Muntapa Railway Tunnel

Two short walks through eucalypt bushland, leading to both ends of a historic, disused railway tunnel - Queensland's lonest straight railway tunnel. You can enter the tunnel at each end, but cannot walk all the way through as it is fenced off to protect a colony of small native bats.

Interpretive signs give a comprehensive history of the tunnel, and provide details about the resident bat colony.

Officially marked as Grade 3/Medium difficulty (many stairs down to the northern entrance), this track is manageable for most ages and fitness levels.

Lookouts

Heritage Sites

Picnic Facilities

BBQ

Toilets

Eucalypt Forest

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Getting there

From Cooyar, head south on the New England Hwy. Turn right onto Oakey-Cooyar Rd and follow it south for about 2km. When you reach the brown 'Muntapa Tunnel' tourist sign, turn right onto Narko-Nutgrove Road. Continue along this gravel road (suitable for 2WD vehicles) for about 3km until you see the park/picnic area on your left.

From Toowoomba, travel through Oakey or Goombungee and follow Oakey-Cooyar Rd north. When you reach the brown 'Muntapa Tunnel' tourist sign, turn left onto Narko-Nutgrove Road. Continue along this gravel road (suitable for 2WD vehicles) for about 3km until you see the park/picnic area on your left.

Maps

Which maps cover the area?

Route/Trail notes

From the picnic area, walk left to access the tunnel's northern entrance. This track goes past a fenced colonial site and descends a lengthy flight of stairs towards the tunnel. Return via the same route.

To reach the tunnel's southern entrance, head right from the picnic area towards the small gate in the fenceline. Go through the gate and follow the dirt track that zig-zags downhill, through another gate and on to the mouth of the tunnel. You can return via the same route or head up to the road to make a small circuit back to the car park (there is a little lookout here, above the cutting, where you can view the tunnel from above.

Note: There are gates inside the tunnel at both ends, but you can explore deeper into the tunnel via the southern entrance.

Permits/Costs

Nil / Free

Other References

https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/parks-gardens/parks-by-location/cooyar-muntapa-tunnel1

GPS Tracks

No GPS available for this walk yet.

Comments

Easy walk with children. Lots of stairs to north entrance. You can go deeper into the tunnel via the south entrance. Good picnic & toilet facilities.
Steph T on 1 Oct, 2021

There are two walks, one to either end of the tunnel. One goes down a set of metal stairs and then back up, and the other is an easy path. There is a colony of bent wing bats inside the tunnel so it is closed off from both ends so they aren't disturbed.
Robyn on 16 May, 2021