Undara Lava Tubes

Useful Information

Location:	Undara Road, Mount Surprise, QLD 4871. 300 km south-west of Cairns or 420 km north-west of Townsville. (-18.221724, 144.578761)
Open:	Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour: Mid-MAR to OCT daily 8, 10:30, 13, 15:30. Wind Tunnel Explorer: Mid-APR to SEP daily 8, 10:30. Wildlife at Sunset Tour: All year daily 17-18 (confirm departure time when booking). All tours only prebooked, book online or by phone. [2024]
Fee:	Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour: Adults AUD 71, Children (3-16) AUD 46, Children (0-2) free. Wind Tunnel Explorer: Adults AUD 71, Children (3-16) AUD 46, Children (0-2) free. Wildlife at Sunset Tour: Adults AUD 71, Children (3-16) AUD 46, Children (0-2) free. [2024]
Classification:	lava tube The Most Expensive Show Cave
Light:	Incandescent
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:	Discovery Resorts Undara c/- Mt Surprise Post Office, Mt Surprise QLD 4871, Tel: +61-1800-990-992. E-mail: 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	opened as a show cave.
1993	Undara Volcanic 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 Speleology lava 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.

European settlers moved into the area in the 1860s and used the land for cattle grazing. The lava tubes were well recognized by 1891, although the cave which is used as a show cave today was officially discovered in the 1920s. The land was owned by the Collins Family, who settled in this region in 1862. They had the idea to offer guided tours into the caves and started a business named Undara Experience. The caves were developed and infrastructure created, and the first guided tours were offered in 1989. After the national park was declared in 1993, they were given a special business lease to continue the tourist operation, However, they have discontinued the tours, and today tours are offered by two resorts, nearby Discovery Resorts-Undara and Discovery Parks-Mount Surprise. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, which manages the park, does not offer any guided tours.

Discovery Resorts aka Discovery Parks is obviously a company which offers accommodation and sometimes guided tours in numerous Australian parks. It seems the Collins Family sold their business to them during Corona, including the hotel, campground, and the cave tours. But there are two resorts/campgrounds which belong to them, and it's possible to book the tours at each one. One is the former Bedrock Village Caravan Park in Mount Surprise, and the former farm of the Collins Family which offers rooms, overnight stay in a railroad car, and a campground only 3 km from the caves. They offer the same cave tours as the Collins before.

The Archway Explorer Lava Tube Tour is a normal show cave tour with paved trails and boardwalks, electric light and railings. The huge lava tube is entered at a place where the ceiling has collapsed, and now forms a huge portal with a slope of debris. A long staircase leads down to the level of the passage, then the tour is completely level. Nevertheless, it is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers due to the staircase.

The Wind Tunnel Explorer is a semi-wild cave tour though three different undeveloped sections of the lava tubes. The passages are mostly horizontal, but sometimes there is debris which requires a little climbing. In other words, it does not require caving experience but some basic fitness and surefootedness. Obviously good walking shoes are quite important on this tour. Helmet and headlamp are provided.

The Wildlife at Sunset Tour is a two hours outback wildlife and plants tour which takes place around sunset. While there is Savannah bushland, native wildlife such as kangaroos and wallabies and numerous bird species, the tour also includes a sort of picknick with sparkling wine. It offers a great view from the Sunset Bluff, another reason for the name of the tour. The tour includes a visit to Barkers Cave, though the cave is not entered. It is a bat cave and at sunset thousands of microbats emerge from the lava tubes looking for food. Sometimes brown tree snakes and pythons are hanging from the trees and attempt to catch bats out of the air as they fly past.