The story of Cooktown

After ripping a big hole in the bottom of their boat at Cape Tribulation, Cook and the good crew of the Endeavour made their way slowly north looking for a safe harbour where they could make repairs.

But they were taking on a lot of water and feared they’d probably meet a watery end. On 11 June 1770, the day after they hit the reef, Banks write in his journal “She leaked so fast with all our pumps we could just keep her free. Fear of death now stared us in the face”. None of them could swim.

They kept the ship afloat by “fothering” her - wrapping a sail around the hole in her bottom like a giant bandage - and pumping as hard as they could. A couple of boats were sent ahead to guide them through the reefs and eventually, a week after the Cape Tribulation mishap, they found a harbour and with the help of a stiff breeze made their way into the mouth of what was later named the Endeavour River. Cook and his crew lived to sail another day.

There was a brief stand-off between the crew of the Endeavour and the Guugu Yimithirr people, culminating in an altercation over some sea turtles that the crew had killed for food and refused to share with their hosts. Bad mannered lot.

But tensions didn’t last long and when the Guugu Yimithirr approached Cook to make peace, spears and muskets were laid down at a place that’s now known as Reconciliation Rocks.

It was while they were here that Cook, Banks and their men first saw (and ate) a kangaroo, which the locals called gungurru.

It’s a picturesque and pretty laid-back town with a beautiful harbour surrounded by mountains, sandy beaches, waterfalls and tropical foliage (not to forget the ubiquitous and annoying crocs). Everywhere you look there are tributes to Cook and the town’s history. It’s well worth a visit, but leave your hat at home. This place is windy!