Discover Australia's Indigenous culture and explore the rugged beauty of the Lower Cape during this 2-day small-group tour to Cooktown from Cairns or Port Douglas. You'll drive through World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park and the famous Bloomfield Track in a 4×4, take a trip with the traditional Aboriginal storyteller of the Nugal-warra clan and see their ancient ancestral rock art. The tour includes an evening in Cooktown, Australia's first non-Aboriginal 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 an air-conditioned 4×4 to travel north along the Captain Cook Highway, one of Australia's most scenic coastal drives. After crossing the mighty Daintree River by cable ferry, 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 enlighten you with intrigue and history as you continue on the single track from Bloomfield through some of the most incredible scenery in Australia. Stop for lunch at the famous Lion's Den Hotel (established in 1875), one of the oldest pubs in the Northern Bush of Queensland. Continue to the unique geological curiosity of the Montagne Noire, shrouded in mystery and ancient native legend. Arriving in Cooktown, be ready for photography with 360-degree panoramic views of grassy Cooktown Hill and the Endeavor River. Overnight in Cooktown.
Day 2 – Cooktown to Cairns, Northern Beaches and Port Douglas
This morning you will be collected from your accommodation by Willie Gordon, a former Nugal-warra. Willie takes you to his ancestral rock art sites, set in beautiful countryside on the hills above Hope Valley, a 40-minute trip from Cooktown. You cross the road through spectacular scenery to six rock art sites, including an ancestral cave and the Reconciliation Cave. Willie will give you amazing insight into indigenous society and spirituality and you will think about your own relationship to the land and how the knowledge of these people can apply to all of us. (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 your return trip, travel the Mulligan Highway through a diverse landscape of cattle stations and the Palmer Gold Country, Queensland's remote Far North countryside.
Detailed schedule
Starting point :
Tour departs from the most centrally located hotels in Cairns, Northern Beaches and Port Douglas, including residential addresses
Departure time :
- Cairns 07h00
- North Beaches 07:30
- Port Douglas 08h30
Return details:
Return to Cairns around 21pm, Northern Beaches at 30pm and Port Douglas at 21pm on day 00
