The Urban Adventure Site


Do NOT enter drains. Read this warning!

UA City World MapDwellers

This drain is located on a suburban creek in the City. It is fairly long. Dwellers is challenging but has it's own sights to see.

 

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Map of the drain systems with points of interest marked
Note: The map is not accurate and is drawn from estimates of where features are in relation to above ground.

Dwellers Rating:

It was in this drain that a fireman drowned!

5. Entrance to Dwellers. Not far from Mini-Tenth, along the creek still on the golf course, further downstream on the south bank of the creek is Dwellers. You can spot the entrance by the fence by the creek, near the bluestone thing with pipes going into the creek. There's a nice ford here so you can cross the creek from the north. This tunnel extends southwards about four kilometres. The drain has about 20-30 centimeters of water in the entrance but by doing the patented splits you can keep your feet dry. It was easier to get them wet though. The tunnel is about a 2.4 meter RCP.

A pic of the entrance to Dwellers taken from the weir over the creek.

6. First Chamber. About 200 meters in, under a road is a small chamber with a good deal of graffiti and messages in it. This is just one of the many interesting chambers in this long tunnel. A small side pipe diverts most of the water in this tunnel out of the chamber so the floor is always dry. At times past message bags and notes were left in the drain here. Note the occasional hatched pipe along the right hand side of the drain.

The first chamber in Dwellers. The red bit is a very fast glow bug.

Same chamber in 2001

Old graffiti

Somebody marked all exits in this drain

7. Branch. Just past the first chamber is a branch tunnel leading to the left. This tunnel leads to a shopping center. It's not a very big tunnel, and is a bit of a back breaker. If you wander down it enough though you will come across some interesting gutter boxes and eventually a large grille that can be opened sometimes. Don't do this tunnel when it's even drizzling because all the water pouring off of the car parks at the shopping center sends a torrent down this small tunnel.

The Grille, showing the step iron ladder and barely visible tunnel below.

8 Split chamber. Further along the main tunnel there is a small dam like structure where a pipe crosses the drain. Sometimes this may be full of junk as there is actually an overflow under the pipe. If you clear out the junk this will lower the water level. The split comes about 5-6 minutes walk further on. The left (older RBT) is the more interesting of the two tunnel choices, climb the two steps and walk on. You will come across a short section of red brick arch then rectangular concrete It's got some interesting and very old graffiti in it once you get to the double barrel rectangular concrete section and low roofed area, including a nice piece entitled 'art gallery'.

A lot of this old graffiti dates back from 1971, 1973 and 1974. There is also some stuff from the sixties, possibly from 'Alf the Convincer.' The names of several drain explorers are strewn on the walls including Mick Brown, Craig Bradley, Agenent, Rick, Tasha, There are a few bits of art here, but a lot of it is wearing away. Right where the gallery sign is located a split is located, along with some more art. Such sayings as Happy New Year 1971 are here. The art includes several nudes, a nice sort of half white and half black face.

The manhole just past here is poppable, if a bit heavy. It exits onto the footpath of a quiet road.

9 Exit manhole. From this point on the tunnel continues on as a slippery rectangular concrete drain that goes for miles and miles. There are several manholes that exit into back yards along this way. I think it was third round grid manhole. You can tell it's this one because I painted an EXIT sign beneath it with arrows upwards. This manhole is located in a reserve beside a road. When facing the road, turn left to walk back to the start of the drain.

Beyond this exit there are two more. The first is overgrown and about impossible to move. The next is a grid type, not concreted over like most of the rest. This exits into a small yard behind a chicken shed. 21/1/98 This exit has been blocked by large stones on top of the manhole.

Expo reports You may also want to read this expo report

Mini-Tenth.

We pulled the car up on the north side of Gardiner's creek and crossed the creek near the entrance of Dweller's then hot footed it across the golf course for the entrance to Mini-Tenth. It is a huge concrete arch type tunnel. There was a few people around as we headed for the entrance but we nonchalantly popped down, wearing our coveralls and strode up to the entrance to spot the car almost in the entrance of Mini-Tenth. It had flipped and was now on it's roof. The tyres are still on it and the number plate is still attached although it's bent so much we could not really read it. We both were a bit chilled that it had moved a hundred meters down the tunnel since the last time we saw it only 2 weeks before. We knew that the force of water required to move it must have been huge.

The new surprise was the brown Ford Cortina that had arrived. It's in pretty good condition and we could still smell petrol in it. Neither of us knew anything about hot wiring cars so we couldn't tell if it would still start. We both though about the stupidity and futility of dumping a car down there, what a waste. Wondered who's it was.

We wandered in for a good 20 minutes, leaving our tag and a visitor's sheet at a side tunnel before heading back, having a busy schedule planned. Arriving back near the entrance we heard the sounds of someone slamming the Cortina's door. Slinking down near the edge of the tunnel we spotted some kid bashing away at something in the Cortina. He didn't stay long but when we emerged he and his mate were standing near the entrance as Gunny and me walked out. They had let some petrol out of the tank of the Cortina.

"Had a nice walk?" They asked.
"Yeah, good enough. You Clan?" We asked.
"Nah." They replied, just kids out exploring, but maybe future recruits. Who knows? But wish they would not pollute the creeks.

1996. These guys later e-mailed me and apologised for the pollution, not realising they had cracked the petrol tank. They had explored Mini-Tenth and a few other drains.

Expo Dweller's

We walked down the golf course in the sun and approached Dwellers. We clambered down the side to the entrance. Both Gunny and I didn't have waterproof shoes so we figured "stuff it" and walked on in, socks and all. The water was about calf deep, almost knee deep. It soon shallowed out though as we strode on down the round concrete pipe.

Some few hundred meters in the tunnel came to a small chamber with the main flow of water diverted around to the left. The main tunnel was in the form of a square about 2.5 - 3 meters wide and high. There was plenty of graffiti and messages here which we took the time to read. This looked like a good place to post the latest copy of Tunnel Rag which we did with joy. There was lots of messages from past visitors and a note inviting all to Northcote Golf. We were in the process of spraying a tag when we heard voices coming from down the tunnel. We switched off the flashlights and hid in the side tunnel.

Up the tunnel came a flashlight and to our surprise we heard the voice of Merinda Park call out to us. "How'd you know we would be here." We asked.
" Ed told me." She replied.

We had seen the pic of Dweller's in the December '96 issue of Il Draino so we decided to explore further. About 50 meters from the small chamber we came across a side tunnel on the left with a message saying it went to Chadstone Shops. We walked on further and further, passing a few manhole accesses and after some time coming to a small set of stairs which we could hear for about 6 minutes before we came to them , every time expecting to find them around the next corner.

After what seemed an age we came to another set of falls at a small dam in the drain. A sign on the left side of the drain suggested an exit was 3 minutes ahead on the right. We waded into the water and walked on, passing a very short side tunnel with the words "Change Rooms" painted near it. Further on we came across the exit. It was by means of a small side 1 meter RCP with directions saying it was a 3 minute crawl at the 2nd grate. At this point, as we left a calling card we got a scare when the Dolphin gave out. We switched on a pocket waterproof light and we gave the dolphin a shake. Much to our relief it shone bright again.

Then to our annoyance we could just not scramble up the side of the tunnel and get a grip on the sides of the RCP so we decided to head back. If anyone has a location on this exit we'll plot it and chuck in a rope to assist people.

Do NOT enter drains. Read this warning!

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