Undara is home to some amazing lava tubes.
What is a lava tube?, you ask?
Imagine a volcano erupting, but not the explosive kind, the oozy kind. Now imagine a gentle undulating landscape with waterways. The laval flows in a way that eventually forms a series of tubes. The surface, in contact with air, soldifies, and the centre of each tube remains liquified, which continues to form a path downstream, and now, underground. When the eruption is over, the lava continues to flow through its straw-like hollow tubes, until it all drains out, leaving the tubes hollow.
What we see today are these very tubes... and they're awesome!
My Mum, Trudy, spent time working and living at Undara many years ago, and even helped create and build some of the shops and buildings you see here today. She has always been very proud of her work here, and speaks of her time at Undara with affection and nostalgia, and memories of a great adventure. Mum, you'll be pleased to know that Undara remains charming and outbackish; with friendly knowledgeable staff, a very rustic environment, and a wonderful example of Aussie tourism. I am so glad we popped in!
Here is Mum working at Undara in 1994 (she is helping to build the souvenir shop, which we have now been in!):
Our itinerary:
Day One: Arrive, set up camp, say hello to Ivan and Pam who we met at Karumba, take a brisk walk around the swamp. Take umpteen photos of kangaroos and rainbow honey-eaters. After dinner, walk down the windy path to the commnal campfire, find a spot on a log to sit with your glass of wine, and sing along with the guitarist who enjoys classics like Waltzing Matilda. Try to remember the words!
Day Two: Get up early and walk to the Bush Brekkie. Enjoy bacon and eggs with grilled vegies, sausage, baked beans, and strong brewed coffee. Cook your own toast over the campfire. Try to prevent the local kookaburras from stealing your brekkie. For seconds, enjoy fresh fruits, cereal and juice. The perfect start to the day! Then, meet at reception and take the tour bus to the Lava Tubes. Spend 2 hours, torch in hand, learning about these truly remarkable geological formations. Listen out for micro bats who can be spotted roosting in the ceiling of one of the tubes. Be careful not to trip over! Return to camp, pack up, and off you go!
It was a very full-on two days, and we really, seriously, enjoyed every moment!
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| For those of you not wishing to camp, you can opt to stay in one of these lovely train carriages. |
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| One of the tubes we visited turned and twisted many times. There is no light whatsoever in these tubes, so carrying a torch is essential. |
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| Stupid photo won't rotate. Try not to hurt your neck when looking at this one! |
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