Overview
Completed in June 2024, the $4.3-million upgrades to Wollemi National Park's popular glow worm tunnel aren't much to look at. That is to say, the improvements to the once-slippery pathway and the new handrail preventing accidental stumbles into web-covered walls have been discreetly designed to keep visitors' eyes fixed above them on the bioluminescent light show taking place on the disused rail tunnel's craggy ceiling.
Installing the new safety features had to be painstakingly executed under extraordinary conditions to preserve the peace of the resident glow worm colony. Workers had to transport more than 350 tonnes of materials by hand through dense rainforest for more than a kilometre and any materials too heavy to be carried had to be flown in by helicopter.
To mitigate the risk of fume emissions, excessive vibrations or chemical spills damaging the delicate tunnel habitat, none of the typical equipment that might usually be deployed on a construction project could be used — only hand-operated tools. Special lighting solutions, using only red light — a colour the glow worms are unable to see — were also installed to allow workers to see in the otherwise pitch-dark, 387-metre-long tunnel.
Time-lapse cameras tracked changes in the colony's glow intensity to monitor the worms for signs of stress. Thanks to these efforts, park officials were confident that the worms remained blissfully unaware of the construction taking place just metres away.
The Wollemi National Park Glow Worm Tunnel prior to the upgrades.
While making upgrades to the tunnel were challenging, they were also necessary. The tunnel, which was once part of the now-defunct Wolgan Valley Railway line and has been disused since 1932, is an ideal habitat for the glow worms because of the small stream that runs through it. However, slippery conditions posed a potential risk to visitors coming to view the natural wonder, so a new raised walkway built on top of the stream now offers a far safer environment while preserving the running water that is so essential to the habitat's conditions.
Beyond the tunnel, there have also been major improvements to facilities throughout the Glow Worm Tunnel precinct to make its somewhat remote location within Wollemi National Park more accessible. These include the completion of 5.7 kilometres of upgraded walking tracks, new picnic tables, a new toilet block and an expansion of the car park. An estimated 50,000 visitors are expect to make use of the new facilities annually.
"The new path through the wonderful Glow Worm Tunnel makes it safer and easier for visitors to access and importantly, minimises disturbance to the glow worms," NSW Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe said. "I want to congratulate the team from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for conducting this work under such delicate conditions and keeping the glow worms safe in the process."
The Wollemi National Park Glow Worm Tunnel is now open to the public. Visit the Wollemi National Park website for more details.
Images: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services.