Hinchinbrook Island National Park

Hinchinbrook Island National Park is offshore from Cardwell, two and a half hours south of Cairns. It is a rugged, densely vegetated island with sandy beaches, waterfalls, rainforest, mangroves and tall eucalypt forest. Fragile heath covers mountains topping 1000m, which descend to a mangrove-fringed channel in the west and sweeping bays and rocky headlands along the east coast. Surrounded by marine park waters with fringing reefs and seagrass beds, a variety of marine life include dugong and green turtles are frequent visitors.

The island's mangrove forests are some of the richest and most varied in Australia and an important breeding ground for many marine animals. For thousands of years, the Bandyin Aboriginal people lived here and Middens and fish traps are reminders of their special culture.

Protected as national park since 1932, Hinchinbrook (39,900ha) is one of Australia's largest island national parks. The island is within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and is separated from the mainland by the scenic Hinchinbrook Channel.