Upper Yarra Reservoir Park sits about 24 kilometres east of Warburton along Woods Point Road, at the very head of the Yarra valley. The reservoir, completed in 1957, is one of Melbourne’s major water-supply storages — and the surrounding Parks Victoria reserve wraps tall eucalypt forest, fern gullies and lookouts around the water’s edge.
From the day-visitor area you can walk the self-guided Fern Gully track through a sheltered, ferny understorey, follow the Brimbonga Walking Track to a viewing platform, or drive up to the Dam Wall Lookout for the long view back down the reservoir. There’s a grassed picnic area with fireplaces, toilets, a playground, and an off-grid campground for those who want to stay the night.
One stop has a special resonance for the Waterwheel: McVeigh’s Water Wheel, restored and standing in the picnic area, once drove the generator that powered the old McVeigh’s Hotel here. It’s a fitting place to visit from a hub built around a water wheel of its own.
The park is open during daylight hours; Woods Point Road is unsealed in sections and can be affected by weather, so check Parks Victoria for current conditions before you set out.