Everyone’s a sucker for a good light show, from New Year’s Eve to Vivid. Unfortunately, they come with huge crowds, long waits, and that depressing shuffle you do when 10,000 people are headed in the same direction. But don’t stress, there’s a year-round spectacle that’s just as magical, free, and won’t require waiting in line: curtain-up on the Glow Worm Tunnel in Wollemi National Park.
Nature's own light show at Wollemi National Park
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Last updated: 1 Apr 2026
Once abandoned and now a natural wonder, Glow Worm Tunnel is home to millions of little critters that simulate the night sky
Is this actually real?
The scene is set dramatically. We pan across wide-open spaces, cavernous escarpments and deep canyons, Jurassic-like pines and otherworldly woodlands. Finally the picture zeros in on a tunnel covered in undergrowth, the remnants of a former shale mining town called Newnes.
It’s here you’ll find the mouth of a 400m-long tunnel, once part of a railway line. You’re walking in, picturing Frodo in Lord of the Rings carrying a torch and some vague feeling of heroism. But tread lightly. While long abandoned by trains, the tunnel is occupied by huge colonies of glow-in-the-dark fungus gnat larvae, AKA glow worms. Once your eyes adjust to the darkness, you’ll see hundreds of blue-green tail lights, like a galaxy of twinkling smartphones, held up at a stadium gig.
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A special tunnel
The Blue Mountains region is home to a disproportionate number of these babies, mostly in caves and disused mines where the squelchy warm-to-wet ratio is just right. This tunnel is special because it’s pitch black inside, making it one of the few places in Australia where glow worms can be seen during the day.
Did you know: The worms aren’t just putting on a sweet light show. Like most things in nature, beauty is a trap designed to lure prey to their death. Glow worms make snares of silk threads embellished with sticky goo, use their tails to lure in unsuspecting prey, then reel them in to a (literally) sticky end. They can trap bugs as big as a cockroach.
Not-so-fun fact: there’s some prep work you should do before heading out there. As the clumsy, awkward, noisy, great apes that we are, we have the power to ruin these luminous creatures’ lives. Clearly, it’s dark, so you need a torch if you don’t want to stack it – but what you don’t want to do is point it at the glow worms. Not only will it damage their bioluminescence, it’ll also turn off their lights, rendering your visit completely pointless. Turn it off or point it at the ground once you get to the really worm-heavy bits of the tunnel. Crane your neck back and enjoy the twinkly splendour. Finally, as with most glowing things, look but don’t touch.
While you're here you can hike, bike and clamber pagoda rocks, wade in the crystal-clear shallows of Wolgan River, camp with a group of mates under the stars or stay at the Newnes Hotel Cabins, a decidedly “no hype” wilderness retreat. Bushwalking enthusiasts can soak up more World Heritage-listed scenery on the 9km Glow Worm Tunnel via Wolgan Valley loop. Set aside a day to hike this epic track.
How do you access this magical place? Park your car at the end of Glowworm Tunnel Road and follow Glow Worm Tunnel walking track to the tunnel entrance. This road can get pretty narrow and parking is limited during peak times. For a slightly shorter walk, you can also park at the Old Coach Road carpark and follow the Pagoda walking track to connect with Glow Worm Tunnel walking track - it's a 4km return journey.
