Sure Travel Journey 5.4 Spring 2019 | Page 41

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© TEAGAN CUNNIFFE
rock, and the running core gradually
drains out. Eventually, an underground
lava tube with a hollow core is left
behind. Some of these tubes run for
kilometres in length, often big enough
to stand upright in but sometimes
too narrow to crawl through. The
landscape within these subterraneous
tubes is enchanting. Ferns frame the
entranceways to the tunnels and root
tendrils dangle through the ceiling. Lava
stalactites and stalagmites abound and
lava waterfalls are frozen in time. The
tunnel walls are smooth and globulated
with thick magma, while the roof is
pockmarked with dried lava drips. It’s
an adventurer’s playground, and we are
nearing the end of our trek.
Our guide, Fred Melon, cups his hands
around his headlamp and switches on
the light. Our eyes adjust to the shielded
glow and we look around, stretching
our limbs and gathering our things but
unwilling to talk just yet. Being beneath
the earth, fully cut off from light and
sound, is an experience one seldom
encounters, and walking up a lava tube
towards the base of a volcano is another.
In combination, the two experiences
left us humbled and very aware of how
insignificant our existence is in the face
of nature’s extraordinary power.
Left and above: Réunion’s volcanic activity
has carved out a series of underground
lava tubes that make for an intimate and
unforgettable way to experience the island –
and the forces that shaped it.
RÉUNION
Q EXPERIENCE
WITH SURE Sure Travel offers a
number of packages and can customise
any itinerary to adventure-packed
Réunion Island, with direct flights from
Johannesburg on Air Austral. Contact
your nearest Sure Travel agency or call
0861 47 48 49 / visit www.suretravel.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 41