Now part of the Yarra Ranges National Park, the O'Shannassy Aqueduct Track is a long, step-on, step-off 19.1 km walking/cycling/horse route starting at Don Rd, Launching Place, and ending at the Cement Creek Rd, about 70 km east of Melbourne, near the town of Warbuton.
The Aqueduct was decommissioned in 1997, and the maintenance track is being progressively opened up for walkers, horse-riders and cyclists, following transfer of land ownership from Melhourne Water to Parks Victoria.
As at June 2008, work was in progress to extend the Track by 4 km (from Don Rd to Parrot Rd), and by 7.6 km (from Cement Creek Rd to the Reservoir Gate).
The Section from Cement Creek to the Reservoir may be used by walkers, horses and cyclists, but has not as yet been officially opened. When complete, the Track will be 30.7 km in total.
The latest section to be opened is the 2 km route between Yuonga Rd and the easterly diversion tunnel.
The Track passes through magnificent Mountain Ash forest, past fern gullies, with excellent views across the Yarra Valley towards Mt Little Joe and the mountains near Big Pats Creek. It winds its way around the base of Mt Donna Buang and Ben Cairn, passing many aqueduct engineering works, bridges, syphons, huts, distance marker posts and old maintenance sheds.
The maintenance route is known as Road 18.
New access gates for management vehicles and walkers have been built at various locations along the route.
I walked this new section on June 20, 2008, now having completed 23 km of the full route - 46 km return, which I consider to be amongst the best in the Yarra Ranges National Park!
A comprehensive set of Track Notes, and detailed maps, may be downloaded from the Parks Victoria Web site:
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources05/05_1751.pdf
The Aqueduct was decommissioned in 1997, and the maintenance track is being progressively opened up for walkers, horse-riders and cyclists, following transfer of land ownership from Melhourne Water to Parks Victoria.
As at June 2008, work was in progress to extend the Track by 4 km (from Don Rd to Parrot Rd), and by 7.6 km (from Cement Creek Rd to the Reservoir Gate).
The Section from Cement Creek to the Reservoir may be used by walkers, horses and cyclists, but has not as yet been officially opened. When complete, the Track will be 30.7 km in total.
The latest section to be opened is the 2 km route between Yuonga Rd and the easterly diversion tunnel.
The Track passes through magnificent Mountain Ash forest, past fern gullies, with excellent views across the Yarra Valley towards Mt Little Joe and the mountains near Big Pats Creek. It winds its way around the base of Mt Donna Buang and Ben Cairn, passing many aqueduct engineering works, bridges, syphons, huts, distance marker posts and old maintenance sheds.
The maintenance route is known as Road 18.
New access gates for management vehicles and walkers have been built at various locations along the route.
I walked this new section on June 20, 2008, now having completed 23 km of the full route - 46 km return, which I consider to be amongst the best in the Yarra Ranges National Park!
A comprehensive set of Track Notes, and detailed maps, may be downloaded from the Parks Victoria Web site:
http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources05/05_1751.pdf
See my Photos
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