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On the western slopes of the McBride Plateau, open woodlands give way to open savanna. Here in Undara Volcanic National Park, rich volcanic basalt soils covered in a sea of seasonal grasses, conceal the Undara lava tube.
‘Undara’ is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘long way’. The park protects one of the longest lava tube cave systems in the world.
About 190,000 years ago, a large volcano erupted violently, spewing molten lava over the surrounding landscape. The lava flowed rapidly down a dry riverbed. The top, outer-layer cooled and formed a crust, while the molten lava below drained outwards, leaving behind a series of hollow tubes.
Semi-evergreen vine thicket grows in the moist, sheltered entrances to some of the lava caves. The roofs of some tubes collapsed, creating ideal conditions for dry rainforest to grow and wildlife to shelter. Rock-wallabies, insectivorous bats and owls roost here in the cool. Birds shelter in the fruit-filled canopy and predators lurk in the tumbled basalt terrain to complete the food chain.
As well as the chance to explore the lava tube caves on a commercial guided tour, you can also explore the park on walking tracks ranging from 2.5 to 12 kilometres return....
