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Milbi Wall (The Story Wall)

Landmarks and Buildings

Milbi Wall (The Story Wall)

To acknowledge the significance of the first known European contact with the Aboriginal people of the area, Cook Shire Council decided to have a Memorial to tell from an Aboriginal point of view. Council invited local Aboriginal people to tell their story in ceramic tiles and build a Story Wall right at the spot where, in 1770, Captain James Cook and his crew first set foot. The Milbi Wall was developed by a group of local Aboriginal artists and storytellers, with assistance from a well-known potter and the Gungarde Aboriginal Corporation. The 12m long Milbi Wall was built in three sections. Part one explains the Creation Stories and shows how the Endeavour River and Cooktown were made. Part two commemorates the first historic meeting between Aboriginal people and Captain Cook and his crew. It traces the history of Aboriginal people from the early settlement times and the gold-rush days, until the Second World War. Part three depicts the important 1967 referendum when the Australian people overwhelmingly recognised the right of Aboriginal people to equality with all other Australians and it shows the advances Aboriginal people have made as well as recognising the problems they have faced.

Cooktown QLD

0.2 km away

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Cooktown Museum
Image credit: NTAQ

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Cooktown Museum

Cooktown Museum offers visitors an enriching experience of history, culture, and natural beauty. Situated in a heritage-listed building, the museum immerses guests in the fascinating stories of Cooktown’s past, including its connection to James Cook, the Guugu Yimithirr people, and the region's rich maritime heritage. The exhibits are thoughtfully curated to engage visitors of all ages. Highlights include the Endeavour Gallery, which showcases artifacts from James Cook’s voyage, and a tribute to the Guugu Yimithirr people, who share their deep connection to the land and sea. Interactive displays, multimedia presentations, and rare historical objects provide an engaging journey into Cooktown’s vibrant history. Its unique combination of heritage, storytelling, and cultural respect is what sets Cooktown Museum apart. The museum celebrates the enduring legacy of the local community while preserving the historic charm of its 19th-century building. Visitors can enjoy tranquil garden spaces and breathtaking views of the Endeavour River. A trip to Cooktown Museum is an opportunity to connect with stories that shaped Queensland’s history. It’s an unforgettable experience where past and present meet.

Cooktown QLD

0.2 km away

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Nature's Powerhouse entry
Image credit: Cook Shire Council

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Nature's Powerhouse

Nature's Powerhouse – Cooktown's Gateway to the Botanic Gardens and Local Culture Discover the heart of Cooktown's natural and cultural heritage at Nature's Powerhouse, a unique visitor and interpretive centre nestled in the lush surrounds of the Cooktown Botanic Gardens. Explore the acclaimed Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery, showcasing exquisite botanical illustrations and stories of local flora and Aboriginal culture. Enjoy locally made food and coffee at the on-site café, browse regional art and handmade gifts, and get expert tips at the Visitor Information Centre. Whether you're a history buff, art lover, nature enthusiast, or simply exploring the Cape York region, Nature's Powerhouse is a must-visit destination.

Cooktown QLD

0.3 km away

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Black Mountain National Park
Image credit: TTNQ

Natural Attractions

Kalkajaka National Park (CYPAL)

An imposing mountain range of massive granite boulders is home to unique wildlife and rich in Aboriginal culture. The Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Kalkajaka National Park (CYPAL) are the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people. At the northern end of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, Kalkajaka National Park (CYPAL) contains an imposing mountain range of black granite boulders. These formidable boulders, some the size of houses, stack precariously on one another—appearing to defy both gravity and logic. The wet tropics and drier savanna/woodland regions meet in this park, making it a refuge for wildlife. The extraordinary combination of flora and geomorphology provides a habitat for an unusual range of wildlife, including species that are endemic (entirely confined) to this boulder-jumbled mountain. Kalkajaka (meaning 'place of spear'), is an important meeting place for the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people and is the source of many Dreaming stories.

