Badger Weir Park - reopened after the bushfires

The Badger Weir Park is 65 km east of Melbourne, near the town of Healesville, in the Melbourne Water catchment area.

Three walking tracks lead from the picnic ground to the Weir, passing through superb sub-tropical rain forest and tree ferns.

The Lyrebird Track has been reconstructed and passes next to the creek.

The area is a habitat for lyrebirds.

The picnic ground is excellent, with innumerable rosellas and cockatoos!

I visited the Park on April 2, 2008, on a 3 km early autumn hike which took me on a circuit along the Lyrebird, Coranderrk and Slip Creek Tracks.

The Park had been closed for several weeks after the disastrous bushfires of early February 2009, which threatened Healesville, and was reopened on March 31.

Thankfully, the Park was spared from the fires.

See the full set of Photos of my visit.

Scenic Graceburn Weir, Healesville

The Graceburn Weir and Aqueduct were built in 1892, and are part of Melbourn's water catchment and supply network. They are located east of Healesville, 80 km east of Melbourne.

Walkers are permitted to use the management track, 3 km return, which starts at the main gate at the Maroondah Highway and continues to the Weir.

The Weir and Aqueduct collect water originating from the valley between Mts Riddell and Juliet, which is then fed underground via a large iron pipe into the Maroondah Reservoir.

The Creswell pumping station is adjacent to the Aqueduct.

The Government proposes to close public access to the Weir, to minimise contamination by visitors, and to set up a new walking track in the area.

I visited the Weir on November 30, 2008, the last day of Spring!

The Aqueduct Track is designated as "Road 14". It joins gated "Road 6", at the Weir viewing point.

Road 6 is one of many "no public access" management roads in the catchment area, which leads around the base of rugged Mt Riddell.

My Photos include some archival images taken in 1906, for comparison purposes. In those years, a picnic area and facilities were located near the Weir - sections of this remained until 2007, but have now (2008) been removed. The early photos show visitors standing on the Weir infrastructure, but such access is no longer permitted.

Bingley Hill Hike - Healesville

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On August 30, 2008, I went up to Donnelly's Weir, Healesville.

From there, I did a 6 km (return) walk, which took me up Roads 12 and 11.

This route forms part of the long 9 km track to the Mt St Leonard Summit.

My journey started at the picnic ground, and took me up Bingley's Hill, then on to a lookout designated as "View Point Q", at 305 m altitude.

There were excellent views from this lookout to Mt Monda and the surrounding forest in Melbourne Water's catchment area, which is prohibited access.

Further on was a "WP" - a water point (dam) used for fire management purposes.

The WP is at the distance marker "11 5", which means Road 11, 5 km from the northern end of Road 11, which starts at Monda Rd.

I had previously walked about 3 km of Road 11 from the Monda Rd junction.

In spring, the Mt St Leonard Run is an annual 10 km race from the Maroondah Dam, to the Summit, which follows this route. The Summit is at 1010 m! I don't think that I will bother!

This route forms part of the Australian Bicentennial Trail, which starts at Donnelly's Weir and ends at Cooktown!

Photos

Condon's Track (Healesville) - Southern Sector

Condon's Track is a 6.5 km walking route in the Yarra Ranges National Park, within the Maroondah Catchment area, 60 km east of Melbourne.

It links Donnelley's Weir Rd with Monda Rd, an increase in altitude of about 800 m.

The southern section of the Track is along Melbourne Water's Road 17, one of several forest management roads in the catchment area on which walkers are permitted.

The Track goes over the Maroondah Aqueduct "Echo Tunnel", and crosses Sawpit Creek, through old logging forest. Large stumps are along the track, with horizontal saw cuts still visible.

I walked 8.4 km (return) of this Track on June 29, 2008, along Road 17, starting at the junction with Donnelley's Weir Rd (116 m altitude), with a turnaround at the point where the track leaves Road 17 (altitude 357 m). Here, the track deteriorates and ascends very steeply up the flank of Mt Monda, eventually reaching Monda Rd (altitude 917 m).

I did not have time to complete the full ascent - it was starting to rain, visibility was low, and not much fun in those conditions!

I passed a family group of four, who had been to the top and were returning.

Ths history of the region is interesting. Construction of the Maroondah Reservoir started in 1891, and was completed in 1927. Logging was widespread in the forest until the Reservoir and Aqueducts were opened. Many of the former logging tracks were taken over by the Board of Works (now Melbourne Water), and walker access was prohibited.

The Aqueduct through Echo Tunnel opens into Sawpit Weir, decommissioned in 1988.

In 1929, visitor facilities were built in what was known as "Condon's Gully Picnic Stop", above "Condon's Gully Track", and it was said that access was by horse and coach from Healesville.

There are references to remains of these facilities existing in the early 1980s, but the exact location is unknown.

It is unclear as to whether early references to "Condon's Creek" refer to what is now known as Sawpit Creek.

See the full set of Photos

The Graceburn Weir and Aqueduct Walk

The Graceburn Weir and Aqueduct were built in 1892, and are part of Melbourn's water catchment and supply network. They are located east of Healesville, 80 km east of Melbourne.

Walkers are permitted to use the management track, 3 km return, which starts at the main gate at the Maroondah Highway and continues to the Weir.

The Government proposes to close public access to the Weir, to minimise contamination by visitors, and to set up a new Track in the area.

I visited the Weir on June 24, 2008.

My Photo Album of the visit includes some archival photos taken in 1906, for comparison purposes. In those years, a picnic area and facilities were located near the Weir - sections of this remained until 2007, but have now been removed. The early photos show visitors standing on the Weir infrastructure, but such access is no longer permitted.