Day 18 - Cooktown and surrounds

We woke up and still the wind was blowing, a little more to the east which meant the high pressure system was moving through, but blowing nonetheless.  Chris, Stu and Andi went for an early morning walk on the beach.  Not much happening but they did pick up tracks of a pig or something like that from the night before.  We did get a visitor overnight, guessing said pig, but just surrounding the camp, and it wasn't too interested in anything we offered.  

Today we headed into Cooktown to check out the Captian Cook Museum and a place to camp for a couple nights.  We departed Archer Point at around 9 ish and were in Cooktown by 9:30 as it's only a short distance up the road.  It was a pretty little town, nestled on the banks of the Endeavour river.  As per usual the information centre was a must, this one based at the botanical gardens.  Had a display of north queenland animals as well as a host of information of the history of the area.  By the time we left there it was lunch time! The boys were in that "I'm hungry, where's a playground" sort of mood so off we went to the centre of town for a lunch break.

Chris and Stu had the pleasure of a museum visit without kids, the place was amazing, full of information about the building, the area's history for both white and aboriginal sides as well as displays for the palmer goldfields era as well as of course the captain cook and endeavour displays.  Before we knew it was three o clock and we had to make a move.  Katie had braved the local IGA with two boys who were their usual crazy selves.  She resorted to going back to the park after a bit.  Food wise it's a bit tricky trying to work out where we will be able to pick up supplies.  So we now have a nice full car of goodies to last us quite a few days.

We ended up staying just outside of town in a private caravan park which is aside business for one of the local farmers, called Endeavour River Escape.  Great big sites with lots of space between campsites, mossies were not too bad if you had bushmans. However if you missed a spot applying it, they were on to you like a shark. A bit steep price wise for an unpowered site but it's quite, peaceful, allows fires and headed us in the right direction.  

(Insert picture of campsite)

Have to make a fuel stop back in town before we head up, it's only $1.73 here now.  The further north you go, the more expensive.  Heard that it's $2.40 or so at the tip! Yikes.  So off we go to fill Charilie and the jerry cans ....