Travel News

4 New Adventures in Australia’s Gold Coast

Locations in this article:  Sydney, Australia

Image credit: Flickr user: Timo Newton-Syms

Nighttime Glow Worm Tour

Do not try this without a guide! I was thankful for Nick Mcgregor’s expertise through Lamington Forest and the flashlights provided. The nocturnal wallabies won’t heed you but you do not want to bump into a Giant Stinging Tree as it can severely wound you or even kill you (true story)! Tiny silicon hairs cover the leaves and fruit of the plants and once in contact with skin penetrate and break off leaving behind a poisonous neurotoxin.

Needless to say, I stuck close to Nick and it wasn’t just for his extensive commentary. We bumped along through the night chatting about primordial ooze and how unchanged the area has been for too many years to contemplate. After about 20-minutes, we reached Moran’s Creek where the glow worms have set up camp along the riverbank.

Thankfully, the glow worms are not harmful. Unless you count the prey they attract with their glowing. Glow sorm is a misnomer. It is not a worm but the larvae of a fungus gnat. Two bioluminescent organs of the larvae attract prey into sticky filaments. The brighter the glow worm, the more successful it is at catching prey. In fact, international biologists and academics are currently interested in glow worms as an alternative light source.

Hundreds of the larvae glowing at one time make for an ethereal experience as you perch on a wooden bench (wondering what else is creeping around you!) and stare into the deep darkness. The glow worms appear like a constantly changing constellation of its own making.

The riverbank was peaceful as we settled into what I dubbed Glow Worm Watch 2012. The lights of the glow worms blinked on and off as we contemplated them for 30 minutes. A record cold snap had us scurrying back to the warmth and shelter of O’Reilly’s for a gourmet dinner while watching bushy tailed possums eat theirs.

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