Undara lava tubes
May 26, 2023
Accessibility rating: 7/10
Accomodation: 9/10
Bathrooms: 9/10
Activities: 5/10
Highlights: Unique caves and interesting facts about the history of the land
What to what out for: Gravel paths, long ramps and tricky transfers
Who’s keen to give caving a go, but accessible? Well, it’s possible at the Undara lava tubes, unfortunately there is only one of the 3 lava tubes you visit as part of the tour that is accessible , but I thought that was pretty good. Honestly, once you have seen one, you’ve seen them all (don’t tell the tour guides that haha). The tubes are located 3.5hr to the south west of Cairns. A bit long for a day visit BUT lucky for you there is accommodation.
Their website actually has a “mobility impaired information” section which states what accomodation is accessible and what the access is like around the park. I can back up what their website says and was able to check out one of the homestead accessible rooms. The campgrounds have an accessible bathroom, where you can be put next to the block upon request. Making this a good one for those with a caravan/camping set up and those that need accomodation.
*Note that they do request at least 72 hrs notice so they can make sure you have what you need for your stay.
The terrain around the park is hard packed gravel from the accomodation to the restaurant and reception. It will be a little tough to push on but definitely possible and a breeze with some power assist. Around the accommodation and restaurant area it is either concrete or boardwalk. There is also a pool which you will be able to access and even has an accessible bathroom next to it, however you will need to have the ability to transfer to the ground and into the pool and back out as there is no lift or ramp into the water. They mention the access to the pool and its depth, as well as have a picture on their website (see the link above).
So we’ve covered the accommodation, which is surprisingly accessible for a random experience in the middle of outback QLD. Good on them, loving their efforts. 10 points to Gryffindor!
Now on to the whole reason you would travel to this location. The lava tubes!
I bet you are thinking, what on earth is a lava tube?! Lava tubes are formed when a volcano erupts and the lava that is confined to the valley crusts over and forms a roof. As the outer portion of lava solidifies due to it cooling it then insulates the inner portion, allowing the lava to flow for tens of kilometres before draining out, leaving the empty tubes. Over time the weaker sections of the roof collapse and form the caves. There are more than 70 caves within the park. The cave system is Australia’s longest, as well as one of the longest in the world. Interestingly, some of the caves are dangerous to enter, not because they could collapse, but because there is a large build up of CO2 when there is no air flow through the cave. This occurs as the trees above release CO2 through their roots which have grown into the cave. This is the reason why the indigenous people of the area rarely entered some of the caves and thought them to have bad spirits.
Now for the part you have all been waiting for! How the hell am I getting into this massive hole in the ground. The cave which is accessible is called Collins cave. The path to the cave is hard gravel, just like the reception/accommodation area. Following this there is a boardwalk ramp that takes you partially into the cave. The gradient isn’t too steep however it does go for a while so depending on your endurance some assistance could be handy.There is a stair lift that takes you down into the cave. Now the stair lift is just a seat if you haven’t seen one before. The tour guide also said that it moves very slowly, but hey the anticipation is half the fun…right? The other thing is that you will need to be able to transfer on to the seat, potentially bringing your slide board to help could be handy. From a safety perspective, having someone walk next to you on the stairs as you travel down and up could be handy as well. Especially if you have altered core control. You will also need someone to carry your wheelchair down and up the stairs. Good news is after getting down into the cave, it is easy peasy. It is a flat concrete boardwalk through the cave, without any stairs at all. During the tour they use a bus to get out to the caves. This unfortunately isn’t accessible, however after talking to the tour guide I found out that they let wheelchair users drive out to the cave, following the bus. This does need to be pre arranged as they need to register your vehicle to drive on the road out to the caves.
So that’s the Undara lava tubes. I definitely didn’t expect this one to have an accessible option, but it was actually pretty good. The staff were great and welcoming, I mean they let me have a gander. If you are in the area, give it a suss.
Thank you as always and let me know if you have any questions or places you want me to check out for you.
Over and out,
Sheree
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