helensburgh glow worm tunnels
The Helensburgh Glow Worm Tunnels are a scientific wonderment, steeped in mystery as a local folklore tale, and the site even features in a soon-to-be-released science fiction action movie.
Words Jo Failes
Source Allan House, Helensburgh Landcare and helensburgh.com.au
Main image Ian Hollis, historical photos from the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries
The tunnels are currently open, so if you’re feeling adventurous, now is the time to don a pair of wellington boots and take a trip to this simply majestic location on the Coal Coast.
Did you know that the glow worms in these tunnels are one of the biggest populations in the Southern Hemisphere? Glow worms are only found in Australia and New Zealand and their peak breeding season is January to March. A fascinating fact is that glow worms are not worms, but the larvae of fungus gnats, and they produce long, sticky threads to catch their dinner of midges, mosquitoes and mayflies that are drawn to their ethereal blue-green glow of bioluminescence lights.
The Helensburgh tunnels have an intriguing history. Opening in 1889, the tunnels used to transport coal from the local mine to the suburbs, until the station was closed in 1915 and left abandoned until the mid-90’s. Landcare are the crown land managers of this location and Allan House, President of Landcare, was involved in the excavation in 1995 of the site, with 40 trucks of rubble removed and the discovery of 22 metres of the original platform.
“The area is spectacular for photo buffs”
‘The area is spectacular for photo buffs’, says Allan, as the site provides even the amateur photographer or videographer with ample opportunities to capture the beauty of the illuminated tunnels, as well as the peaceful rainforest setting with lush ferns, running water and rustling leaves.
A mammoth effort was put into restoration of the tunnel to retain its history, but unfortunately over the years has been prone to vandals. People who visited the tunnel started adding graffiti, destroyed station signage, and did strange things with flares, which caused damage to the glow worms. To protect them, a fence was put up and the area was inaccessible. It then became a safety risk for anyone who climbed the fence.
Landcare had been planning to do a reduction and clearing of the land in recent years, until movie producers sourcing locations discovered the glow worm tunnels for the upcoming science fiction flick ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ (due for release in May 2024). Allan recalls “they liked the ‘Jurassic Park’ nature of the tunnel and surrounds and the rainforest feel.” After filming wrapped at the tunnels, the fence remained down and hence the glow worm tunnels is once again open for visitors.
It is possible to view the glow worms during the day, however the best time to come is at night, where it is highly recommended to wear boots or good shoes, as you’ll get mucky from the mud. “The tunnel is prone to flooding when there’s heavy rain in the region, particularly as we’ve seen over the last 4 years.” Allan says. Landcare staff are currently addressing the issue of the mud, and potentially looking at installing a boardwalk.
There are strict rules to follow when you enter the tunnels, including no smoking, no use of insect repellents, keeping noise to a minimum, no flash photography, nor shining torch lights directly at the glow worms – and always being mindful of preserving the natural habitat by removing any rubbish.
Local superstitious tales over the years say that the tunnel is haunted, with paranormal activity. There was talk in town of miner Robert Hails, a heavy drinker, being run over by a train and decapitated in a short tunnel, but there was also a short tunnel in Lilyvale, and the truth about Hails was never correctly reported and remains a mystery. Allan heard lots of stories over the time, and states “a good tale is one which is told by a great storyteller”.
Entry to the tunnels is via Old Helensburgh Station, 2 Vera Street.
Contact info@helensburghtunnels.org.au for more information