of ferns, a trap for unwary legs.</p>
<p>On the eastern side of the clearing scraps of corrugated iron and abandoned cooking implements mark where the trail re-enters the forest. The trail continues alongside a smaller channel before swinging southeast along a broad ridge to the top of the range overlooking Cedar Bay. Unfortunately, there is no position where you can get more than a tantalising glimpse of the coast. From here the trail descends a spur to the bay, another 1½ to 2 hours away.</p>
<p>The steep descent to the bay is eased by a set of switchbacks carved into the hillside, another legacy of the mining era. Supplies were transported to the mines by packhorse, and the ore removed by return journey. It is difficult to imagine a horse climbing these steep inclines, let alone carrying a load. Further down, the switchbacks end and the trail straightens as it approaches the bottom of the coastal range.</p>
<p>Ashwell Creek is only a short distance from the base of the range. Fill your water containers here, as the water in the creeks near the ocean is brackish (and may conceal crocodiles).</p>
<p>Cross the creek, swing left and follow the trail to the beach. There are remnants of Cedar Bay Bill’s hut on the southern bank of Ashwell Creek near the crossing. The trail emerges at the northern end of the beach amongst a grove of pandanus palms next to Cedar Bay Bill’s monument, which bears the epitaph “Strange to the world, he wore a bashful look – the sea and shore his study, nature his book”.</p>
<p>Cedar Bay Bill was a tin miner, famous for accepting and befriending a utopian hippy community that attempted to flee society and build a Shangrila at Cedar Bay in the early 1970s. Whatever it was they believed in didn’t suit the government of the day, who sent select law enforcers to destroy the campsites and disband the community, an action that annoyed all but the most conservative citizens of the time. Bill retained his miners lease until his death in 1987, and the story of the commune has entered folkloric mythology. This has given the bay a special allure, and many walkers come specifically to pay homage to the site.</p>
<p>Although it is a national park, Cedar Bay is still a remote tropical paradise with a 3 kilometre palm fringed beach. A stroll along the beach reveals sheltered campsites – just camp well away from the swamps and be wary of falling coconuts.</p>
<p>This is a tranquil place where campers can now contemplate the irrelevance of time and appreciate the moment without fear of government gunboats, but do remember, you need a camping permit and park rules state that there can be no fishing or collecting within the park.</p>
<p><b>Specific Features: </b>Beautiful tropical rainforest, rugged mountains and a palm fringed beach.</p>
<p><i>Mangkalba </i>(Cedar Bay) is the traditional country of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people, whose country extends along the coast to Mossman. Cedar Bay National Park was a major turtle hunting area and contains important cultural sites including the <i>murabaymba</i> (canoe), <i>ngawaia</i> (turtle) and <i>ngiwa </i>(saltwater eel) story sites.</p>
<p><b>Difficulty Level:</b> Strenuous</p>
<p><b>Distance:</b> 28 Kilometre (Return)</p>
<p><b>Duration:</b> 6-8 hours each way</p>
<p><b>Access:</b> Self Guided – (*Permit required)</p>
<ul>
<li>This track begins on the private property of the Home Rule Rainforest Lodge. The lodge managers allow access via their property and provide detailed advice to walkers.</li>
<li><b>Water Taxi</b> – Cedar Bay Transfers – <br /> Either one way for bushwalkers not interested in the return leg of the walking track or Return – get delivered to or collected from Cedar Bay on your nominated day. Ph: 07 4060 8252</li>
<li><b>Alternate Route </b>– Gap Creek Track. Only for the very experienced bush walker and <b>should not be attempted when heavy rain has fallen or is forecast.</b> It crosses several creeks and steep sections can become slippery in wet weather. For details and advice contact Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service or visit <a href="http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/cedar-bay/about.html">www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/cedar-bay/about.html</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p><b>Facilities:</b> No facilities</p>
<ul>
<li>*Bush camping is permitted in the park, but a camping permit must be obtained two weeks in advance from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service office in Mossman: 07 4098 2188, Cooktown: 07 4069 5777 or Cairns: 07 4046 6600.</li>
<li>Overnight camping at the Home Rule Rainforest Lodge is allowed by prior arrangement with the owners, allowing walkers an early morning start. Phone 07 4060-3925.</li>
</ul>
<p><b>Trail Management Contact:</b><i> </i>Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service – Mossman: 07 4098 2188, Cooktown: 07 4069 5777 or Cairns: 07 4046 6600.</p>
<p> Map of Cedar Bay walking trail courtesy Footloose publications</p>

<p>A steep 2 km walking trail starts from Ida Street in Cooktown to the Waymbuur lookout offering scenic views over the Great Barrier Reef.</p>
<p>A further 1 km hike leads you to the summit.</p>

<p>Black Mountain, Queensland. Courtesy of Tourism Queensland</p>
<p>Located 25 km south of Cooktown on the Mulligan Highway, the mysterious Black Mountains were originally formed from magma that slowly solidified under the Earth’s crust about 250 million years ago.  The mountains consist of huge boulders of grey granite, which have been blackened by algae growing on the exposed surfaces. They are very unstable and should not be climbed, as rain causes the boulders to fracture, break and slowly disintegrate, sometimes explosively.</p>
<p>The mountains are a place of cultural significance for the Kuku Yalanji people, who call them Kalkajaka, or ‘place of the spear’. They contain at least four sites of religious or mythological importance – Kambi, Julbanu, Birmba and Yirrmbal – each having its own story.</p>
<p>There are many non-Indigenous stories about the mountains too, with tales of people, horses and whole mobs of cattle disappearing into the labyrinths of rock, never to be seen again. Indeed, when the Cooktown Local News ran a story on April 1st about a giant black panther being caught there, the majority of people believed the story, failing to realise it was an April Fool’s joke!</p>
<p>The park is home to some unique wildlife – one species of frog and two lizard species are found nowhere else. Godman’s rock wallabies and ghost bats also live here.</p>
<p>There is a lookout and viewing platform signposted from the highway, and information boards giving more information about this amazing place.</p>
<p>Visit the magical Black Mountains with <a href="http://www.cooktowntours.com.au/Cooktown_Tours.html" target="_blank">Cooktown Tours</a></p>

<p>Most people drive along the track from Lockerbie or alternatively you can take the 10km Roma Flats walk.</p>
<p>The final section of road passes through the rainforest before emerging at the car park and from here it’s a short walk down to the beach.</p>
<p>Walk along the beach then up the hill to a monument with fantastic views over Torres Strait. From here it’s all downhill until you have reached your destination – you’ve made it to The Tip of Australia.</p>
<p>From Peak Point you look out towards Possession Island. A small monument marks the place where Captain Cook raised the English flag to claim possession of New Wales in 1770.</p>
<p>Just 5km from the Tip is <a href="https://www.cooktownandcapeyork.com/stay/cape-york-peninsula/punsand-bay">Punsand Bay Camping Resort</a> on a beautiful stretch of beach – the perfect place to spend a few days after the long drive to the top.</p>