Cooktown QLD

20 km away

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Trevathan Falls
Image credit: Tourism Tropical North Queensland

Natural Attractions

Trevathan Falls

Just that little bit off the beaten path south of Cooktown, Trevathan Falls is a stunning waterfall to add to your itinerary. The falls are located off Mt Amos Road off the Mulligan Highway and are just a short walk from the end of the road. This moss-covered cascade is a fantastic place to swim in and is a must visit on any four wheel drive trip to Cooktown or The Tip of Australia. A 4WD is required to access Trevathan Falls. With its diverse wilderness and abundant national parks, Tropical North Queensland is home to many beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes. It's important to always follow the advice from Queensland Parks and never venture into out of bounds areas, flooded waters or dangerous areas to prevent serious injury or death.

Cooktown QLD

24 km away

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Little Annan Gorge

Natural Attractions

Little Annan Gorge

Little Annan Gorge is a gorge and swimming hole on the Anna River near Cooktown! It is safe to swim at the top of the gorge as there is no way crocodiles can get up the waterfall. Little Annan Gorge can be found on the Mulligan Highway at Rossville in Queensland.

Rossville QLD

25 km away

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Steve's Bommie

Natural Attractions

Steve's Bommie Dive Site

Located north of Cairns, Steve’s Bommie is an incredible dive site located at Ribbon Reef No.3. The bommie rises from 30 metres deep up to just five metres below the water, and attracts schools of bigeye trevally, barracuda, yellow-lined snapper, Moses perch, yellow-lined goatfish and many others! Macro photographers love the large population of nudibranchs, flatworms, pipefish, scorpionfish, lionfish, mantis shrimps and other small sea life. Other residents are flaming file shells and highly venomous reef stonefish. Closer to the top, you’ll find five species of anemone fish and countless other reef fish.

Cairns QLD

57 km away

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False Entrance Dive Site

Natural Attractions

False Entrance Dive Site

A large bay cutting into the reef edge at Osprey Reef, which looks like another lagoon entry point, gave this site its name of False Entrance! This bay has gutters and bommies for divers to explore in depths to 30 metres, before coming to a wall that drops into the abyss. Exploring this bay, divers will encounter whitetip reef sharks, turtles, Maori wrasse, moray eels and a good variety of reef fish. A large school of bigeye trevally usually gather in the bay and often circle spellbound divers. Divers venturing to the reef edge and peering into the blue will generally be rewarded with views of grey reef sharks, silvertip sharks, mackerel, dogtooth tuna and make a manta ray.

Cairns QLD

61 km away

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Around The Bend Dive Site

Natural Attractions

Around The Bend Dive Site

A bend in the reef at Osprey Reef gave this site its name, and it is well worth going Around The Bend at this exciting dive site. Often washed by currents, so generally done as a drift dive, Around The Bend is a plateau at the top of the reef wall with gutters, ridges and bommies to explore in depths to 30 metres. The main feature of the site is a pretty bommie covered in soft corals and gorgonians. A cleaning station, this bommie attracts every fish in the neighbourhood for a daily clean, including passing manta rays. This is the best site to observe graceful manta rays at Osprey Reef, and when getting cleaned they hover over the bommie for minutes at a time, allowing divers to closely inspect them. Around The Bend is also a good site to see reef sharks, pelagic fish and turtles.

Cairns QLD

70 km away

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Emmagen Creek
Image credit: TPDD

Natural Attractions

Emmagen Creek

Immogen Creek is a serene and picturesque waterway nestled within the lush rainforests of the Daintree region. Known for its crystal-clear waters and tranquil ambiance, the creek winds gently through ancient trees, vibrant foliage, and diverse wildlife. Visitors can immerse themselves in the peaceful sounds of nature, enjoy refreshing dips in the cool waters, or simply relax along its shaded banks. Perfect for nature lovers, Imogen Creek offers a chance to disconnect from the hustle of daily life and experience the untouched beauty of the world's oldest rainforest. Whether you're seeking a quiet spot for reflection, a scenic picnic location, or a gentle walk along its meandering path, this hidden gem invites you to reconnect with nature in its purest form. Please note: crocodiles are present in the lower brackish waters downstream of the creek crossing. Only swim in the swimming hole itself.

