Railway tunnels are the prime setting for ephemeral apparitions of the locomotive type. However, a ‘train nerd’ would likely be in awe of some fine engineering prowess if they weren't distracted by the damp.

I’m not a railway buff, but I love tramping around and doing a bit of urban adventuring.

I grew up in Camden, NSW. Camden is home to Belgenny Farm where John and Elizabeth Macarthur brought Merino sheep, dairy cows, wheat and grapes to ignite the fire of economic trade in Australia. Rural Sydney was transformed in the early days of Australia’s white settlement by the Macarthur’s efforts. Interestingly, Camden isn’t far from Picton, a small quarry town that was originally called Stonequarry which lasted four years until the town was renamed. Where’s all this going, you’re wondering? Well, Picton is haunted AF, and I’ve had my share of ‘otherworldly’ experiences near to my home town to appreciate the unique nature of an abandoned railway tunnel.

Thankfully, we didn't see any ghosties.

When I stepped across the threshold of the Metropolitan tunnel, I was momentary taken to thoughts of construction workers unintentionally struck and killed by picks or blown up by misfired dynamite. Those who’ve studied psychology would be acquainted with the case of Phineas Gage, a ‘fortunate’ American railway construction foreman who had an iron rod shot through his head (and lived) after an unexpected explosive detonation. While he lived over a decade longer, the accident transformed Gage into an entirely different, foul-mouthed man for the worse.

The platform sign is in some need of tender love and care, boys and girls. If they were going for derelict, they smashed it out of the park.

I found some evidence that the sign did look respectable once, presumably after a thick and generous lashing of paint. I'm not sure what happened in between then and now. Surely the elements don't degrade a sign this badly after just a few years. I’m guessing they didn’t opt for the Dulux ‘Weatherguard’. Source

I want to visit. Is it hard to find?

The historic Helensburgh railway station platform features prominently before the dark entrance to the ‘Metropolitan Tunnel’ just metres from the suburban road that leads directly to the operational railway station. If you head to the main carpark of the operational train station, you’ll come across a fork in the road (the Helensburgh station sign is at the fork). Just park closeby and you’ll see pretty quickly where you need to head.

As your feet take you off the road and onto a short, weathered trail perpendicular to, and just metres off the roadside, you’ll likely notice that you had the same idea as a few other groups.

Upon our visitation to the site, there was a photoshoot in progress.

Well, it was just one guy in his best clothes and two of his friends reluctantly taking photographs as he said things like, “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with my hands” and “Does this look good?” I couldn’t help but not give a shit as I waltzed right on through his photoshoot, extinguishing any further possibility of photographs of him and his own personal secluded tunnel without having a skinny, hipster-looking noob in the background.

After some reading, apparently the rain plays a pretty huge role in the maintenance and upkeep of the tunnel (at least for basic preservation purposes). The impact is so great that it floods. By flooding, I thought maybe the water was ankle and knee deep. I was wrong.

Have you ever explored a railway tunnel in a raft? Looks fun (and potentially very dangerous.) Source

Why you should go.

It’s an abandoned railway tunnel! Aside from the allegedly haunted Mushroom tunnel of Picton, this might be a less active place to observe a bit of history without the macabre aftertaste. You’ll also be happy to hear that the whole experience is FREE (you won’t get a free walking tour with it, though)!

If you’re visiting from Sydney or Wollongong, it is pretty close. It’s less than sixty kilometres from Sydney CBD or forty kilometres North of Wollongong. You could catch a train from either place, get off at the functional platform at Helensburgh and walk the 3 minutes down the road to explore the tunnel.

Lastly, GLOW WORMS! (Obviously the photo sucks.)

Once your eyes adjust to the darkness after you move in and away from natural light (keep torches off for a minute before you’re ready to enjoy the glow worms), you’ll be treated to the eerie, yet mesmerising green spots on the ceiling. Bioluminescence is the reason for the glow. The larvae of the mosquito-like fly use the light created as a result of biochemical pathways within the animal’s abdomen to attract prey and discourage predators from eating them. Make sure you look up. They’re very pretty.

Remember these tips.

Bring hardy footwear. It’s muddy and you’ll get dirty. I’d recommend studded gumboots. Wearing something with traction will help you avoid slipping over and breaking an ankle. The place is filled with rocks and obstacles. And water. We had no idea what to expect and the place was far more saturated than I had anticipated.

Don’t bring plastic bags to wear over your shoes.

You dramatically increase the risk of tripping and falling over. The plastic is abysmal at giving you grip on the slick mud surface and will tear on the rocks. None of this is worth breaking your arm over.

Bring a light. We wore a couple of cheap headlamps. When you’re in sufficiently, and away from natural light and others with torches, turn yours off, let your eyes adjust for a minute, then look up at the glow worms.

Please tell me if you encounter anything spooky!

Thanks for sharing the experience with us. If you’ve had your own experience here or in another abandoned structure, let’s chat in the comments!

All the best,

Nick.

All content is original.

Disclosure: This article was not a paid promotion and was not self-upvoted. Nor were there any affiliate links.

References

Belgenny Farm, Camden

Helensburgh Railway Station Group (NSW Office of Environment and Heritage)

Wet Tropics: Glow worms and Fireflies

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