Cardwell Air Charter / Undara Volcano National Park


Cardwell Air Charter operate from an airstrip surrounded by sugar cane fields a few km north of Cardwell, Queensland, which is between Cairns and Townsville. Margaret offers a number of flightseeing routes as well as charter; her 207 (*) takes up to six passengers. Whilst we are keen to go for rides with such people just to get to fly in light aircraft, on this occasion we were actually trying to get somewhere.

Whilst the Undara Volcano National Park (or whatever it's officially called) doesn't look far from the coastal resorts (Mission Beach etc) on a map of the whole of Queensland, it's actually about four hours' driving each way, and then only if you've managed to hire a car that from someone who will let you drive on dirt roads at all. So if you want to go on the 08:30 tour that involves the expense of an overnight stay as well as four hours on the road on each of two days. It's arguably actually cheaper to fly!


Cardwell airstrip. Hidden behind rainforest and cane fields, this comes complete with wild kangeroos running across the dirt access road in front of you. Beware of Queensland car hire companies that won't let you take their cars on unsealed roads - there's an awful lot you won't get to see that way.


Margaret and her Cessna 207 on the ground at Undara Volcano National Park. You summon the minibus by buzzing the resort before landing at the airstrip.


The route back from Undara to Cardwell is via the Herbert Falls. Possible to get to by road, but it's some hours' driving and a 4WD is probably a good idea. And you wouldn't get this view.

There aren't any pictures of the volcano landscape here because it would have been very difficult to show any small low-resolution pictures that gave any idea of the landscape. The main feature is an extremely long system of lava tubes, partially collapsed so you can get inside various bits of them, with guided tours provided from the Lodge.

(*) A slightly curious beastie - it has had some of the strenghening kit to enable it to operate from floats fitted by a previous owner, but the job was never finished and it has never flown from water.