Date: 18th of August 2024
Rating: ★★★★★
Ballarat darkie might be the biggest bluestone drain in all of Australia. It isnt the most feature filled drain but has a good part 2, Arclight.
Entrance: 2m
Materials: Bluestone
Shapes: Canal
Not very far into the drain there is a small brick balloon offshoot that leads out east. There is a split further down and eventually a gutterbox exit that pops out near the coles.
Since mid 2025 they have added a skylight in the drain with a ring of LED lights around it permanently turned on. This is also one of the only spots in victoria where painting on bluestone isnt taboo as the drain is filled with sections of well done graff.
Date: 13th of August 2025
Rating: ★★★★☆
Arclight outflows directly into the exit of Ballarat darkie. It is a 3m bluestone arch the whole way until it reaches the canal again. It is a really nice walk but the real gem of this drain is its tiny shape filled offshoot.
Entrance: 3m
Materials: Bluestone, Redbrick, Concrete
Shapes: Round, Box, Arch
Many people would overlook this tiny ass wet bluestone offshoot, but hidden within are some pretty strange shapes and old redbrick and bluestone sections.
The drain from the stairs is pretty stoopy, the redbrick bowl section is pretty much a crawl and it barely gets bigger from here. It turns from a bowl shape to a square old canal with a concrete top with a few redbrick arches which I think would have been bridges before the canal was topped.
There is a small section of RCP with a wooden board attatched to the end, makes for a good spot to tag. From here onwards the drain turns back into the canal before heading to a tiny crawl. A few metres into the crawl are some side holes where you can crawl straight out onto the road.
Date: 13th of August 2025
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Entrance: 1.65m
Materials: Concrete, Bluestone, Redbrick
Shapes: Arch, Round, Balloon, Box
Mousehole is a beautiful drain. It isn't that long but jam packed with weird shape changes and features.
Shortly after the first segment of concrete arch there is a short redbrick ballon section before continuing back to the concrete and then to this bluestone canal with a redbrick arch top.
There is a grille in this drain that has fallen in and it makes for both good photos and a good entry or exit, although the drain is short enough that you shouldnt need an exit. The best feature is just past here.
After the grille is this bluestone slide, the bluestone can be pretty slippery so take caution going up. From here the drain continues as the bluestone canal/arch shape until a small section of concrete box that is about 1.1m tall, and then after this a 1m RCP pipe to a gutterbox in a park.
Date: 13th of August 2025
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Entrance: 1.7m
Materials: Concrete, Bluestone, Redbrick
Shapes: Balloon, Box
Mira's tomb is currently in a serious state of disrepair.
The first hundred meters of the drain is this nice redbrick walled bluestone canal shape before turning into a full concrete box. The concrete seems to be old and aging as there are many sections where the floor has fallen in and been flushed further down the drain.
After the first flooded bit there is a small redbrick balloon that has a trolley stuck at the end with about 1m of dirt and debris built up behind it. It is pretty strange as the drain floor from here for the next 50m feels more like a river bed than a drain. Many eels live here, and this is one of the only places in a drain I have found a rat.
The end of the drain is really nice, it features an odd bluestone balloon shape, one that you dont really see often, if at all. It is a shame this drain is in such bad condition, otherwise it would be a really good walk.
