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Globetrotter
Travel Map
Queensland
ISBN 1859747795

Something different - The Undara Experience

"One hundred and ninety thousand years ago the earth trembled, the sky darkened, flaming fountains of lava bathed the land in a fiery glow. Undara had awoken. …"

These are the first words of the brochure you will received after your visit to the Undara Lava Tubes.

If you are fed-up to drive along the sugar cane fields, if you want to see something else than the coast, the islands, … or if you only want to experience something different, then The Undara Experience is a good option.


Located near Mount Surprise (west of Innisfail), there are only two main roads to reach the place (if you are coming from the east cost).

The first one is from Townsville via Charter Towers (6 hours)  and the second one from Cairn via Ravenshoe and Mt. Garnet (4 hours).

The journey can be travelled safely by conventional vehicles and both roads give you the chance to experience the Outback roads.

The Undara Lava Lodge is a resort completely based on beautifully restored turn-of the -century Queensland rail carriages.

The accommodation is going from simple camp and van sites,  to very good single to family rooms.

Well that's great, but what can we see there?

Well the Lava Tubes of course. Created thousand years ago by the Undara volcano, part of this underground tube system can now be visited.

Armed with a torch you will go down into these tubes and learn about these very special geological formations, their formation, their influence on the soil and vegetation, the similarity with such formations in Hawaii and on the Moon, and so many other interesting things.

The only way to visit them is by joining a guided tour. These tours are conducted by the Gulf Savana Guides and they are really great. You will not only learn a lot about the geological aspects of the region but also about its  history and heritage.

If you take  a full day tour option I hope you will have the chance to take your lunch around a campfire with a Billy tea and perhaps, if you are really lucky, enjoy making your own dampers.

(Visit also the Undara web site: http://www.undara.com.au )