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Cardwell hostels, or "Backpackers" as they are often called, are often overlooked as a lodging option on the Queensland coast.

Cardwell, on the northeast part of Queensland, is a mainland town near Hinchinbrook Island. Although Cardwell itself is quite small, it is convenient to the Hinchinbrook Islands National Park, the biggest island national park in Australia.

The Hinchinbrook island chain used to be a mountain range in the same range as the land mass that make up the Great Barrier Reef. When the sea-level rose at the end of the last ice age, that land area flooded and instead of the mountains, Australia was left with the Hinchinbrook islands and Great Barrier Reef.

Captain James Cook first sailed by the island in 1770, but Hinchinbrook did not receive its name from the western world until 1849, when Lt Philip Parker King named it. It is thought that Cook did influence the name of the island, however, for King named it in reference to relatives of the line that Cook named Halifax bay (also in Queensland).

Although there is a resort on Hinchinbrook, a Cardwell hostel might be the most convenient way to see the island as you are treated to hot showers, air conditioning, food preparation facilities and a fun atmosphere to make your stay more enjoyable.

A room in a Cardwell hostel starts at the incredibly affordable 11 Euros for a dorm room with four beds. For a private room, the cost jumps to 23 Euros, and 24 Euros for a double room although you'll be able to store your valuables in a locked room instead of a shared room.

Hinchinbrook island is a wild, untamed island with only a few spots of development across the whole of it. The Thorsborne Trail, a popular hiking trail named for the conservationists Arthur and Margaret Thorsborne, traverses the island, although it is extremely long and wild and should only be attempted by hikers with prior experience on multi-day treks through a similar environment. Hikers should also be aware that there are crocodiles in the creeks and streems coming off the island.

Cardwell and Hinchinbrook are about as far from an urban environment as it gets. You'll have to create your own nightlife on the island, or in Cardwell but that is easy to do staying at a hostel. Hostels are filled with the kinds of travelers that make entertainment easy, as many have been traveling for many weeks or months and have been accumulating stories the whole time.

Although Cardwell is not one of the prime destinations on the Queensland coast, the hostels can fill at anytime and it would be a good idea to make a reservation by booking your hostel online before you depart. You'll be sure to get a room and won't be stuck out in the wilds of Australia.

Hostels in Cardwell