Undarra lava tubes
 

Has anyone done the tour to the tubes? I have two boys 7 and 9 and wonder if it is worth doing?Are the railway carriages fun or is the other accomodation fine? This is our first time to Australia and this trip was recommended especially at night to see the bats.

The permanent tents aren't bad, have raised timber floors to keep you away from ants (you're really in the "bush")and a small "kitchen" arrangement. BBQ facilities if you don't want to eat in restaurant. You can hire bedding from reception. You'll see plenty of wildlife apart from bats; birds, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, lizards abound.

Are you thinking of self-driving or taking the Undara tour from Cairns?

Thanks Pat for your reply. We were going to drive there, we like the independance of that.Have you heard anything about the railway cars? With two boys under 10, what tour is adviseable,half day, full day or night? Really appreciate all the help.

The "tents" are a good way for kids to hear and smell the sounds of the aussie bush, which adds to the experience. The carriages are fine, as well, but of course you are more isolated from the outside. Do the full day tour, as you go out further than the half day and get a better idea of the tubes. Do a night tour, and go out for a wander by yourselves as well for the rufuous bettongs and other neat animals. The carriages are basically a very very small hotel room, and you can get them with en suite or without. Personally, unless your kids don't like the outdoors, go for the tents (with a slight consideration re the time of the year). They're more fun.

Thanks Beryl
We are going to be at the tubes mid-March.Is that a good time to be in the tents.I am not sure what the weather will be like in Undarra. Looking forward to it all though.

Hi Sarat,

I just did this in December and have a sort of "mixed" review --

Our little adventure started off badly when we missed our pick up in Cairns (through no fault of our own).

I drive all the time in Australia, but I didn't want to drive this bit, and I wanted to see what the transfer was like - where they stop, commentary, etc. so I'd know what to experience for clients.

First thing I learned is that the transfer company will absolutely not turn around and come back and get you, even if they're just 10 minutes outside of Cairns. :) It's not Undarra's bus - they contract it out to another company, and when talking w/the manager @ Undarra, found out this isn't the first time it's happened.

Through a series of phone calls and some local connections, we were picked up by a tour company who doesn't even GO to Undarra. Turned out to be one of the best things, as our driver was a wealth of information, we had a nice 4WD vehicle to ride in, and I can now tell you that if you do go, the fish & chips at the Mt. Garnet pub are fantastic! (btw, there's nothing after that - no food, no fuel).

My husband and I stayed in the Carriage rooms and as Pat says, they're small! As in, walk crab like on each side of the bed! :) But that was fine, I mean, it IS a train carriage. The bathrooms are fun, with that teeny sink folding into the wall.

Meals: Dinner was absolutely great; the breakfast at Ringers Camp was also great and lots of fun (you do your toast on what looks like a mangled coathanger over the fire). The lunch before leaving was absolutely awful - it looked like they'd put the leftovers together. Terrible.

Bats: Yes, thanks, never need to see another one really! :) I have very accute hearing (maybe BAT LIKE!)- I could hear them coming long before I saw them! You stand at the entrance to the cave; they turn off the flashlights and WHOOSH - thousands of micro bats travelling at warp speeds. I literally felt the wind on my cheek as one flew and I'm not sure but I think one may have pooped on my head.

(btw, while not micro's you can see bats in downtown Cairns flying out of the trees)

As Pat said, there are lots of birds (which is why I was up at 4:30A taking a walk as the screeching woke me up - husband slept right through it). Very nice walking around the bush in the early morning - sat down on a rock no further than 2 feet from a wallaby and watched him eat his breakfast.

Ok, the return -- got to experience that and it had to be one of the most uncomfortable rides I've ever been on. I'm only 5'4" and my knees were smack up against the seat in front of me.

I'm not sure if the van has shock absorbers anymore, couldn't prove it by me, and there are alot of potholes on the unsealed road. Important if you're driving - a good portion of the road isn't paved and there are road trains(if you don't know what those are, think of 3 tractor trailers hooked together). You and the train (and in some spots, even another car) cannot exist side by side. You'll have to drive with 2 wheels on the road, and 2 in the ditch in some places.


Hope this was helpful!

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

sarat, glad you mentioned the date - always an important consideration. If you're going in March, the carriages are probably a better consideration. If it's raining, the ground a bit muddy, or whatever, you won't want to be walking to and from the amenities block, etc. It will also be pretty warm and sticky. Go for the carriages.
As far as the tours go, Undara does not operate the full day tour in March; it starts a bit later. So yo will only be able to do the half day, but you can go out walking in addition. If you are hiring a car the last 18km is gravel (high quality, all-weather and high speed, but gravel none-the-less) and technically you can't take hire cars off sealed roads. 4WDs are expensive, and so you may want to consider your answer when the hire car company asks you about where you are going while in Cairns.

We stayed two nights out at Undarra back in Aug 1994. Had only one night planned but liked the place so much, we decided to stay a second night and do the all-day tour (which was fantastic). First night was in the carriages. Nice but we found them a bit noisy, slightly cramped (bed a tad small for me) and I didn't get much sleep. Second night we moved to a tent...much more comfortable. Undarra was great not only for the Lava Tubes, but for some interesting walking and wildlife.

Thanks to all for the advice-it helps a lot.