Newnes Glow Worm Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Wolgan Valley
The Wolgan Valley is a largely undeveloped valley located in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is centred on the Wolgan River and is located approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney.-Description and history:...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia, that is famous for its resident glow worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat.
Description and history
The 600-metre tunnel was bored through the sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in 1907 as part of the Newnes railway line that served the Newnes Oil Shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
mines that operated during the early 20th century. The railway was closed in 1932 and the rails were pulled out of the tunnel.
The tunnel is now within the Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park is the second largest national park in New South Wales, and contains most of the largest wilderness area, the Wollemi Wilderness...
and is a popular attraction for bushwalkers and tourists. In addition to the glow worms, the area features spectacular gorges, caves and scenery. The site is maintained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service
National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia....
.
Access
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 LithgowLithgow, New South WalesLithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
or ClarenceClarence, New South WalesClarence is a place in New South Wales, Australia. It was originally a railway outpost on the original railway line across the Blue Mountains, but by 1908 when Clarence was used as headquarters for the Ten Tunnel deviation works, the town population had flourished to over 5,000 residents, the...
(both roads eventually join up), about 25km bumpy dirt road, and walk 1km to the tunnel.