Cardwell
Cardwell
- 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…….
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 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.
A tiny Eco
resort situated at the north eastern tip of Hinchinbook island
boasts a self imposed guest limit of just 50 people at any
one time.
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.
For
more information about Cardwell visit the Cardwell
Tourism website
Text supplied
by the Rainforest & Reef Visitor Information Centre
Photos
copyright by Reef Visitor
Information Centre
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