52 Pubs in 52 weeks
From Cooktown to Cardwell and Cairns to Karumba, Far North Queensland is blessed with watering holes like no where else in Australia. Populated by a tough, hard drinking, always friendly assortment of characters, rogues and comedians, our pubs and hotels ooze character and history. This year our reporters are sinking schooners and meeting regulars right across our vast circulation area to give you 52 Pubs in 52 Weeks. Enjoy. And cheers! Like to see a pub featured on here? Send your suggestions to digital@tcp.newsltd.com.au
The Cape
York Hotel
York Hotel
Publicans Gayle Scowcroft and her son, Ben, bought the Cape York and bottle shop on Spence St four years ago.
The Peeramon
Hotel
Hotel
Walking away from one of the Tableland's oldest pubs was not an option for its owner or his loyal band of supporters.
The Garradunga
Hotel
Hotel
When things go bump in the night as they are prone to do at the haunted Garradunga Pub north of Innisfail
The Grand Hotel,
Cairns
Cairns
Nick Goos doesn`t have to move a muscle for the world to come to him at the Grand Hotel.
The Cow Bay Hotel, Daintree
In the World Heritage-listed Daintree rainforest, there’s a laidback pub where the locals don’t have to wear shoes.
The Great Northern
Hotel Gordonvale
Hotel Gordonvale
Where Everybody Knows Your Name: at Gordonvale’s Great Northern Hotel.
The Bottom Pub,
Kuranda
Kuranda
The couple pride themselves in running a “real” pub so there’s no pool table, pokies, TAB or loud jukebox
The Crown Hotel,
Cairns
Cairns
History, characters, and old-fashioned mateship – it’s hard to beat the 125-year-old Crown Hotel
The Courthouse
Hotel, Cairns
Hotel, Cairns
The venue has become famous for having the cheapest Coronas in town and its large beer garden.
The Malanda
Hotel
Hotel
Build it and they will come could well be the motto of the family behind the historic Malanda Hotel.
The Red Beret
Hotel, Redlynch
Hotel, Redlynch
“Would I recommend this pub to my mates? Well, I say, if they don’t drink here, then they’re not my mates.”
The Grafton Hotel
Edmonton
Edmonton
The hotel at Edmonton has weathered over 101 years but some things stay true – the loyal patrons.
The Port Douglas
Court House Hotel
Court House Hotel
Both the Central and Court House Hotels lay claim to the title and as both were established in 1878
The Babinda
State Hotel
State Hotel
100 years ago, when the then Clyde Rd, now the Bruce Highway, was better known as 'Glass Bottle Street'.
The Post Office Hotel, Mossman
There was a time when the Post Office Hotel at Mossman had a true international flavour
The Barron
Valley Hotel
Valley Hotel
Eighty-one years after Lebanese emigre Scondor Nasser bought the Barron Valley in Atherton
The Daintree Inn
Mossman
Mossman
When John Gunderson describes the Daintree Inn at Mossman as the best pub he's ever been to
The Top Pub,
Cooktown
Cooktown
Proudly surveying her bustling bar, Brenda Krop is a glowing advertisement for life off the beaten track.
The Currajah
Hotel
Hotel
Undies, thongs and socks sit jauntily on indignant hunting trophies at the Currajah Hotel
The Lions Den
Hotel, Cooktown
Hotel, Cooktown
Max Nully is part-publican, part-custodian of one of the most historic establishments in Far North Queensland.
The Crown Hotel
Innisfail
Innisfail
These days The Crown Hotel is more famous as a place to party, with something happening every night
The Mt Molloy
National Hotel
National Hotel
Mr Vains has a special connection with the pub – he has lived next door all his life
The Hotel Tully,
Tully
Tully
More than 100 people sheltered inside Hotel Tully as cyclone Yasi unleashed her fury on the town
The Graham Hotel,
Mareeba
Mareeba
The Graham Hotel used to be a home-away-from-home for the local constabulary,
The Junction Hotel, Dimbulah
At one time, Dimbulah's Junction Hotel boasted one of the longest - if not the longest - bars in Queensland.
The Westcourt Tavern, Cairns
“You know you’re enjoying ourself at a pub when you can come in and they know what you’re drinking.”
The Riverstone Hotel, Gordonvale
Albert Murgha eases into his chair by the doorway of the Riverstone Hotel to just watch the world go by.
The Atherton Hotel
When locals talk about the landmark Atherton Hotel, they are likely to refer to it as the Stump.
Central Hotel
Port Douglas
Port Douglas
From cyclone beatings, to snakes in the bar, the Central Hotel has history, humour and a sense of style
The Tolga Hotel, Tablelands
Everybody from local farmers, plumbers, miners and race horse owners bond at the only pub in town.
The Highlander Tavern, Julatten
The Highlander Tavern at Julatten has more than its fair share of rural charm and rugged characters.
The Mt Sheridan Tavern
"Wild Bill" shoulders into the Mt Sheridan Tavern and within moments is in hysterics.
The Mossman Hotel
"Slim" John Denman looks as though butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.
The Kairi Hotel
Regulars at the Kairi Hotel lament the passing of the "good old days"
The Barron River Hotel
Many yarns have been spun across the bar, but it's rarely the bar itself that tells its own story.
The Hambleton Hotel
Welcome to Hambo, owned by a Kiwi. His patrons try not to hold it against him.
The Cock n' Bull Hotel
When Cairns was "really" Cairns, the pubs were pumping on every other street corner.
The Millaa Millaa Hotel
They bought the Millaa Millaa Hotel Motel because they wanted a "proper pub".
The Balaclava Hotel
Publican Pat Conlan doesn't put up with nonsense.
The Royal Hotel, Herberton
The charm of Herberton's Royal Hotel is reason enough to take up drinking.
PJ O'Brien's, Cairns
Within an hour of touching down in Cairns, four Irish mates are found sipping a beer at PJ O'Brien's.
The Mountain View Hotel, Gordonvale
Steeped in all the tradition and charm you'd expect of any country Queensland pub.
The Ant Hill Hotel, Mareeba
First drinks were chinked at Ant Hill Hotel about 60 years ago.
The Mena Creek Hotel, Mena Creek
"Everyone knows God created Mena Creek first"
The Tully Heads Tavern
Tully Heads Hotel owner Jayne Barnes loves to belt out a tune after cooking a "bloody good steak".
The Goondi Hill Hotel
Barmaid Renee Simpson keeps a close eye on regular customer 'Dutchy'.
The Marine Hotel, Cardwell
The monster Cyclone Yasi tore up homes, roads and businesses, leaving Cardwell in tatters.
The Aloomba Hotel
70 years ago, Gordon Cotterill used to ride his horse, Tingle, to his favourite pub, The Aloomba Hotel.
The Lake Eacham Hotel, Yungaburra
"No crocodiles, no stingers, no dengue fever: come up to Yungaburra and have a beer."
The Tully Falls Hotel, Ravenshoe
This Hotel was't always so family oriented - and the evidence is there for all to see.
The Ellis Beach Bar & Grill
Swing by the Ellis Beach Bar and Grill, and you'll realise why it's the choice pub for travellers.
The Railway Hotel, Cairns
When it comes to watering holes of FNQ, there is no greater underdog than the Railway Hotel.
