Australia - Undara & Lava Tubes

Undara, in the Queensland outback, gained National Park status only recently

This was because of the 'Lava Tubes' which are here, and are the world's best example

Formed when lava producing volcanos have their lava run down a gulley, downhill.  The top part cools quickly forming Basalt Rock and this insulates the lava underneath, which keeps flowing.  In this case, it flowed for 61 miles.  Like a straw, the liquid inside completely exits the tube, leaving a tunnel

There were 3 that ran side by side, some of the entrances are a bit of a tight squeeze

Only discovered as when it collapses, it reveals itself to the world above

Iron and calcium deposits leach out of the rock after a few hundred thousand years, giving a marble affect which is not seen other examples around the world as they're not old enough, or have already fully disintegrated

Although the local Indigeneous people knew of it's existence, they generally don't like dark places and so didn't go into them much

These were only discovered officially mid last century, as such they've not been properly looked at by scientists yet and only limited visitor numbers are allowed

There was light at the end of the tunnel.......I was hoping it wasn't the headlamp of the oncoming train.....

There were plently of bats and some of the tubes are not accessible without oxygen tanks due to all the bats breathing and leaving a very high carbon dioxide level in the air

The area in which it lies is flat, other than volcanoes, that look like bumps on the landscape.  It's the volcanoes in density in the world and there are 164 in the locality

These big crow like birds are everywhere, bullying some smaller birds and getting bullied by the parrots and lorikeets

We went to watch sunset across the desert scrub

And could see our campsite, white car, blue tent, a mile or so away

The first gecko of this colour we'd seen

The sun again going a deep red, not that you'd know from this picture, lol