Muntapa Tunnel, Railway tunnel near Cooyar, Australia
Muntapa Tunnel is a railway tunnel near Cooyar that cuts through the Great Dividing Range. The concrete structure measures 287 meters in length and sits at an elevation of 640 meters above sea level.
Queensland Railways built the tunnel between 1910 and 1913 to connect farming communities from Oakey to Cooyar. This railway branch opened a vital transport route through previously isolated country.
The tunnel opened access to markets for farming families in the surrounding region who had previously been isolated. German settlers in the eastern Darling Downs relied on this route to transport their crops and goods.
The tunnel is accessible by walking tracks, with the northern entrance near Cooyar providing the most direct route. Visitors should know that protective fencing is installed at both entrances and the location is quite remote.
The tunnel provides seasonal shelter for around 8,000 bent-wing bats that roost inside. This wildlife presence has transformed the old railway structure into an important conservation space.
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