Stormwater Drains

Even though they are quintessentially urban, stormwater drains are like remote wilderness.

After writing the article I returned to take photos and found some dubious air(1).

Concrete pipes and slime pits

These stormwater drains are in Florey, which is a suburb of Canberra, Australia. They are concrete pipes big enough to ride a bike down and they span the few kilometres to Lake Ginninderra.

There are a few entrances for the adventurous and foolhardy. All of the ones I have found are on or near the flood-way that roughly follows Southern Cross Dr. This day I entered via a missing grate behind a primary school.

My descent booms through the pipes.

I found myself in a junction room. Two pipes entered from the right and another two reached away to the left. I could see about three metres down each pipe before it was pitch black. Luckily I brought my headlamp (a Petzl Tikka, which is a nice, simple LED based model that I’ve also used on rogaines).

The first thing I noticed were the sounds. Each step I made rang in the air like plucking a drain-sized guitar string. I called out to test the echo, “Hello!” One second. Two seconds. Then my voice called from somewhere down the pipe, “Hello!”. I had been slightly worried about the other sorts of people who frequent drains, but I figured even a stealth approach would sound like a cavalry charge here.

I wasn’t sure how complex this place was going to be, so I pencilled the outline of the room and four lines for the pipes onto an index card and added to it as I found other landmarks.

I found several junction rooms, each with at least three pipes coming together. It was in these places that I found graffiti. Most read “Underground Pipe Boys” in big letters, but after exploring for an hour, I came across one that read “Next time, bring a sandwich.” Sound advice. When I was deeper still, I saw a penguin stenciled where the wall dipped between two parallel pipes.

Respite ahead

In the end, I stepped out of a pipe into tall room. Two other pipes continued on the opposite wall, however they were elevated 1.5m off the ground. I clambered up into the left one and travelled on for a quarter hour. The pipe kept getting slightly smaller until I was running along like Quasimodo. The sources of fresh air got scarcer, too, until I thought that it might be best to return airward. I gave up for the day and traced my map back to the exit.

If you go, you won’t be coddled, so you must take the risks into your own hands. It would be sensible to take someone with you. Do your research(2).

If you go, it may be awesome. Until a storm comes.

PS. I really recommend making a map. The place can be tricky to navigate, since some places look similar. Also the air is a bit stale down there so look sharp.

Links

Canberra Urbex on Google Maps

Google maps does urban exploration with the help of Purp Penguin.

Cave Clan Photos

There are a lot of interesting drains in other Australian cities.

Drains of Canada: An Interview With Michael Cook

Interesting interview, with fantastic photos.