Grade: S-X
Distance: 26 km return
Road Conditions: Mainly cycle paths
Route: From the Family Court, University Ave, City along the Sullivan's Creek bike path, Bruce Ridge, AIS, Kaleen, Ginninderra Creek to Lake Ginninderra. Return via Mackellar and AIS to City.
Map: Canberra Cycleways Map and detailed map of ride
Starting Point: Family Court, University Ave, City
Description: The first 5.5 km of this ride duplicates that for the City to Belconnen Ride until you reach the Kaleen turnoff from the City-Belconnen cycleway in bush-land on O'Connor Ridge. This occurs at the top of the ridge just before the Australian Institute of Sport. Take this path to the right which heads downhill between the AIS buildings and its carparks and practice fields, until Lverrier Street.
It is exhilarating to zip through old grazing lands to a tunnel under Ginninderra Dr. and then irritating to find the cycleway swings to the left (to the Belconnen Town Centre) while if you ride straight ahead, the way you must go, the path you are on ends abruptly at Alberga St, Kaleen. There are no signs to guide you, but ride down Alberga St to the right for 300 metres and enter Shannon Crct, again on the right. This takes you to the bike path which mysteriously reappears at the back of the primary school and runs on towards Maribyrnong Ave. Just before you reach this road turn right and follow the path along the edge of playing fields. It bends to the left and tunnels under MaribyrnongAve and begins a fiat stretch of 1.1km through parkland alongside an open stormwater drain.
Near tennis courts on the left be careful to cross this drain via a bridge. You have now covered just over 10 km from City. The path moves left and continues behind Kaleen houses to reach busy Maribyrnong Ave once more (the masts of the Belconnen Naval Radio Station have been prominent on the left for some time). Another dangerous road, Chuculba Cres., has to be crossed before the path enters Giralang with another flat winding stretch taking you along the edge of playing fields before you cross Dodwell St, Giralang.
The cycleway runs on to skirt ponds of Ginninderra Creek, blue hills far away, while in winter the depressing raw concrete of the Belconnen Town Centre, obscured by foliage at other times of the year, is a blot in the middle distance. A bridge on William Slim Dr. is negotiated next, and take the path as it sweeps to the left once over the bridge. It heads back to Ginninderra Creek and be sure to take the turning to the right once over the creek crossing. The path heads up to Baldwin Dr. and turn right here to ride back to William Slim Dr. on a footpath and then swing in a semi-circular fashion under Baldwin Dr.
It's an absorbing ride along Ginninderra Creek and then Lake Ginninderra. There's an astonishing array of towers and masts at the naval radio station to the left--I stopped and counted no fewer than sixty-three. On a windless evening in summer the lake is smooth and unruffled, its reedy banks a shelter for waterbirds that plop and splash.
The cycleway climbs slightly and 15 km after beginning the ride ignore a path to the right (to Mckellar). Instead, keep going and head towards Ginninderra Dr. and its bridge over Lake Ginninderra, leaving the path when it swings left and under the bridge. Ride straight on to reach the bridge and, after crossing it, ignore a path heading left under the bridge. The path you are on climbs towards an intersection of three roads -- Ginninderra, Baldwin and Haydon Drives. Fortunately traffic lights control this crossroads, but take care.
Once across Baldwin Dr, the path heads back to the tunnel under Ginninderra Dr. and from there you are retracing your outward journey from City. This entails a ride of about 8 km and apart from a short stretch in the vicinity of the Institute of Sport, all of it is either downhill or on the flat.
Ride through the Institute's grounds to reach the City-Belconnen Town Centre cycleway and turn left here to dash downhill, taking care at a sharp turn to the right at the bottom. The route crosses numerous streets before bringing you back to the Family Court building.
Pedal Power is grateful to Graeme Barrow for agreeing to allow this material and
maps to be reproduced here from his book "Riding Canberra's Bike Paths: A
commuter/tourist cycling guide". Other titles by Graeme Barrow include:
