This small town is located in the middle of several large farming communities, which make it an ideal location to find casual work in fruit picking. Cardwell is actually located on the coast and has a very attractive beach. The town is also the main departure point for Hinchinbrook Island and a few other islands in the Great Barrier Reef. There is also the Cardwell Forest Drive, which is a 26km round trip with great swimming holes, walking tracks and some excellent scenic views. Edmund Kennedy National Park is located north of Cardwell and here you can see some of the local estuarine crocodiles. The Murray Falls are 22km west of Cardwell and offer visitors some great rock pools for swimming and some nice walking tracks.