Undara

Nigel met up with Lance a mate from Derhams that he worked with.  They chatted for around an hour before it was time to begin our trip to Undara.  It was still overcast and cloud at that point but the further south we continued the clouds started to thin out and we saw our first patch of blue sky in over a week. 

We stopped and Innot Hot Springs and walked along the natural spring.  The water was a staggering 72oC.  Pretty hot and at times to hot to even stand in.  The rocks also absorbed the heat so if you stirred them up to much they would scold the bottom of your feet.  One guy had gotten up from where he was laying and his back was bright red.  Ouch.  Quite remarkable how the water bubbles up from under the ground and it holds temperatures like that.

We saw our first road train and was she a big one.  Four trailers long and carrying a huge load.  She had only just pulled out and it took her awhile to get going.  She still hadn’t reached full speed after 10kms down the road.  Big beast! 

We arrived at Undara and did get lucky and scored a site in the overflow area.  No water or power but that was okay.  We had toilets and showers 10 metres away, the main reception and tour pick up and drop off point 50 metres the other way and the restaurant 100 metres away.  It was even closer to everything than the powered caravan sites.  What a good deal.

Our tour left at 3.30 in the afternoon where we visited three different locations.  Bill our NZ tour guide was really good and we enjoyed listening to him telling us all about the Undara Lava Tubes.  Our first stop was at the Road Tube.  We walked into this tube and followed a path around 150 metres.  We walked on a boardwalk that was sat directly onto the silt lining the base of the tube.  The tubes are all approximately 20 metres high in place and they were created around 190,000 years ago.  The information was mind boggling.  Our second stop was a Stephensens which was filled with water but can no longer be visited.  Our final stop was a the Arch – Ewamian tube opening.  It was also partly filled with water due to the wet season and we got to wade into the water.  It was really such soft silky water.  If anyone watches sunrise it is the same lava tube in which Grant Denyer had same in just a week earlier.  They have nicknamed the tube Sunrise since their visit.  It was amazing but these tubes would never have been found if the roof collapses had not occurred.  They truly are special.

 

After arrive back from our tour we took a quick walk up to the bluff to take in the sunset.  It was another pretty sight in Undara.  One of many.  That evening we sat around our first open fire since starting on our trip.  The boys were just mesmerised by it.  The following morning we got up and had a traditional bush brekkie around the open fire with billy tea, cereal, fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, tomatoes and pancakes.  What a yummy breakfast indeed.  Even the Kookaburras got a sausage for brekkie.  Stolen off the plate of a poor unsuspecting guest.