Wetback Baldy

Sunday May 07 - Melbourne - lashed by heavy storms, hail, rain and intermitant sunshine.
Sean and Michael dedicate day to drain recon duties.
Doveton - in search of elusive cascading drain described by Merv.
2 hours of fruitless searching.
Dropped off at Charlies house for a bit of don’t skate.
Proceeded on to check rumours of Waverly Sewerage Ponds still in existence as reported by Marty.
Grim report - Entire infrastructure abandoned and no longer part of sewerage system. Ponds in existence but now abandoned and permanently filled by rainwater with heavy sediment deposits etc. Sean wept openly at site of childhood happiness.

Proceeded on to other side of Melbourne to check site observed by Sean on Freeway drive. Strange funnel structure and full pipe observed from distance.

Site located. Appears to be an abandoned dam project right in the middle ring of Melbourne suburbia. Whole valley meant to be flooded but it has never happened. Now houses are everywhere. Dam wall intact, complete with spillway, overflow funnel intake and full pipe outlet. (alternative scenario is that this is a giant flood retention basin designed to cope with a 100 year storm event - scary). Very surreal when you look around at this empty valley and put it all together in your mind.
Lots of water flowing today but young motorcycle riders confirmed that pipe dries out. Summer expedition!

Specs. Intake pipe roughly 8-9 feet diameter running into dam wall - meets overflow funnel about 1/3 way in and incorporates flange and vertical shaft, pipe diam increases at this point to at least 16-18 feet, feeds out into tapering walled chamber. Rad.

Valley with dam wall and overflow funnel

Overflow funnel

Intake pipe

Exit Pipe

Exit pipe and tapering channel chamber

Sean found it - he gets to name it.
We ride it next summer.

Jolly good work lads.

Michael, you forgot to mention that we went in search of the old Doveton skatepark. Sadly, we found no signs of life.

Name for the pipe “The Blow Hole”
Thought that was relevant in relation to the huge concrete funnel that connects to the pipe.

There is another funnel I have seen that needs investigating. Michael when are we going in search of more pipes.

Michael, what are your estimates on the larger section of pipe?

A second funnel has been located today.

Stay tuned for more pics.

These pipes have got to be about 20 feet in diameter on the large/outlet side. Unfortunately the pics we have of the first one dont do it justice.

Not quite that big Sean.
I’d estimate around the 15 foot mark in the pipe. Maybe a little bit bigger but not much. It bellows out right at the exit point which makes it look bigger than it is.

Do you think the pipes are rideable? on closer inspection of the photo titled
“Intake pipe” there are very visible seams from the pipes construction.

Wonder what the “seams” are like when you roll at speed?

Pictures do look great hope this is a find right up there with the pot hole

Can’t really tell precisely Mosu re the seams but they are not too bad, pretty neat off form work as you got in the 70s.
There was a lot of water running due to the storms over the weekend.
It will cop a close internal inspection when we don’t get some rain for a while.
The bottom of the pipe is a real question - water flow erosion of concrete could be a problem.
The whole structure dates from the 70’s - so thats 30 years of trickle flow through the bottom. Was built along with the Tullamarine freeway works - to control flood surge along the moonee ponds creek. It is in fact as I speculated designed to cope with a 100 year storm event in true MMBW fashion.
Its not in the same league as the pot hole being only about 1/2 that diam.
I’d say it gets close to Baldy dimensions but is a tad smaller.

Anyway I’d say it always has a permanent trickle and will be a summer sandbag and kitty litter job.

On the question of pipes it is rumoured that one of the Baldy sections of the Werribee Sewerage pipe is currently skateable. (this was skated in the 80’s when it was being built). I find this hard to believe since I understood it was the main trunk sewer to the plant at Werribee. But such an outlandish rumour must be checked out. Another recon mission for a rainy day.

the werribee full pipes are skateable in summer but heaps of work to dam them cause the water rans though there often. Have you guys skated the hoppers Crossing full pipes? and the u-pipes? Great fun and nearly always dry ,never a bust either. If need help finding them let me know and i can hook up with you guys and show you the way.

Into that Eamon. Must arrange that session - bound to be a few MOSSERs into it.

Not this weekend but next weekend. Can’t wait to see the innes demo at ring of fire friday night see all there

After a mini ramp session this morning we entered the bowels of the beast.
Less water was running.
Pipe sizes.
Entry pipe 8 feet.
Exit pipe 3 X Sean = 3 X 6 ft = 18 feet.
Condition - beautiful class 1 off form concrete to walls of pipe.
Bottom of pipe is water eroded and has exposed aggregate.
(Grout job - or lay thin plywood).
Mad middle section incorporating overflow funnel.
Pipe does dry out in summer.
Definitely a rider and if it wasn’t for bottom would be an absolute killer up there with Baldy.
That doesn’t mean the bottom couldn’t be fixed or at least the section round the funnel.
Heres some video stills for your interest.





And it is right in the middle of Melbourne - you can just about get there by public transport.

Here is a little survey film if anyone is interested. Pans around and shows condition of concrete - all the interesting bits. And I don’t know if you can see it in the film but there are wheel marks over the entry pipe in the funnel section - its been ridden and somebody has made it over the pipe and back down - radical.

media.putfile.com/wetbackbaldy1

F*ck yeah boys!

first person to carve over the entry tunnel in the elbow is a fu*ckin legend. what a spectacular find

wheelmarks are already there - the legend whoever they are is out there.

fuck the inside of the pipe looks sick just don’t want to get caught in there when it rains! Can’t wait for summer sessions is on!

:smiling_imp: The Blow Hole :smiling_imp:

Good work on the video footage and stills, MM.
Now you get more of an idea of what this place is like.

And damn that water was cold, it made my toes shrink :unamused: