We are running late and the office at the Cooktown Holiday Park has closed when we arrive, so we ring the telephone number given on the office door. There is a quick response and we are given a warm welcome by Tammy. Tammy gives us an information pack on Cooktown and is able to recommend places of interest in the area. She seems genuinely proud of her town.

We set up camp on a grassy patch near the creek, with plenty of shade. The lawns and gardens are beautifully maintained. There are lots of trees throughout the campsite and hedges around the pool. (more…)

The Mantra Esplanade is a very comfortable hotel, well located on the Esplanade. We booked into Room 52 on the 5^th floor overlooking Cairns Waterfront Park and the Pier.

Our room had a Queen-sized bed, sofa bed, coffee table, console with bar-size fridge, tea and coffee making facilities, couple of wine glasses and couple of tumblers, TV, air conditioning, a wardrobe containing iron and ironing board and a safe.

There was a good sized bathroom with bath, shower over the bath, basin and toilet.

Our room had sliding glass doors onto a small balcony (with a small outdoor table and two chairs) overlooking The Esplanade.

Parking was available however our high 4WD vehicle did not fit. We were able to park our vehicle at the front of the building overnight (free parking between 5pm and 8am).

We stayed just one night at the Mantra as Cairns was the starting point of a 4-week camping trip to Broome. Woolworths was just one street away so it was convenient for us to do a big shop before the trip.

A short walk away, we enjoyed dinner at Ba Mien Vietnamese restaurant on Aplin Street. We shared a number of delicious authentic Vietnamese dishes. This casual eatery had tables outside on the footpath and was BYO. It was great value for money and very pleasant on a balmy evening.

We can highly recommend a stay at the Mantra Esplanade, Cairns.