Discover Australia's Indigenous culture and explore the rugged beauty of the Lower Cape on this 2-day, small-group Cooktown tour from Cairns or Port Douglas. You will pass the World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park and the famous Bloomfield. You will travel in 4 wheel drive. Take a trip with the traditional Aboriginal storyteller of the Nugal-warra clan and see his ancestral art. The tour includes an overnight stay in Cooktown, Australia's first non-indigenous settlement.
Highlights
- Done in English
- Multi-day trip
- Personalized service for small groups
- Professional, friendly and informative guide
- Lunch included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off included
Day 1 – Cairns, Northern Beaches and Port Douglas to Cooktown
You'll be taken by air-conditioned 4×4 to travel north along Captain Cook's Route, one of Australia's most scenic coastal drives. After crossing the mighty Daintree River by cable, travel through the spectacular Daintree National Park, which contains the largest number of rare or endangered plant and animal species in the world. Along the way, your knowledgeable guide will introduce you and hear stories as you continue by 4×4 on the Bloomfield through some of the most incredible scenery in Australia. You will stop for lunch at the famous Lion's Den Hotel (established in 1875), one of the oldest in North Queensland with its old pubs. Continue to the unique geological oddity of the Montagne Noire, shrouded in mystery and ancient Aboriginal legends. Arriving in Cooktown, have your camera ready for a 360 degree panoramic view from the Grassy Hill of Cooktown and the Endeavor River. Overnight in Cooktown.
Day 2 – Cooktown to Cairns, Northern Beaches and Port Douglas
In the morning, you will be picked up from your accommodation by Willie Gordon, an Elder Nugal-warra. Willie will take you to his ancient rock art sites, set in stunning countryside on the hills above Hope Vale, a 40 minute journey from Cooktown. You'll drive through spectacular scenery to six rock art sites, including an Ancestral Cave of Birth and the Cave of Reconciliation. Willie will give you amazing insight into Indigenous society and spirituality and have you thought about your own relationship to the land and how the sayings of its people can apply to all of us. (Covered and closed shoes must be worn on this tour).
You will have free time to explore Cooktown before returning to Port Douglas or Cairns in the afternoon. On the return journey, travel the Mulligan Highway through a diverse landscape of cattle ranches and the Palmer Goldfields region, Far North Queensland's Outback.
Detailed schedule
Starting point :
Departs from a most centrally located location in Cairns, the Northern Beaches and hotels in Port Douglas, including residential addresses
Departure time :
- Cairns 07h00
- The Northern Beaches 07:30 a.m.
- Port Douglas 08h30
Return details:
Return to Cairns around 21pm, Northern Beaches at 30pm and Port Douglas at 21pm on day 00
