Newnes Glow Worm Tunnel

Once the path of a railway tunnel, now home to thousands of glowing insects

Category Fascinating Fauna, Curious Caves, Bioluminescent Spots, Incredible Ruins

Sometimes, abandoned man-made structures turn into dangerous eyesores, rotting away slowly before returning to nature or being torn down. But other times, like when abandoned ships are re-purposed as living reefs, or mines colonized by bats, abandoned structures take on a new semi-natural life all their own, like a crab who uses a jar for a shell. Such is the case with the Newnes railroad tunnel.

The Newnes railroad was closed in 1932 after 25 years of shipping oil shale. The rails were pulled out of the 600-meter tunnel, which had been bored through the sandstone in the Wollemi National Park, and the tunnel was left to its own devices. For Newnes, that meant becoming home to thousands and thousands of glow worms.

The glow worm is a catch-all name for the bioluminescent larvae of various species, in this case the Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat. Found in massive numbers in caves, the fungus gnat larvae cling to the rocky walls of the abandoned tunnel and hunt with long, glowing strings of sticky mucus.

To see the glowing gnats, enter the tunnel during daylight hours, and head to the middle - it gets dark in the middle where there is a bend in the tunnel - with a flashlight, so as not to bump into the walls. Turn off the light and wait a minute or two. One by one, the gnats will begin to shine like stars emerging in the night.

A similar cave can be found in New Zealand at the Waitomo Glow Worm Cave.

Join us on Obscura Day - March 20th, 2010 - on an expedition to observe the incredible bioluminescent glow worm population that has colonized the Newnes Railroad Tunnel in New South Wales.

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  • Address Wollemi National Park, Wolgan Valley, New South Wales, Australia
Map/Directions

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There are several ways to get to the Newnes Glow Worm tunnel: 22km walk each way: Walk for 22km along the route of the old railway line from Newnes 9km return walk: Drive to the weir over the Wolgan River 7km before Newnes. Walk up the nearby fire trail to the railway line to the right Walk or cycle in from Newnes State forest Drive from Lithgow or Clarence (both roads eventually join up), about 25km bumpy dirt road, and walk 1km to the tunnel.

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  • & Anonymous February 17, 2010
    I went here a few weeks ago, awesome.. check out the underground creek several hundred meters past the eastern end of the tunnel.. awesome
  • & Anonymous February 16, 2010
    Great tip! I have been here and it is a magical experience. Not least because it is rarely visited and so you are more likely than not on your own in the cave. Tips though. The road to the cave is unsealed and 4WD is recommended, particularly after rain. I have done it in my little hatchback, but it was a little hair raising and we almost got bogged in mud several times.

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