Cape Tribulation QLD

72 km away

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Man on zipline

Natural Attractions

Treetops Adventure Cape Tribulation

Soar through a world heritage rainforest. Experience a fully guided Zipline Tour through the tranquil Daintree Rainforest with Treetops Adventure Cape Tribulation, Far North Queensland! Visitors will be able to experience a bird's eye view of the ancient Daintree Rainforest – up to 15 metres above ground – through a fully guided two and a half hour Zipline Tour. The zipline tour will provide the perfect opportunity to showcase the World Heritage Listed Daintree Rainforest and National Park to travellers of all ages and abilities. After being harnessed up and provided with a safety briefing, guests will begin their tour with ziplines spanning between 15 and 130 metres which will lead them to an 8 metre high enclosed 360-degree viewing platform. Guests will then be guided through an easy treetop walk with bridges, cables and nets allowing them to enjoy the rainforest canopy. A spectacular dual zipline completes the tour.

Cape Tribulation QLD

72 km away

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Mackay Cay

Natural Attractions

Mackay Cay

The snow white sand and the crystal clear waters of Mackay Cay act as the ultimate holiday backdrop. As a small sand island approximately fifty kilometres from Port Douglas, Mackay Cay is located on the north west corner of the Mackay Reef! Mackay Cay is one of many coral cays that are small islands that rise mere metres above high tide. Protecting a variety of endangered plant and animal species, the coral cays are internationally recognised. Take the kids on a trip to one of the most significant sections of the reef or lounge on the picture perfect beach.

Cape Tribulation QLD

77 km away

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Pixie Pinnacle

Natural Attractions

Pixie Pinnacle Dive Site

Situated on the Ribbon Reefs off the coast of Cooktown, hop on a livaboard dive boat in Cairns to discover Pixie Pinnacle. At 30 metres tall and about 15 metres across, Pixie Pinnacle is a pyramid of coral and marine life, with its peak sitting two metres under the water’s surface! Dive down the pinnacle’s gently sloping edges to discover a huge range of hard and soft corals, gorgonians, sea whips and sponges. Visit some of the many caves and overhangs to greet the resident lionfish, moray eels, shrimp, anemones with their clownfish, and the amazing flaming file shells. Pelagic fish often engulf the top of Pixie Pinnacle, with divers surrounded by surgeonfish, trevally and barracuda.

Cairns QLD

77 km away

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Noah Creek Rainforest Trail Reserve - Cape Tribulation-Daintree
Image credit: Noah Creek

Natural Attractions

Noah Creek Rainforest Trail Reserve

Noah Creek Rainforest Reserve is a 500 acre, privately managed eco-tourism destination offering exclusive access to a network of pristine rainforest walking trails, waterfalls, and natural swimming holes in the heart of the Daintree World Heritage Area and surrounded by National Park. The Reserve delivers a distinctive and sustainable rainforest experience through the following core products and services: Eco-accommodation: On-site eco-hut accommodation providing guests with private access to the reserve's rainforest trails, waterfalls, and swimming holes. Walking trails: A diverse network of trails catering to a range of abilities — from gentle interpretive walks to more challenging mountain routes.

Thornton Beach QLD

77 km away

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Challenger Bay

Natural Attractions

Challenger Bay Dive Site

Divers that love to watch fish, and plenty of them, will have a great time exploring Challenger Bay! Located on Ribbon Reef No.10, north of Cairns, Challenger Bay is a picturesque sandy bay dotted with small bommies and lovely coral gardens. Home to dozens of cleaning stations, divers will see the fish queueing up to be cleaned at these service points; including sweetlips, triggerfish, coral trout, rock cods and angelfish. Schooling fish tend to gather at Challenger Bay and it is common to see trevally, barracuda, snappers and humphead parrotfish. Challenger Bay is a brilliant dive site where you will also see reef sharks, stingrays, cuttlefish, Maori wrasse, moray eels, nudibranchs and a large colony of garden eels.

