The O'Shannassy Aqueduct Track - Part 5

On August 5, 2006, I did the 8 km (return) hike along another sector of the disused O'Shannassy Aqueduct Track, north of Warburton, 80 km east of Melbourne.

This sector was between the Dee Rd crossing (north of Millgrove) and the Mt. Donna Buang Walking Track crossing (near Warburton).

Altitude was around 400m, and the track wound its way around the base of Mt. Donna Buang.

This completed the 13 km (26 km return) "Aqueduct Walk", which I undertook over four trips spread over several weeks.

The O'Shannassy Aqueduct was built in the period 1910-1920 and was decommissioned in the 1990s, and connected the O'Shannassy Reservoir (near Reefton) with the Surrey Hills Reservoir (15 km east of Melbourne).

Total length of the Aqueduct was 78 km, consisting of 37 km of open channel, 43 km pipe, and three tunnels of 0.8 km.

The 37 km open channel section extends from Cement Creek to the Don Rd, north of Launching Place.

I still have to complete the remaining 24 km of open channel, between Warburton and Cement Creek.

The Victorian Government has announced that it has now opened the entire 37 km of the channel for walkers and cyclists, with the strip being purchased by Parks Victoria from Melbourne Water.

The Photo Album is at:

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/308283/index.html

Take a virtual tour at the Album and see :

- The Aqueduct and Track
- The superb views across the Upper Yarra Valley
- Many constuction features
- The unique trestle bridge
- The small bridges which once connected to the early timber mills on the south face of Mt Donna Buang
- The small shed originally used by workers for aqueduct and track maintenance