Undara Experience, Queensland, Australia
We had a really good night’s sleep. The bed was comfortable, the blinds kept the sun out and the widows props kept the room ventilated.
We booked the bushman breakfast and it was excellent. It was $26 each. It’s served at a campfire a couple of hundred metres up a path from the hub. The smoke from the fires we'd seen the day before was hanging in the air.
Coffee, tea, juices, cereals, fruit, yoghurt, bread for toast and a pile of hot food. You cook your own toast over the coals of a fire. Some were more successful than others. Al was an expert. He’d done this lots as a child.
After breakfast we did the Telegraph walk. Nearly forgot to sign on to the walk. Al ran back and put our name down.
This was an easy flat walk that followed a part of the track built to build the telegraph line. Some of the original poles survive - a then common cypress that grew straight and that termites wouldn’t eat.
At the end of the walk is a recreation of a workers hut from the time. This walk then continues as the 12km loop.
It would be too long and too hot for us to do this time but I think we’ll go back to Undara. On the way back we took a detour onto the track that takes you up for a view over the resort. It’s such beautiful countryside. The rock formations are so incredible. A few wallabies jumped out of our way as we made our way up to the top.
It was then time for the lava tube tour. We both loved this. A warning. If you have any trouble with stairs this trip possibly isn't for you. Even though we didn't think there was enough to worry about, and both of us have lower leg issues, one guy made it down the first lot and that was it. For him it was a long slow walk back up.
There's sixty odd ks of tubes and the Australian Space mission/agency (or something like that) is soon going to go out to Undara and will use ground penetrating radar to map the full extent of tubes. This information will be used for future space bases as lava tubes and underground caves will be the only safe places to inhabit out in space to keep out of danger from solar radiation.
When we got back we had a quick lunch and then spent some time in the pool. While we were in the pool one of the staff came over to let people on the evening sunset tour know that it would not proceed due to excess smoke in the area. Damn!! No micro-bat eating snakes for us. Next time. We were told we'd get a credit back to our credit card. Within an hour the credit had been processed, just like Qantas (not, Qantas takes three months).
Next to the hub is a rainwater harvesting system. Huge tanks have been installed to collect water from the huge roof. More tanks are about to be added. Water is filtered and then used around the resort.
Dinner was fantastic. An excellent cob loaf that could have done with some more oil and balsamic. A perfect medium rare steak and fall apart beef ribs for mains.
We were playing cards when they called last drinks at 8 or some crazy early time. For some unknown reason we stocked up and then eventually chewed through the last cider!
2025-05-23