Day 60: Fri 24 Jun - Cooktown

Day 60: Fri 24 Jun - Cooktown

21 – 27°.  A warm and sunny day. The wind was not as strong today, but it still produced gusts up to 40km/h at times. I was up and out the door early for another long walk, this time on my own, going via the old Railway Yards along the river through the Reconciliation Rock precinct, into town and back for breakfast. An hour later, I headed out again on the bike to explore the local cemetery which has a lot of local history, then we all met up at the bakery in the main street for our morning brew. Noeleene and I then wandered through the Cooktown History Centre, housed in the oldest building in Charlotte St, the former post and telegraph office. Here, the regional history is told through a range of stories, photos, displays and murals. It involved a lot of reading, but was very much worthwhile visiting. We then made our way up the James Cook Museum, originally a convent and a lovely old building. Here were a lot more artefacts and relics on display, the star attractions being an Anchor and Canon from the Endeavour. Back to the van we went, then Greg and I set off once again on the bikes to explore the botanic gardens. Established in 1878 they are one of the oldest in Australia. They are wonderfully maintained gardens with an array of different plants, and a surprise to what we expected find in Cooktown. From here we walked along a nice forest trail to the Finch Bay, on return taking a detour via an Old Quarry where Granite was cut by hand to make the kerb and guttering in the main street. We had our pre-dinner get together then retired back to our vans for dinner and a night at home again, bringing to end another day jam packed with non-stop activity. 


At the Reconciliation Rocks, 'The Spirit of Reconciliation' statue, symbolising the Waymburr Elder, referred to in Cook's journals as 'The Little Old Man' who instigated the first recorded act of reconciliation.


6m high Black and White Cockatoo feather statues which are totems of the Guugu Yimithirr peoples at the entrance to Reconciliation Rocks - believed to be the site of the first recorded act of reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and Europeans


The opposite side of Black Cockatoo / White Cockatoo feather statue


The actual rocks where the aboriginals and Cook's men reconciled their differences

Reconciliation Rocks

Chinese Shrine in the Cooktown Cemetery

Marking the spot where the remains of an unknown Chinese person are buried, representing the thousands of Chinese who are buried in the goldfields

Grave of Elizabeth Cooper, one of 11 who drowned on the Cutter Platypus,  when it capsized  during a reef trip. Mystery surrounds  the reason she is buried here in an isolated section of the cemetery

Cooktown History Centre

Cooktown History Centre

Cooktown History Centre - Food for thought!

From Convent school built in 1889 to James Cook Museum

Anchor from the Endeavour 

Canon and a replica from the Endeavour


The Maybelle - James Cook Museum

Artefacts - James Cook Museum


Artefacts - James Cook Museum

Artefacts - James Cook Museum

Artefacts - James Cook Museum

View from the 2nd floor of James Cook Museum


Botanic Gardens

Botanic Gardens

Reflections - Botanic Gardens

Walking Trail to Finch Bay

Finch Bay - a shame it was so windy

Finch Bay

Finch Bay

Finch Bay - Mt Cook in the background

Quarry - Granite was cut by hand from here to make the kerb and gutters in the main street of Cooktown



Old Quarry - Granite was cut by hand using a feather and wedge technique from here to make the kerb and guttering in the main street of Cooktown.

About the Quarrying technique


Feathers and wedges stuck in the granite


 

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