Grade: S-X
Distance: 15.2 km return
Road Conditions: Mainly cycle paths
Route: From Scrivener Dam along the Molonglo River, Streeton Drive, Cooleman Court, Hindmarsh Dr, Melrose Drive, Yarra Glen, Curtin to Scrivener Dam.
Map: Canberra Cycleways Map and detailed map of ride
Starting Point: Scrivener Dam
Description: It is fitting that Charles Scrivener, the first Director of Commonwealth lands and surveys, should be honoured by the imposing Scrivener Dam where this ride begins. It was Scrivener who, early this century, recommended that the Canberra valley be the site of Australia's national capital and Scrivener who recommended that the Molonglo River and its flood plain be dammed to form an ornamental lake for Canberra. About fifty years later, in 1960, work began on damming the Molonglo to create Lake Burley Griffin (named after the visionary creator of the city, Walter Burley Griffm), a development which, more than any other, served to unite a mish-mash of Canberra suburbs into what has become a confident, progressive city.
When you begin this ride, leave the Scrivener Dam lookout carpark by an access road which takes you on to the bike path to the south. After 470 metres it forks right at a Weston Creek sign and crosses Yarralumla Creek which feeds into the Molonglo. In summer, the river is almost hidden by the dense foliage of a wall of deciduous trees, willows among them, but in the 1989 winter debris caught high on their bare limbs was disquieting evidence of the power of the Molonglo when in flood.
Almost from the start of the ride there are handsome views across slanting hills to Canberra's mountainous backdrop. Then, after almost 2 km, the undulating cycleway passes beneath the Tuggeranong Parkway, another kilometre taking it past a clump of pines where it turns left to leave the river behind.
The path climbs to cross the Cotter Rd at a light-controlled intersection, then heads up Streeton Dr. on a footpath, crossing Dixon Dr. and reaching a sign pointing to Holder on the right and Weston Creek straight ahead. Continue on as for Weston Creek and pass a tunnel on the left, the 'blind' position of its exit making it a place ripe for collisions. A stormwater drain is crossed via a bridge, almost 5 km from the start, and the path drops to swing left and reach the left-hand side of Streeton Dr. by travelling through a tunnel. Be sure to take a left turning soon after emerging from this tunnel.
The cycleway crosses playing fields, moves beneath a road and becomes smooth asphalt again as it runs past the Cooleman Court (Weston Creek) shopping complex. Ride through parkland to an underpass and be careful to take a curving route to the right at a jumble of paths near blocks of apartments. Next, cycle to the left, just before you would otherwise enter another tunnel, and find the path takes you up to run parallel with Hindmarsh Dr.
An uphill section of about 0.5 km follows, and then a succession of road crossings--McInnes St, access roads to the Tuggeranong Parkway, then roads taking traffic off the Parkway and onto Hindmarsh Dr. All demand extreme care, whether light-controlled or not. Just past the last of these ignore a tunnel which would take you to Tuggeranong. By now you have been riding for 7.6 km and if you feel like breaking the ride with a bush walk, then there's a track to the left to the summit of a notable landmark, Oakey Hill. The round trip of about 2.5 km takes 45 minutes.
As is often the case elsewhere in Canberra, the walking trail is not sign-posted. From the bike path stroll for some 500 metres to a defaced sign prohibiting the riding of trail bikes about here. Turn left, then hard tight after about 70 metres and climb under power lines for about 150 metres. Next, take a turning to the left and climb, more steeply now, for about 450 metres to reach a sealed road encircling a strange, low 'structure, apparently a reservoir, built on a knoll and enclosed by a barbed wire fence. From here you can gaze across the plains to the Telstra Tower, the water jet in Lake Burley Griffin, the peaks of Ainslie and Majura and, closer at hand, the Woden Valley across to Red Hill and Isaacs Ridge.
If you walk to the left around the perimeter road, grand views of the southwest ranges become dominant. The road leads on to a trig. point reached by a track through grass. From here you can look out over much of Canberra's open space, although even at this height traffic noise is a nuisance.
Should you not want to make the walk, then keep riding straight ahead to make a crossing of Launceston St, the path sweeping on to leave Hindmarsh Dr. behind. Ignore a tunnel to the right into the Woden Town Centre and keep riding, office towers on the right. You are cycling parallel with Melrose Dr. and must cross Corinna St, then Launceston St (again) and Theodore St.
A quieter stretch follows as the path twists through parklands and, about 1.5 km from the Woden Town Centre or 11 km since setting forth on the ride, be careful to take a right turning at a sign pointing to North Canberra. The cycle-way passes under Carruthers St and continues in an idyllic setting, ageing deciduous trees showering the path with autumn leaves.
The path crosses under McCulloch St and moves on past sports fields to reach the Cotter Rd. Travel right to cross a bridge, then spiral down under it to find that Yarralumla Creek is on your left as the track heads back towards Scrivener Dam while far ahead the Black Mountain tower is rather impressive on its wooded site. The rusting roof of the Yarralumla Woolshed, built in 1904 and in its heyday capable of accommodating 5000 woolly sheep, is prominent on the left. These days it resounds to the carefree music and stomping feet of bush dances.
Keep riding past a horse-riding school and a turnoff (right) to City. Soon you are passing the cycleway to Weston Creek, taken when you first set out on the ride. Your goal, Scrivener Dam, is but a short distance away.
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:
