IN & AROUND COOKTOWN

Cooktown & Cape York

Mount Cook Motel sits in the heart of Cooktown — the far-north Queensland town where Captain James Cook beached the H.M. Bark Endeavour for 48 days in 1770 after striking the reef, where one of Australia's first recorded reconciliations between Europeans and Indigenous Australians took place at what is now Reconciliation Rocks, and where Mount Cook (the peak Cook climbed to plot a way back through the reef) still looms over the town today. You're at the southern edge of Cape York Peninsula — the most remote, most untouched corner of mainland Australia.

Mount Cook

Mount Cook rises immediately south of the township, the prominent peak Captain Cook climbed in 1770. Mount Cook National Park protects the slopes, with a walking track to the summit for views over Cooktown, the Endeavour River, and the Coral Sea. It's a steeper hike than Grassy Hill — best in the cooler months (May to September).


Distance: Trailhead within walking distance of the motel

Best time to visit: Cooler months May–Sep are best (dry, less humid)

Grassy Hill Lookout

A shorter, easier walk than Mount Cook itself — Grassy Hill is the lower hill closer to the town centre, with a 360° view of the Coral Sea, the Endeavour River mouth and (on a clear day) the reefs that gave Cook so much trouble. The walk to the top takes about 20 minutes and is a Cooktown rite of passage.


Distance: ~1 km / 15 min walk from the motel

Best time to visit: Sunrise and sunset are spectacular

James Cook Museum

Housed in a magnificent 19th-century convent building, the James Cook Museum holds artefacts from Cook's voyage — including one of the original anchors the crew used to refloat the Endeavour — alongside Indigenous Guugu Yimithirr cultural displays and exhibits on Cooktown's gold-rush, maritime and colonial history. A must-do for any Cooktown stay.


Distance: ~600 m / 8 min walk from the motel

Best time to visit: Year-round; check seasonal hours

Cook's Landing Site & Bicentennial Park

Bicentennial Park along the Endeavour River foreshore holds the Captain Cook statue, a cairn marking the exact landing site, and a cannon. A short walk away, Reconciliation Rocks marks the spot where Cook's crew and the local Guugu Yimithirr made what is now believed to be the first recorded reconciliation between Europeans and Indigenous Australians.


Distance: ~700 m / 9 min walk from the motel

Cooktown Discovery Festival (June)

Each June, Cooktown hosts the Discovery Festival — a long-weekend celebration that includes a costumed re-enactment of the 1770 landing, told from both the British and the Guugu Yimithirr perspectives. The festival, parade, markets, and concerts make it the busiest weekend on the Cooktown calendar.


Location: In and around Cooktown

Best time to visit: June each year — book well ahead

Black Mountain National Park

A spectacular geological landmark about 25 km south of Cooktown — vast piles of black granite boulders that are sacred to the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people and home to species (including the rare ghost bat) found nowhere else. Pull in at the lookout for the views; don't venture onto the boulders.


Distance/drive time: ~25 km / ~30 min drive south

The Endeavour River

Cook's ship sat for 48 days while the crew repaired the damaged hull. Today, the river is a fishing, boating, and cruise destination — barramundi season, crocodile-spotting cruises, and the Endeavour River foreshore walking trail.


Distance: Walking distance from the motel

Best time to visit: Year-round; barramundi closed season Nov–Feb

Cape York Peninsula & Beyond

Cooktown is widely considered the southern gateway to Cape York. From the motel, you're within driving range of Lakefield National Park, the Bloomfield Track south to the Daintree, the PDR north to the Tip, the Lions Den Hotel, and the Quinkan Country rock-art galleries near Laura. Plan — many roads are 4WD-only and closed during the wet season (roughly November to April).


Location: Cape York day trips and multi-day tours all start from Cooktown

Best time to visit: Dry season Apr–Oct is best; wet season closes many roads