Cooktown

The last major settlement on the east coast of the continent, Cooktown sits at the edge of a difficult wilderness. Its wide main street consists mainly of two-story pubs with four-wheel-drives parked out front. Despite the frontier air, Cooktown has an impressive history. It was here in 1770 that Captain James Cook beached HMS Endeavour to repair her hull. Any tour of Cooktown should begin at the waterfront, where a statue of Cook gazes out to sea, overlooking the spot where he landed.