visitors. It takes a few moments for our eyes to adjust to the darkness, and then we see them: thousands of tiny glow worms speckled throughout the cave like diamonds encrusted on rock. It’s like staring at a desert night sky or looking out over a distant sleeping city, the waterfall providing an ethereal, hypnotic soundtrack to the experience. Natural Bridge is home to one of Australia’s largest colonies of glow worms
(Arachnocampa flava), but don’t let the name deceive you. They are actually mosquito-like flies, and the glow they emit comes from their larvae. They’re beautiful to look at, but the biology behind these mesmerising lights is rather icky. They are essentially a sticky snare for attracting and catching prey, made up of mucus, and made pretty thanks to a chemical reaction of bodily waste and other matter. In some colonies you can see glow worms that resemble dainty chains of dew-drop necklaces. Not bad for a bunch of maggots.
t ig e r a ir f l ie s to the Gold Coast from Sydney and Melbourne; tigerair.com.au
The details
If you want to see the caves and glow worms of the Gold Coast hinterland.
NATUR AL BRIDGE is about an hour’s drive south-west of Surfers Paradise. You can travel here independently or as part of an organised tour. Tour Gold Coast offers glow worm tours for $99 per adult and $60 per children (age 4-11). tourgc.com.au
MANTR A TOWERS OF CHEVRON Mantra Towers of Chevron is in the heart of Surfers Paradise, five minutes’ walk to the beach and Cavill Avenue and features a large beach lagoon pool on level five. One-bedroom apartments cost from $230 a night off-peak. 23 Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise; mantra.com.au
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