Cardinia Aqueduct Trail

The Cardinia Aqueduct Trail follows the old Bunyip Main Race, a water channel built in 1914 to carry water from Tarago to Beaconsfield Reservoir, on its course past the Pakenham edge. What survives is a flat, gravel walking and cycling trail through peppermint and messmate eucalypt forest and open farm views, popular with bird watchers and anyone after a quiet, easy walk with the dog.

Leash status and the track

Dogs are welcome on lead, a policy confirmed with Melbourne Water and Cardinia Shire Council, and the trail is also open to horses and bikes, so keep your dog close when cyclists roll through. The surface is compacted gravel and the grade stays relatively flat for the whole run, which makes it a good choice for older dogs, puppies learning lead manners and prams alike. The trail passes through stands of native forest where peregrine falcons, honeyeaters, blue wrens and scrub wrens are regularly spotted, so a slow pace pays off.

Pepsi: flat gravel, no road crossings and birdsong the whole way. This is our recovery-day walk when the hills are too much.

Getting there and worth knowing

The main access is from the Thewlis Road end at Pakenham, with car parking also available via Officer Road. The trail is open around the clock but mornings and late afternoons are the comfortable windows in summer. There are no water or toilet facilities on the trail itself, so carry water for both of you; the Lakeside shopping precinct about four kilometres away by car is the nearest full facilities stop. After heavy rain some sections can turn muddy, so in winter wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy.

Before or after the walk, Don Jackson Reserve Fenced Dog Park covers a fenced run close by, and Frankies Pakenham is a dog-friendly coffee stop. The Emerald to Cockatoo Trail in the hills is a good longer option for another day. More routes are in the Victoria dog trails guide.