Arrived at Endeavour Falls c/van park about 30k north/west of Cooktown fairly easy driving,but ask at visitor centre in town before you set out conditions can change from day to day.Set up camp then headed out to Hopevale ,interesting place to visit,as it is a aboriginal community so no alcohol is allowed pas this point.
Some very talented artists and craft persons live here..The Hopevale art's and craft cultural centre is well worth a visit.Mostof the goods are for sale, the boy's purchased a painting each , but be most gear is fairly expensive .
We took the tour of the ancestral rock art's sites can also have a bush feast,but we passed this offer up.
All tours are to be booked in Cooktown.About a 50 minute trip from Cooktown on partially unsealed road.
To visit or camp at Eddies Camp at beautiful Elim Beach a permit once again has to be obtained for $10 at the servo in Hopevale
( not open Sunday's ) Eddies Beach camp ground is owned by old Eddie an aboriginal man who must be in his last 80's .there is toilets and showers,but no power generators are allowed until a certain time at night. Must have own food ,but there is water.
This is a top spot as some of the camps are only about 10mts away from the water.He charges $10 per person a night.
This camp spot is only recommended for tents and camper trailers.But we noticed a few motorhomes parked in there.
The beach is great as you can drive right along it ,just be aware of the tides.The coloured sands are spectacular.
Fishing and crabbing is what the people come here for. Also there was kite surfers out having a wow of a time, but do not think that would be on my must do list here, guess they were not concerned about what lurks beneath the water in these parts.
There is a wreck about 600mts off shore and they recon the fishing out around it is fantastic.Can launch a tinny from the waters edge ,would need to throw the anker over though.We sat and was watching some aboriginal people spear fishing in water just up to their knees ,it was some thing I had never seen done before in real life.
The trip out to here takes about 1hr on an unsealed road which winds through white silca sand hills,rugged escarpments and heath lands.
Lizard Island can be seen from here.Charter boats go out there from Cooktown and also flights I think from Cairns..The boys want to take a charter boat out there ,so if we do that it means another day latter we leave this top place.so we will head back into Cooktown in the morning and see if we can book a cruise out there for Friday.Also hope we can get back into the $5 camp spot again seeing we have had a brake from our two night stay. There is a lot of people in Cooktown staying ,last time wife and I stayed here, I did not think the place was invaded by the tourist trade,and will probably get worse with school holidays up in QLD just around the corner.
Dougwe said
03:13 PM Jun 19, 2013
Very informative there Herbie, it sounds a great trip so far, keep up the good work and enjoy the playground but most importantly,
GaryKelly said
07:08 PM Jun 19, 2013
Thanks for the update, Herbie. Sounds like a great spot up there, with lots of interesting attractions. I'd go crazy with the camera for sure!
Sheba said
03:15 AM Jun 20, 2013
Thanks for the Info. Herbie. Sounds as though there are lots of new places opening up since I lived at Temple Bay. When I went through Hope-vale, just after they opened the new Road to the Daintree, I don't think you were allowed to stop in Hopevale. You could drive through though.
Cheers,
Sheba.
glassies said
01:57 AM Jun 21, 2013
i love cooktown always did its very much like being in nz i reckon the mountains across from the water look amazing im not sure if i did elim beach though and it sounds amazing too.
i will def keep that one in mine and sounds like a trip for our little camper instead of our great big beast of a van.
Arrived at Endeavour Falls c/van park about 30k north/west of Cooktown fairly easy driving,but ask at visitor centre in town before you set out conditions can change from day to day.Set up camp then headed out to Hopevale ,interesting place to visit,as it is a aboriginal community so no alcohol is allowed pas this point.
Some very talented artists and craft persons live here..The Hopevale art's and craft cultural centre is well worth a visit.Mostof the goods are for sale, the boy's purchased a painting each , but be most gear is fairly expensive .
We took the tour of the ancestral rock art's sites can also have a bush feast,but we passed this offer up.
All tours are to be booked in Cooktown.About a 50 minute trip from Cooktown on partially unsealed road.
To visit or camp at Eddies Camp at beautiful Elim Beach a permit once again has to be obtained for $10 at the servo in Hopevale
( not open Sunday's ) Eddies Beach camp ground is owned by old Eddie an aboriginal man who must be in his last 80's .there is toilets and showers,but no power generators are allowed until a certain time at night. Must have own food ,but there is water.
This is a top spot as some of the camps are only about 10mts away from the water.He charges $10 per person a night.
This camp spot is only recommended for tents and camper trailers.But we noticed a few motorhomes parked in there.
The beach is great as you can drive right along it ,just be aware of the tides.The coloured sands are spectacular.
Fishing and crabbing is what the people come here for. Also there was kite surfers out having a wow of a time, but do not think that would be on my must do list here, guess they were not concerned about what lurks beneath the water in these parts.
There is a wreck about 600mts off shore and they recon the fishing out around it is fantastic.Can launch a tinny from the waters edge ,would need to throw the anker over though.We sat and was watching some aboriginal people spear fishing in water just up to their knees ,it was some thing I had never seen done before in real life.
The trip out to here takes about 1hr on an unsealed road which winds through white silca sand hills,rugged escarpments and heath lands.
Lizard Island can be seen from here.Charter boats go out there from Cooktown and also flights I think from Cairns..The boys want to take a charter boat out there ,so if we do that it means another day latter we leave this top place.so we will head back into Cooktown in the morning and see if we can book a cruise out there for Friday.Also hope we can get back into the $5 camp spot again seeing we have had a brake from our two night stay. There is a lot of people in Cooktown staying ,last time wife and I stayed here, I did not think the place was invaded by the tourist trade,and will probably get worse with school holidays up in QLD just around the corner.
Thanks for the Info. Herbie. Sounds as though there are lots of new places opening up since I lived at Temple Bay. When I went through Hope-vale, just after they opened the new Road to the Daintree, I don't think you were allowed to stop in Hopevale. You could drive through though.
Cheers,
Sheba.
im not sure if i did elim beach though and it sounds amazing too.
i will def keep that one in mine and sounds like a trip for our little camper instead of our great big beast of a van.