Wordless Wednesday: The big mudcrab

Is this Australia's largest crustacean?

Photo Friday: Exploring Cooktown

The quaint Grassy Hill Lighthouse

The amazing view of Cooktown & the Endeavour River from the Grassy Hill Lookout

Finch Bay

Alex enjoyed exploring the Cooktown museum

The Cooktown Musuem

These are some photos from our recent trip to Cooktown. We would have liked some more time to explore this unique area but we did get to see a few interesting places. They have a great museum where we learnt more about the Aboriginal culture as well as Cook's landing and European settlement of the region, the view from Grassy Hill is exquisite and we could see all the way to Alkoomie Station. We also enjoyed exploring Finch Bay just a short walk from the leafy avenues of the Cooktown Botanical Gardens and the local Visitor information Centre which includes an interpretive area, a gallery, giftshop and cafe.

This post is part of a collection of travel photos from around the world coordinated by Debbie Dubrow visit www.delicousbaby.com to see more great travel photos.

Aboriginal Australia - Guurrbi Tours

Guurrbi means – my special place - a place of reflection and calm where you can be at rest. Wangaar-Wuri is certainly this. On our recent trip to Cooktown, Alex and I joined a tour with Willie, our guide, and he invited us to travel through the traditional homeland of his family.

Along the way we experienced what life was like for the Aboriginal people who lived here. Willie showed us gumnuts which become whistles, fibres which can be used to make baskets, flowers which become a candle wick, green ants which can cure coughs and colds and leaves which become soap! Read More

Photo Friday: Outback Cattle Station

Alkoomie Station is a working cattle farm located about an hour west of Cooktown. Located right at the top of the Mount Dickson Escarpment the views from Alkoomie Station are absolutely amazing. You can see the township of Cooktown, the bush covered rolling hills and green valleys to the North and the South of the property as well as the ocean and on clear days even the Great Barrier Reef.

Read more

This post is part of a collection of travel photos called Photo Friday organised by Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for more great family-friendly travel photos and stories from around the world visit http://www.deliciousbaby.com/

Kids go free to the Great Barrier Reef

Kids go free to the Great Barrier Reef these School Holidays and all through April.

This tour takes you out to Moore Reef for a full day outer reef experience. The outer reef is where you'll see the best coral and there are a number of great activities for children of all ages to participate in while you're there:

• The touch tank & marine biologist's talk helps children to learn about the reef
  
• The children's fully enclosed shallow swimming area is perfect for under 5's to paddle in
  
• The Underwater observatory allows non-swimmers to see the reef without getting wet
  
• The semi submersible takes you on an underwater tour of the reef
  
• Glass bottom boats
  
• Fish feeding

Click here to find out more about this great deal.

Kids Go Free Wildlife Safari deal

Gone Wild tours are offering one child free with every two paying adults these school holidays! On this tour you'll have the chance to see friendly Rock Wallabies, amazing birds of prey, and you'll go looking for wild platypus. After a delicious dinner you'll go on a night tour in search of possums, banidcoots, pademelons and other nocturnal wildlife.

Tour Itinerary

1.30pm - Depart Cairns

1.50pm - Henry Ross Lookout for great views over Cairns

2.20pm - The Termite Fruits & Vegetable Stall to taste some seasonal fruit

2.50pm - Granite Gorge Nature Park to hand feed the rock wallabies

3.30pm - Go In Search of Wildlife on the way to our next destination

5.00pm - Bonadio's Mabi Wildlife Reserve

5.05pm - Birds Of Prey & Animal Show

5.30pm - Spot a Platyous on the banks of the Barron River

6.00pm - Dinner Time

7.30pm - Rainforest NightWalk

9.30pm - Return to Cairns

This offer is valid until 28 April 2009. Click here to find our more

Ravenshoe Steam Train

'Capella' the Ravenshoe Steam Train runs most Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm. This historic train takes you on a short journey from the township of Ravenshoe in Cairns Highlands region to the rural community of Tumoulin where the train stops for afternoon tea then turns around and goes back! Read more

School holiday fun

Here are my top 10 fun ideas for kids to do in the Tropical North region these school holidays:

1. Show your kids the Great Barrier Reef – Kids go free to Moore Reef (during April)



2. Spend the day at beautiful Green Island or Mission Beach



3. Take a walk in the rainforest – there are lots of great walking tracks, swimming holes and waterfalls. Some of our favourite spots are:
   · The Waterfall Circuit
   · The Misty Mountains
   · Local swimming holes



4. Get wild – head out to one of the Wildlife parks our favourites are:
   · Johnstone River Crocodile Park
   · Cairns Tropical Zoo
   · Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve



5. Discover Queensland’s No 1 attraction – Paronella Park in the Cassowary Coast


6. Learn more about indigenous Australian culture at Tjapukai or on a guided walk with Guurrbi Tours



7. Go camping at Lake Tinaroo



8. Step back in time on the Ravenshoe Steam Train



9. Visit the outback and spend a couple of days at Undara



10. Explore the Cairns Highlands – we recommend a visit to:
    · Crystal Caves
    · Lake Barrine
    · Mungalli Creek Dairy