While lava tubes exist elsewhere in the world, most notably Hawaii, the longest in the world is here in Australia. It was great to have AlanG with us as well because he was able to provide even more in-depth information than the guides, and, he brought along a book that I could read about the tubes.
The tubes are creating when the outer edges of a lava flow harden, but the interior continues to flow and push through. I'm sure that is not the most scientific way to describe it, but if you want to really understand it, here's a site that describes the creation:
http://undara.com.au/about/tunnels-to-a-wildlife-underworld/
Essentially (to me) they become really massive horizontal caves.
It's an interesting setup, where the area is a national park, but the lodge and guiding is a private enterprise. In this case, the Collins family was there first, and had built the infrastructure (including the transfer and installation of the railway cars for lodging) and doing the tours. When the gov't was annexing the land for a national park, because of the infrastructure investment they basically couldn't afford to buy them out. So the Collins family gave them the surrounding land, but was able to keep their private enterprise.
We were there in the wet season, so where normally there are 30 employees running the place, while we were there, there were just 3. And a fabulous three at that, they were all very very nice.
During our stay we all did the Sunset Tour the first night, and I did the morning tour the next day while Steve and Alan birded.
Sunset Tour
Steve the Guide loaded us all up in a little minivan at 6 to head out for the sunset tour. This wasn't really so much about the sunset, as it was about the bats!
The ride out to Barkers Cave included lots of looks at Whiptail, Eastern Grey, and Antilopene kangaroos. This was the first time I had seen Antilopene kangaroos and they really are a muscular, bulky sort. While the Eastern Grey forepaws (? are they called forepaws?) as described by Steve the Guide are sort of t-rex, the Antilopene are more the Arnold Schwarzenegger type.
One group of Eastern Grey males started chasing a female while we watched. She led them on a serpentine path, and it was fun to watch for awhile, but none of the males caught her, and besides, maybe they needed a little privacy, so we moved on.
After we arrived at Barkers Cave, Steve the Guide set up a very nice offering of fruit and cheese, and served us sparkling wine as the sun set and the moon rose. It was a beautiful night, the sky was clear and the moon full.
Steve the Guide described to us what we were about to see as night fell. The bats that lived in Barkers cave would begin to flow out. A hawk would come in and perch on a tree, the first bat would come out and turn left, and the hawk would get its dinner.
Sure enough, we spotted a Collared Sparrow Hawk fly in and start hanging around. Soon, the first bat comes out, turns left, and boom! Dinner. That night, the hawk got two for two.
Again telling us what to expect before we walked down to the cave, Steve the Guide led us to the mouth of the cave. As it got darker, the flow of the bats grew. It was really incredible to have the bats pouring out of the cave and and flying all around you.
The hawks weren't the only ones who saw this as an opportunity for dinner. Snakes hang around the mouth of the cave as well, snagging a few as they fly by. That night we saw Night Tigers (also known as brown tree snakes or dull eyes) and Children's Python. There were some on the outer edge of the tube itself, and some hanging from tree limbs overhanging the cave mouth.
Steve the Guide walks us a little farther (further--eek, grammar lessons fail me now), walking under the snakes, so that we are right in the mouth. He turns the spotlight on a few times so we can see this virtual highway of bats flowing down the tubes. Truly an incredible sight.
Marion (an Australian from Perth who started hanging out with me) asked what was glowing on the far side of the tube. This confused Steve the Guide as there isn't ever any fluorescence in the caves. Eventually they realize that it is the full moon reflecting off the back of the cave as the moon rose. It got brighter and brighter the higher the moon got.
On the road back, they spotted the coolest little owls, called Boobook owls. One of them was really struggling to stay on its tree limb, slipping and fluttering, getting in place, then slipping again. Alan said it was a baby.
The Day Tour
There are limited tours during this off-season, so my only option is a two-hour tour that starts at 10:30. Steve and Alan went off birding, and I joined Steve the Guide and quite a few others for the ride out to the tubes.
The tubes are amazing. The sheer size of them doesn't come across in pictures, and I don't know that I can do an adequate job of describing it. In one tube you could have two trains side by side running on their tracks (and have room to spare) and, you could double deck them. They are just massive.
It's not just the size that is awe-inspiring, the geological history also amazes.
We visit The Arch, Stephenson's, and one other tube. There are butterflies everywhere. Steve the Guide tells us about one tube where there is a lake around the corner, and at certain times of day you can see butterflies, wallabies and birds all lined up to take their turn getting drinks. The staff only checks on it twice a year (to check water levels) and leave it undisturbed for the wildlife.
Some of the tubes are so high in carbon dioxide that you cannot go in them without breathing apparatus. This may be why the aborigines thought the tubes were filled with evil spirits - people would enter, and not return. They have only found evidence of tube occupation by aborigines in one tube, and all that was there were ashes.
And, as it turns out, one of the tubes we would normally be able to into was too high in carbon dioxide that day. A lot of the tubes have tree roots that have grown through the roof, and because there had been recent rains the roots were giving off carbon dioxide. We were able to stand on a platform at the mouth of the tube, but not go any further.
The Lodge, and Dining
There are several options for staying at Undara. Campsites, safari tents, the railcars, and now some small cabins. Because normally it would be quite hot this time of year Alan had booked the cabins in case we needed air conditioning. As it turned out, we didn't need it but the cabins were really pretty nice. Each had a small veranda out front and I spent some time there reading, drinking tea, and watching kangaroos.
On Tuesday morning at one point there were eight kangaroos right in front of my cabin. There were males, females, and a little joey. They grazed a little, but then several of them scratched up a bit of dirt and settled in for a snooze. I watched the momma groom her joey for a bit as well. I got some photos, and some video, and down the road I will get them off my camera and post them.
There is a nice pool to use (didn't get the chance) and the dining/bar are is very nice. It's a huge area, covered with a really high roof but open otherwise. Around the edges they do have some of the railway cars for dining. We ate our meals at a table right at the front (since there was no one else there) watching birds and kangaroos go by.
For dinner they gave us two choices, and for breakfast you pretty much got what they served. It was fine, and actually pretty reasonable--sometimes when there is only one dining option they kind of stick it to you. That wasn't the case here. I did have a XXXX Gold with dinner the first day, and it was ice cold and delicious!
Steve the Guide's rules of to live by
Steve the Guide had a few truisms to share!
- If you are stranded in the wilderness, think of what Bear Grylls would do, then do the exact opposite
- Don't drink bottled water!
- Don't eat wild mushrooms!
- Don't line your campfire with Basalt or River Rock. It will explode and kill you!
Birds, Butterflies, and Critters of note over the two days
Blue triangles
Big Greasy (Clearwing)
Common Crow
Varied Egg Fly
Full BarredSwallowtail
Prettyface/Whiptail
Eastern Grey
Antilopene
Night tiger snake
Children's Python
Collared Sparrowhawk
Boobook owl
Golden Bowerbird (Stop at Mt Hypipamee on the way back to Yungaburra)
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