http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Australia , Queensland , Undara en-us Mon, 20 May 2013 12:03:01 +0000 Mon, 20 May 2013 12:03:01 +0000 went on a tour of the lava tubes this morning fantastic helped by the fact the tour guide was a decendent of the original family who set up here in 1860 as cattlemen.Apart from the story of the lava tubes he gave us a great insight into life around here since the first settlers.The current family run the Endura Experiance which is very eco friendly and whilst aimed at the tourist industary is ve http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-780454.html Left Charters Towers and headed for Undara with a thought of maybe stopping over night halfway a fairly uninteresrting trip along the Gregory development road which is used by road trains of which we only saw 3 all going the other way. We did see several emu39s and a dead pig along with heards of cattle.Stopped off at Greenvale road house for fuel and decided to give the campground a miss and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-780267.html Marg and Rob have just spent a few days at Undara and will certainly visit again in the future. The savannah wilderness is such an interesting environment with great seasonal variations affecting the grasslands birdlife and wildlife in general. If you haven39t added Undara to your bucket list yet then look through the photos and make a booking for 2013.Undara could be seen as remote but the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-752939.html 4thAugust 2012We left our Adels Grove campsite at about 815am and headed towards Gregory Downs. We saw several wallabies on the way. A road train approaching us appeared to be in a rosy halo with the sun coming from behind the big dust cloud. Its a very dusty road we had to pull over to let the dust settle. We got some fuel at Gregory Downs and continued on a back road through Augustus Dow http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-735042.html ltspangtToday we took the Volcanic Valley Tour a halfday trip around a number of lava tube sites.ltspangt It started at 0800 so we had an early bush breakfast with everything.ltspangt The tour guide told us about the geology and geography of the landscape in the national park and surrounding areas.ltspangt It turns out that the east coast of Australia is a long fault line tha http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-733928.html ltspangtltspangtThe railway carriages we slept in were as uncomfortable as they were picturesque to look at.ltspangt Curt was the only one to get a decent night sleep but this did not put of the boys and they surprised us at 0610 with presents for our wedding anniversary.ltspangt They had bought some very nice crystal slabs and a fossil stone artwork.ltspangt We slowly got rea http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-733903.html Coffee Works in Mareeba chocolate and coffee heaven. Thank God they have a website where you can order more. Tried a Stump Jumper an espresso shot with whipped cream on top quite a strong coffee but worth the effort. Anthony has started his coffee experience and may find that it keeps him addicted throughout his HSC days. Oh well maybe hell learn how to brew it properly an http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-636057.html Der UndaraVolcanicNationalpark ist ein Nationalpark in Queensland. Der Name Undara stammt von den Aboriginal und bedeutet langer Weg. In diesem Park befindet sich neben einer Lavarhre von etwa 100 Kilometern Lnge die teilweise eingestrzt ist ein ausgeprgtes Lavarhrensystem das bei einem Ausbruch des Hauptvulkans der McBrideProvinz vor rund 190.000 Jahren entstanden ist.Der Undara http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-478869.html DAY 287Its 5.30am I can hear a car outside trying to start I dont think it is a guest here it is over the way I think possibly has come from the staff quarters so no doubt someone starting work early.I get back to sleep with the thought on my mind that today we leave this comfortable and lovely railway carriage to get back into the rough not that we have a bad bed in the trailer tent it i http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-430083.html DAY 286The light was starting to appear through the window a glass window which is unusual I have not been able to do that for a while usually I can see the light through the mosquito netting. The Kookaburras have already been in full chorus this morning but here we are snug in bed a proper bed with those lovely crisp white linen sheets it felt lovely and cosy.I went back to sleep in com http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-429636.html DAY 285Firstly thank you to everyone for a huge amount of Anniversary wishes ecards emails Cards etc and thank you to the Wallaby Wanderers Darryl and Sarah for the Chocolate Cadburys Flake it was Yum Everyones kindness is always much appreciated.We woke this morning in the swag to the bird chorus It must be a cockatoos conspiracy as they were right above the swag squawking their h http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-429320.html DAY 284An early start this morning is required as we are booked onto a tour into the Lava Tubes we were both awake at 6.30 Andy got out of bed earlier to put the kettle on and I followed a few minutes later. I grabbed my wash things and headed to the showers straight away so that I was going to be ready in good time. Once breakfast was done we were on with the hiking boots water at the ready http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-428859.html DAY 283Oh that lovely Kookaburra morning alarm again it is barely even a glimmer of light outside but they are welcoming in the day with delight. Of course it is too early to even think of getting out of bed and although the nights are not too cold it is a bit too fresh also.I think Andy was up at around 7.00 with the kettle on and booting up the laptop I enjoy a bit of a lie in and a cup of http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-428821.html DAY 282Warning Do not go and taste a Kangaroo without Killing it then cooking it as they will get very annoyed and are liable to punch you then kick you in to next week and we do no condone the mistreatment of Kangaroos in way.We woke up to a beautiful warm morning the sun was doing its bit and our day was getting warmer. Sitting around having brecki and looking at Kangaroojacks we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-428326.html Time to leave Airlie Beach and head for the Outback. We leave the hostel at 10am and make our way to Mount Surprise roughly a ten hour drive As we leave Airlie we meet Stefan from our cruise and say goodbye to him as we head up north. En route I make a phone call to a working backpacker hostel in Innisfail and shock horror they advise us they have work for us starting this Monday. Good news http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-415298.html Mar 31An early rise at the Innot hot springs. Before breakfast we decided to take a morning dip. The water was really warm 38 Degrees. Dad went into the ultrahot 44 degrees pool. When he came out he was steaming and was totally red below his shoulders see picture. There was a river running near the campsite. We went down to check it out. In some places the water was so hot we couldn't http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-386966.html Blog7I did go swimming under the Millaa Millaa waterfall and very refreshing it was too the tree kangaroo did return and all who were camping on the site gathered to view it.From here we forged our way inland through Ravenshoe stopping briefly to look at the Capella steam train and millstream falls the widest in Australia alas no swimming then on to Undara national park the leaflet look http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-106187.html The road to Undara was rather optimistically titled the Kennedy Highway a grand name for what was essentially a single lane of tarmac with rough dirt on either side. If a car was coming in the opposite direction you were expected to drift your left wheels into the dirt so that there was enough room to pass. If a road train was coming in the opposite direction you were expected to get off the ta http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Undara/blog-94209.html