Discover History With Cairns To Cooktown 4WD Tours

Well with the Far North Queensland tropical coast having just endured its wettest December in 40 years and Cyclone Penny reforming today, as I write this, in the Coral Sea, our decision to travel to and from Cooktown via the inland, outback route for our day tours across our highest rainfall months of January, February & March has more than been justified.    

During these months, the Bloomfield Track on the coastal route is regularly closed, in fact only several weeks ago the Daintree River breached its banks resulting in the closure of the car vehicle ferry thus making it impossible to get to Cooktown via the coast from Cairns.  

In addition to regular road closures on the coastal route during our wet months, hazardous creek crossings and rock falls are a regular occurrence.   

Comfort And Safety

​For these reasons and for the personal safety, comfort and convenience of our passengers and staff, our team here at Cairns To Cooktown 4WD Tours choose to operate our day tours to and from Cooktown via the historically interesting inland, outback route across our wettest months of January, February and March. 

By the way, I mentioned “historically interesting” in my last paragraph, well the inland, outback route is a history buff’s paradise with stories and myths of the amazing feats of the very early gold explorers and pioneers particularly throughout the harsh Palmer River area. 

At Cairns To Cooktown 4WD Tours we travel directly through this country stopping for a number of classic photo opportunities along the way. 

Did you know that the Palmer River was in fact one of Australia’s very early gold rush locations? 

Gold was discovered in 1872 in a bed of the Palmer River. 

The early miners in the Palmer River region included Chinese, many from the Guangdong Province in Southern China. 

Although most of the surface gold has long since been prospected, there are still many people willing to have a go with their metal detectors and hopefully find that elusive gold nugget. 

At the Palmer River Roadhouse, we’ll stop for a coffee and a leg stretch, here you will also get the opportunity to visit their quaint little museum where you’ll see some of the original tools etc used by the very early gold miners.  

And speaking of history, not long after leaving the Palmer River region, we’ll drop into the fantastically interesting Lions Den Hotel for a “coldy”. I’ll talk more about this extraordinary example of an historic Queensland pub in a future blog.Cairns To Cooktown

So yes, on our Cairns To Cooktown 4WD Tours, irrespective of the time of the year, you can be assured of an interesting, fun day with memories that will stay with you forever.

By the way, do you know the floral emblem for our State of Queensland?
You’ve got it…….the Cooktown Orchid!

Hope to see you on our next tour, so book now!

Cheers, Dale