Up north from Cairns in Cape York lies the historic Cooktown,
which, as its namesake "proudly proclaims",
was the spot where Captain James Cook's ship
ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef and
was forced to berth for repairs on 11 June 1770.

The fateful 2-month stay proved immensely fruitful
as his botanist, Sir Joseph Banks, collected specimens
and discovered the famed Ozzie resident
- the "Kangaru", as the natives called it.

The place remained quiet thereafter until gold (what else?) was discovered in 1873.
This led to an invasion of European and Chinese miners, which was heavily (and bloodily)
resisted by the native aboriginal tribes.

The gold has since fizzled out and today,
the quiet town turns boisterous every June,
for three days over the Queen's Birthday weekend,
to celebrate the Cooktown Endeavour Festival.

The festivities
include street
parades, sporting events, colourful competitions,
a re-enactment of Cook's landing (featuring local "acting talents"), and even a cannon blast! Touristy, no doubt, but the crowds certainly lap it all up in good fun.

The James Cook Historical Museum comes highly recommended but unfortunately, it was renovating at the time I was there.

Beautiful tiles at the Waterfront
illustrate the history and legends of this area.

The old Cooktown Botanic Gardens still had a lot to be done in terms of restoration,
but its new Interpretative Centre is worth a visit for an introduction to the botany in the region as well as an excellent art gallery.

Fascinating aboriginal myths are captured in this "Old Man Fog" collection at the Interpretive Centre.

Following in the shoes of Sir Joseph Banks,
another renowned botanist, Vera Scarth Johnson,
settled here and embarked on a painstaking lifelong project
to preserve the botany in the area in detailed illustrations.
Above work features the floral emblem of Queensland
- the Cooktown orchid.