Undara Lava Tubes


Useful Information

Location: 300 km south-west of Cairns or 420 km north-west of Townsville..
Open: Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour: Mid-MAR to OCT daily 8, 10:30, 13.
Wind Tunnel Explorer: APR to SEP daily 8, 10:30, 13.
Wildlife at Sunset Tour: All year daily 17-18 (confirm departure time when booking).
All tours only prebooked, book online or by phone.
[2020]
Fee: Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour: Adults AUD 60.50, Children AUD 32, Family (2+4) AUD 185.
Wind Tunnel Explorer: Adults AUD 60.50, Children (5-) AUD 32, Family (2+4) AUD 185.
Wildlife at Sunset Tour: Adults AUD 60, Children AUD 32.
[2020]
Classification: Speleologylava tube
Light: none
Dimension: L=160.000m
Guided tours: Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour: D=2 h.
Wind Tunnel Explorer: D=2 h.
Wildlife at Sunset Tour: D=2 h.
V=40,000/a[2000]
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: Vernon Atkinson and Anne Atkinson (1995): Undara Volcano And Its Lava Tubes, 85 pp over a 100 colour photos.
This is a super coffee table book on Lava Caves, both at Undara in North Queensland, Australia and in Hawaii. Gives a good insight into how these caves are formed.
Address: Undara Lava Tubes, Lava Lodge, Undara, via Mt. Surprise Qld 4871. Gerry Collins, Proprietor, Tel: +61-7-0-97-1411, Fax: +61-7-0-97-1450. Guy Anderson, Manager.
Undara Experience, Undara Volcanic Park, Savannah Way QLD 4871, Tel: +61-7-4097-1900, Fax: +61-7-4097-1955, Free: 1800-990-992. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1920s caves discovered.
1940s recommended for reservation as a national park by the National Parks Association of Queensland.
1989 Undara Crater National Park created with an area of 17,600 ha covering the crater and lava tubes.

Description

photography
Entrance, Undara Lava Tube. Public Domain.

Undara Lava Tubes were formed about 190.000 years ago, when Undara Volcanoe - the major crater in the McBride Volcanic Province - erupted. Its molten lava was flowing down a dry river bed and soon formed a Speleologylava tube. As the eruption stopped, the lava drained out of the tubes leaving a series of long tunnels.

The word "Undara" is an Aboriginal word meaning "a long way", and actually one of the lava flows from Undara extends 160 kilometers making it the longest known single lava flow on Earth. Another tube - formed by part of the flow - extends for more than 100 km and several sections are accessible.

During the eruption cycle, the Undara volcano spewed forth 23 km³ of lava covering 1550 km². So far, 68 separate sections of cave have been identified from over 300 lava tube roof collapses.