THE GLOW-WORM TUNNEL WALK

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<--The northern (Newnes) entrance to the Glow-worm tunnel (left)   A train under the Cliffs (right) -->   (Click either photo for more pictures of the Glow-worm Tunnel area.) This tunnel was built as part of a railway that once went to Newnes. After the railway was pulled up, glow-worms made their home in this abandoned tunnel. While glow-worms occur in various other places throughout the Blue Mountains, the curve of this tunnel makes it sufficiently dark to be one of the few places to see them during daylight hours. (Yes, you will need a torch; see note below.) To see the glow-worms, turn off torches and remain silent. They will appear after a short wait. Please do not disturb the glow-worms in any way. The tunnel is not the only attraction in this area. If visiting the tunnel from the southern end, make sure you continue through the tunnel to see the gorge and cliffs at the northern (Newnes) end. Here the tunnel ends in the spectacular setting of a cave in a gorge filled with tree ferns. Only a short distance further on, the formation passes under tall cliffs as it enters the Wolgan Valley on its way to Newnes.

WARNING: Don't forget your torch!

The Glow-worm tunnel is very dark, which is why you can see the glow-worms in the daytime. To find your way into, though and out of the tunnel, you will need a torch of some sort.

Access from the Northern (Wolgan Valley) End:

This involves a 9km (return) walk, so allow at least 3 hours. Starting point is at an unmarked gateway and weir across the Wolgan River, some 7km south of Newnes (point #1 on the map at the foot of this page). There is an information sign on the eastern side of the river. Follow old road uphill, then follow the railway formation, pass through the tunnel and return via Pagoda Track and Coach Road.

A brochure with a full description of this walk is sold at the Newnes Kiosk. See Access to Newnes page for map showing how to get to Newnes.

Access from the Southern (Bungleboori) End:

This involves a drive of 25km by unsealed road northwards, either from the Zig Zag Railway at Clarence or from the State Mine Museum at Lithgow.

See Access to Newnes page for map showing these routes.

There is a walk of 2.5km (return) from a barrier and small parking area at the end of this road (point #13 on the map at the foot of this page) to the tunnel (point #8), or 4km (return) to take in the attractive gorge (points #7 & #6) and cliff formations (point #5) at the northern end. This longer walk is strongly recommended - just see the photos!

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WARNING: There are no through roads in the Glow-worm Tunnel area.

All tracks in the Glow-worm Tunnel area are walking tracks and there is no direct access by vehicle between the southern end of the Glow-worm tunnel and the Wolgan Valley. The shortest link road is via Blackfellows Hand fire trail between Bungleboori and Wolgan Gap. This route is shown on the Access to Newnes page.

Map:

The following map of the walk has been adapted from the brochure that is sold at the Newnes Kiosk. Numbers commence at the northern (Wolgan Valley) end and indicate the preferred direction of travel if starting at that end. A full description of this walk is given in the brochure. If starting from the southern (Bungleboori) end, drive to 13, walk the section 10 to about 5, then retrace your steps back to your vehicle.

The following map is a binary "GIF" file. If it shows as a black blob on your screen, click here for a "JPG" version (77k),

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Links to the information pages on this web site:

Newnes Basics	Getting to Newnes	Oil-shale Ruins	Glow-worm Tunnel	Other Walks	Other Places
Newnes Kiosk	Camping & Accom.	Emirates Project	Tours to Newnes	About us	Other Web-sites
Current Conditions	Return to Home Page for links to other pages on this web-site.

This page last updated 08Jan2008