Distance: 18 km
Road Conditions: All shared paths.
Route: This ride takes you in an anti-clockwise direction around the Lake, visiting Black Mountain Peninsula, the National Museum of Australia , Scrivener Dam, Westbourne Woods and Weston Park.
Map: Canberra Cycleways Map , Bikely map and detailed route map .
Starting Point: Mr Spokes Bike Hire , Barrine Drive ACTON - between Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and the Acton Ferry Terminal. As this is a circular route, you can start from any point along the route.
If your bike has a trip meter, this is a good time to reset it. Head west, keeping the lake on your left. As you approach Lawson Crescent (1.4 km), take the left fork to the National Museum of Australia (The right fork goes through a tunnel and up a steep hill, bypassing the National Museum). As you exit from the National Museum, turn left at the roundabout on Lawson Crescent. Turn right at the lake and rejoin the main path near Parkes Way. The Australian National University is to the right. Carry on along the cycle path back down to the lake and then up a right fork again over Sullivans Creek Bridge, and along to Black Mountain Peninsula (4.1 km). The Peninsula has a range of facilities, including fresh water, toilets, barbecues and a swimming area on the western foreshore.
Rejoin the cycle path at the neck of the Peninsula and follow it west past the start of the rowing course, Acacia Inlet and then south-west along the lake. You will come to the 1916 cork-oak plantation (7.1 km). As you crest the hill, view the Governor-General’s residence, Government House, across the waters of Yarramundi Reach. Then it’s downhill to the National Zoo & Aquarium and Scrivener Dam (8.8km).
Scrivener Dam holds back the waters of Lake Burley Griffin, which was filled in the 1960s. Five hundred metres beyond the Dam, and left just past the Weston turnoff (9.3 km), is the Government House lookout. This is on the other side of the road and gives views of the house and grounds, where kangaroos can often be seen grazing. Soon after this take the left fork through a tunnel under Lady Denman Drive and then follow the cycle path over a hill to its crossing with Dunrossil Drive (10.6 km), which is the entrance to Government House. A short run you to a little wooden bridge across Warrine Inlet (10.9 km). After this the path meanders through a charming forest of huge exotic pines and deciduous trees between the lake and a golf course; these are the remnants of Westbourne Woods, an experimental plantation dating from Canberra's early days.
Up a sharp hill and off to the left are the Yarralumla Nursery and Oaks Brasserie (12.2 km). Down the hill the path crosses the road into Weston Park, an excellent spot for picnics and swimming, which includes a playground and a miniature train which children of any age should enjoy. The cycle path passes rowing sheds and crosses to the right side of Alexandrina Drive (13 km) for 700 metres before crossing back near the YMCA Yacht Club. After climbing to Blue Gum Point it’s downhill again to the Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club (15.4 km).
At Flynn Drive (16 km) you can see the spectacular Chinese Embassy diagonally across the roundabout, and there is an excellent view of Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower across the lake to your left. Keep to the lake bank as you pass around Nara Park. At Lennox Gardens (17 km) there is a memorial to Katie Bender, who was killed while watching the disastrous “implosion” of the Royal Canberra Hospital, which was then located across the lake where the National Museum now stands. There are plans to build a “friendship bridge” from Nara Park to the National Museum, for pedestrians and cyclists.
Continue along the lake shore to Commonwealth Avenue Bridge (17.3 km). Under the bridge and up some stone steps are two large stones from London’s historic Waterloo Bridge.
To return direct to the starting point on Acton Peninsula, cross back over Commonwealth Avenue Bridge. Alternatively, you can continue along the lake shore to ride around the Central Basin (which adds another 6 km) and, if you wish to completely circumnavigate the Lake, the East Basin
