Cardwell by the sea – pretty as a picture!!

Situated halfway between Townsville and Cairns, Cardwell is the gateway to the Hinchinbrook experience of untamed wilderness, superb beaches, deserted islands, coral reefs and what is without doubt, the best boating, fishing and wilderness locality along the North Queensland coast.

Cardwell has the unique attribute of being the only town where the highway meets the sea north of Bowen.

Cardwell’s township offers visitors a broad exciting range of diverse holiday experiences. With all services to enhance the visitor’s vacation Cardwell has a great variety of accommodation types including caravan parks, hostels, motels, bed & breakfast’s and resort options for those planning a stay and the variety of restaurants are sure to satisfy the culinary needs of patrons.

Bring your golf clubs and lawn bowls as the Cardwell Country Club offers an excellent 9 hole golf course and club facilities, where visitors are made most welcome.

A visit to the Rainforest & Reef Interpretive & Information Centre located on the Bruce Highway, in the centre of town on the ocean front provides the perfect insider’s guide to the region. The centre’s friendly staff will gladly assist you with all of your queries regarding accommodation, the district “must see” attractions including the Museum, Art Gallery & Bush Telegraph.

Take the Google Street View Virtual Tour of the centre – click/hold/drag on this image to rotate it 360 degrees, click on the arrows that appear to walk from scene to scene. Walk all around the visitor centre out the front doors, along the footpath and Bruce Highway and down through the playground next to the centre:

Hinchinbrook Passage is an idylic part of the world for fishing, a maze of mangrove-lined creeks teeming with fish such as barramundi and mangrove jack not to mention the abundance of oversized mud crabs. Charter operators and guided cruises to Hinchinbrook Channel and Hinchinbrook Island operate daily/on demand and there are also boats for hire for those wishing to go it alone.

The “Cardwell Jetty” located in the centre of town provides land based anglers with an excellent facility to fish from.

Cardwell’s Port Hinchinbrook provides state of the art Marina, public boat ramp and repairs and maintenance facilities for anglers and boaties. It is widely acknowledged that Cardwell is ranked second to none when it comes to all weather and all tide boating & fishing.

Cardwell is steeped in rich history and glorious scenery where two the world heritage areas meet – The Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics.

The Cardwell Forest Drive is a 26 klm scenic drive, starting at the town centre and covering lookouts, fresh water swimming holes and idyllic picnic spots. Easy to follow signs mark the way and you’ll discover delights such as Cardwell Lookout, Attie Creek Falls, Dead Horse Creek and Spa Pool along the way. Its beautiful water holes, natural spa pool and picnic facilities provide an enjoyable drive for all with wonderful bird watching and bush walking opportunities. Set aside at least half a day to enjoy all the Cardwell Forest Drive has to offer.

At Five Mile Swimming Hole, 7 klm south of Cardwell, just a short drive off the highway there is a beautiful swimming hole, picnic and barbecue area. A favourite spot for the locals.

The Historic Cardwell Post Office & Bush Telegraph Station situated in the government precinct on the Cardwell foreshore offers visitors a window to Cardwell’s history. Built in 1870, the Bush telegraph station is one of the oldest buildings in North Queensland. The building has been entered on the Queensland Heritage Register, the Register of National Trust and the Register of the National Estate of the Australian Heritage Commission.

The Cardwell Art Gallery, situated on the Bruce Highway features the works of local artists. Visitors can purchase a wide range of arts and crafts often depicting local scenery and wildlife.

At Girringun, an Aboriginal cultural centre, you will discover facts about the local aboriginal people, their past and customs. With the recently opened “Keeping Place” (Museum) Cardwell’s Aboriginals at last have a home for original artifacts which had been dispersed throughout the world.

Another must-see is the Battle of the Coral Sea Memorial Park, which pays tribute to the Australian and American soldiers of World War II. Walk the shady paths to see the wall of plaques commemorating the servicemen and you’ll come to a picnic area which offers stunning ocean and island views and BBQ facilities for your convenience. Each May a ceremony is held to commemorate the battle of the Coral Sea and to remember all of those who fought for our freedom.

Edmund Kennedy National Park is within the World Tropics World Heritage Area. Few parts of North Queensland’s wet tropics can boast the range of vegetation types found in this park. Only 4klm north of Cardwell, Edmund Kennedy National Park offers visitors walking trails, beach access, picnic area and carpark.

To follow in the footsteps of the early settlers, take the Dalrymple Gap Walking Track over the Cardwell range. The trail starts 15 klm south of Cardwell. Passing through the Girringun National park, the 10klm walking track is suitable for experienced walkers. The trail is comprised of open eucalypt forest with rainforest strips in the creek lines. For a shorter walk visit the historic brick-lined bridge.

Rugged Hinchinbrook Island, 5 klm offshore from Cardwell, casts an imposing presence being Australia’s largest island National Park. With 393 square klm of spectacular beaches, glorious rainforests, wilderness walks and majestic Mount Bowen, there’s much to explore.

A 32 klm trek which covers the eastern coast of Hinchinbrook Island, known as The Thorsborne Trail, is popular with experienced hikers. The journey takes around four days to complete and walkers must be self-sufficient. Bookings should be made in advance by contacting www.epa.qld.gov.au or the Rainforest & Reef Interpretive & Information Centre on info@greatgreenwaytourism.com. This trail is described as one of the 6 best wilderness walks in the world. Only 40 walkers are allowed on the trail at any time in groups of no more than 6 to minimize human impact on the delicate environment.

Situated 15klm north along the Bruce Highway, is the tiny hamlet of Kennedy. The main road leading through Kennedy’s residential area also provides coastal access to Blencoe Falls. The Kennedy Valley forms the fruit bowl of the Cardwell Shire. Tropical fruits such as bananas, paw paws, carambolas, rambutans, lychees and longans grow prolifically in the fertile valley soils. The aboriginal community of Camu, resides in Kennedy, and is busy producing and selling authentic aboriginal artifacts.

The historic value of the Kennedy Valley continues up Kirrama Range Road, where the Society Flats site is now enjoyed by visitors wanting to witness massive virgin forests, standing as originally witnessed by early timber fellers.

Next stop along the Kirrama Range road is Blencoe Falls, a part of the Girringun National Park and one of the most stunning waterfalls in Australia. Blencoe Falls is the northern gateway to Wet Tropics Great Walk, encompassing over 110klms of bushwalking trails and campsites.

Blencoe Creek plunges 90m to the pool below before cascading a further 230m to the base of the gorge. Camping, bushwalking and scenic drives enhance the visitors experience of this diverse Wet Tropic area.

Back to the Bruce Highway and heading north again is the turn off to Murray Falls. A 22 klm drive west from the highway, The Murray Falls has a stunning 30 metre drop and is accessible by conventional vehicle. There are great photo opportunities from the falls boardwalk, which provides wheel chair access and great facilities for picnickers. National Park camp sites are also available.

Great Green Way Tourism Incorporated

The Great Green Way accommodation and tourism directory.

Cardwell

By now you would be thinking and dreaming of escaping to Great Green Way for a beachside holiday ... relax on the beach and do nothing OR ...