Cairns QLD

78 km away

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Clam Gardens

Natural Attractions

Clam Gardens Dive Site

The name kind of gives it away, but divers will see a number of giant clams while exploring the Clam Gardens. Located on the Ribbon Reefs, north of Cairns, the giant clams at the Clam Gardens are set in a very pretty coral garden, dominated by a range of healthy hard and soft corals! This site is home to an abundance of reef fish, including angelfish, butterflyfish, lionfish, rabbitfish, trumpetfish, rock cods and many others. Numerous invertebrate species are also common at this site; divers will find octopus, cuttlefish, sea stars and many colourful nudibranchs. Larger species found at the Clam Gardens include Maori wrasse, barracuda and giant moray eels.

Cairns QLD

78 km away

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Lighthouse Bommie

Natural Attractions

Lighthouse Bommie Dive Site

Lighthouse Bommie is a giant tower of coral that rises from the sea floor at 25 metres and stands 20 metres tall! Located on the Ribbon Reefs, north of Cairns, this impressive pinnacle is visited each week by liveaboard dive boats. The bommie is fascinating to explore as it is decorated with pretty corals and home to a great variety of invertebrate species. But like many spots on the Ribbon Reefs most divers will be spellbound by the fish life that swirls around the bommie. Massive schools of snapper swarm at the base of Lighthouse Bommie, while the top is usually engulfed in a whirlpool of trevally. But divers are also likely to see reef sharks, turtles, barracuda, sea snakes, lionfish, mackerel and even the odd dwarf minke whale over the winter months.

Cairns QLD

78 km away

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Monolith

Natural Attractions

Monolith Dive Site

Located on Ribbon Reef No.10, Monolith offers the diver the option of exploring a coral wall or a collection of scattered bommies, or both if you have time. In depths to 30 metres divers will commonly see nudibranchs, coral trout, sweetlips, batfish, pufferfish, moray eels and many colourful reef fish! A feature of this site is a large expanse of fist coral, but Monolith is also home to a colony of garden eels that live in the sand. Pelagic fish patrol this wall, including barracuda, trevally and mackerel, but divers should also keep an eye out for the resident hammerhead, that occasionally makes an appearance at this wonderful dive site.

Cairns QLD

78 km away

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Two Towers

Natural Attractions

Two Towers Dive Site

Two Towers could be called Two Big Towers and Several Smaller Towers as this site is a wonderful collection of bommies on the Ribbon Reefs, north of Cairns. Rising from 25 metres, the two main pinnacles stand 20 metres tall and are covered in lovely corals and a great variety of invertebrate species and reef fish. The smaller bommies at this site are also home to a fascinating array of marine life, but these rarely get a look in, as there is just too much to see at this dive site. Sea snakes, reef sharks, stingrays, turtles, trevally, barracuda, batfish, mackerel and schools of yellow-lined snapper are just some of the species seen at this site!

Cairns QLD

78 km away

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Cooper Creek
Image credit: TPDD

Natural Attractions

Cooper Creek

Found in the Daintree Rainforest, Cooper Creek is the meeting place of the regions two World Heritage sites – the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Cooper Creek winds through the rainforest halfway between the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation creating the best place to witness the world’s oldest rainforest and the extraordinary biodiversity found in the region’s backyard, that has survived all the changes wrought by time.

Cape Tribulation QLD

80 km away

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Three Sisters

Natural Attractions

Three Sisters Dive Site

The Three Sisters, part of the impressive Milln Reef, can be found just a short boat trip from Cairns! The three large, colourful bommies are perhaps most famous for the Gorgonian Gorge, with the second and third sisters rising to within one metre of the surface - the three metre gap between them is constantly filled with schools of fusiliers and snapper. Immense schools of snapper, surgeonfish and sweetlips populate the peaks of the pinnacle, while larger pelagic fish are known to use the Gorgonian Gorge as their gateway between the coast and the Pacific Ocean. Snorkellers and divers alike will find lots to see and do, with swim-throughs, overhangs and crevices to explore, as well as deep dives and pinnacles to swim around. The Three Sisters host a huge variety of wonderful coral, often visited by barracuda, reef sharks, moray and garden eels, lagoon rays and turtles.

Cairns QLD

81 km away

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Rainforest Connections walk with participants
Image credit: Daintree Siesta

Natural Attractions

Rainforest Connections Walk

Rainforest Connections Walk – Daintree Rainforest. Reconnect with nature in the world's oldest continuous tropical rainforest on this guided Rainforest Connections Walk at Daintree Siesta, located in the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland. This small-group, sensory rainforest experience invites guests to slow down and engage deeply with the sights, sounds and textures of the forest on exclusive guest-only walking tracks. Experience highlights: Guided 2-hour rainforest immersion led by the Daintree's first certified Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) guide. A gentle walk, which can be adapted for accessibility needs, with a series of guided invitations to enhance connection with the natural environment. Small groups (maximum 8 participants) for a personalised and intimate experience. Concluding "Tea Under the Trees" – a quiet moment to reflect and share. Inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), this experience focuses on relaxation, mindfulness and nature connection rather than fitness or distance. Guests are encouraged to move slowly, awaken their senses and discover the subtle details of this ancient rainforest ecosystem. Set within private rainforest at Daintree Siesta, the walk offers a more immersive and exclusive alternative to traditional boardwalk experiences. Ideal for: wellness travellers, nature lovers, couples and small groups seeking a deeper Daintree experience.

Diwan QLD

83 km away

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Agincourt Reef

Natural Attractions

Agincourt Reef

Located northeast of Port Douglas, Agincourt Reef is a spectacular series of ribbon reefs on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Positioned along the continental shelf, these long, narrow reef formations are washed by clear Coral Sea currents, providing excellent visibility most of the time and supporting an abundance of marine life. Comprising numerous interconnected reef systems, Agincourt Reef offers an exceptional range of dive and snorkel sites. Visitors can explore Agincourt Reef with local operators, including Quicksilver Cruises, which operates a floating pontoon permanently moored on the reef. From this platform, guests can snorkel, dive, or view the reef from semi-submersibles and underwater observatories. Home to turtles, giant clams, clownfish, and reef sharks, Agincourt Reef supports remarkable biodiversity across pristine coral gardens. Its clear waters and healthy ecosystems make it one of the most sought-after reef destinations in Australia.

Port Douglas QLD

83 km away

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Admiralty Dive Site

Natural Attractions

Admiralty Dive Site

Located at the southern entrance of the Osprey Reef lagoon, Admiralty is named after a large anchor wedged into a gutter at this wonderful dive site! Admiralty is a maze of gutters, ridges and bommies in depths from 10 metres to 30 metres. This terrain offers shelter to sleeping whitetip reef sharks and tawny nurse sharks, but divers are also likely to encounter moray eels, crayfish, stingrays and lionfish. Pelagic fish patrol these gutters as well, so keep an eye out for trevally, rainbow runners, batfish and mackerel. The sandy bottom at Admiralty is also worth exploring, as not only are shrimp gobies common here, but there is a resident colony of garden eels. Admiralty is also a popular site for charter boats to anchor overnight and makes for a great night dive. Whitetip reef sharks and moray eels can be seen looking for a meal, and also on the prowl are lionfish and octopus. Other species seen at night include flatworms, shrimps, crabs and parrotfish wrapping in their sleeping bag cocoons.

Cairns QLD

84 km away

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