Grade: S-X
Distance: 20 km, return
Road Conditions: Mainly cycle paths
Route: From Acton Ferry Terminal via Commonwealth Ave Bridge, southern lake shore, Bowen Park, Telopea Park, Manuka, Flinders way, Mugga Way, Carruthers St, Yarra Glen, Novar Street, lake shore, Commonwealth Ave Bridge.
Map: Canberra Cycleways Map and detailed map of ride
Starting Point: Acton Ferry Terminal
Description: Mr Spokes' bike hire shop on the Lake Burley Griffin fore-shore is a useful starting point for this ride for visitors wanting to experience the pleasures of cycling in Canberra and also for residents, because if they are bringing their bikes in by vehicle there is plenty of parking available. After leaving the shop, ride left along the shores of Lake Burley Griffin departing from the bike path at a point where Albert St links with Barrine Dr. and gives access to Commonwealth Ave and the bridge spanning the lake. The cycleway at the end of this bridge becomes a semi-circular path to the right; at the bottom turn left to pass under the bridge and along the lake past four cultural scientific and legal institutions--the National Library, National Science and Technology Centre, High Court, Australian National Gallery.
Continuing under Kings Avenue Bridge, the cycleway moves into Bowen Park, a small area of ornamental trees and grassland, where it's worthwhile making a short detour. After cycling for 3.4 km from Mr Spokes' shop turn left off the cycleway at a point where model boat enthusiasts show off their craft, and ride along the edge of the lake on a gravel path, hazardous for child riders. It runs on for about a kilometre as far as Boat Harbour where the lake ferries berth, at a point where Jerrabomberra Creek enters the lake. It is quiet about here, the whistling and piping of birds in reeds and willows across the water being the only sounds. You get an unusually wide view of the flat city from Black Mountain on the left to Mt Ainslie on the right. On windy days the white water jet in the lake sprays with a touch of madness against the blackness of hills and ridges.
You can either return the way you came or go around Boat Harbour and ride up Mundaring Dr. past the debris of light industry (being cleared to be redeveloped into the Kingston Foreshores, to rejoin the cycleway where it crosses Bowen Dr. at traffic lights and enters Telopea Park, a long, thin stretch of parkland dotted with pines, poplars, eucalypts and barbecues. On the left as you enter the park are the cross-surmounted domes of the Greek Orthodox War Memorial Church of St Nicholas, built 'in memory of Greek and Australian soldiers who fell heroically for freedom'. Various paths to the left give you access to the Kingston shopping centre, one of Canberra's oldest. It has taverns, restaurants, cafes and retail shops. In recent years handsome townhouses and apartment towers have been built on old suburban blocks near the shopping centre and have revitalised it and the suburb which were becoming seedy.
Once through lovely Telopea Park turn left at New South Wales Cres. and ride on past the Manuka swimming pool to cross this road at its junction with Telopea Park (road). Ride on behind Manuka Oval, scene of the Prime Minister's X1 cricket matches against touring international sides, to cross busy Canberra Ave at traffic lights. On a rise to the left, obscured by trees, is St Paul's Anglican Church. The path takes you on to the Manuka shopping centre--more upmarket than Kingston and worth a look because of the variety of its shops, drinking places and restaurants. The cycleway skirts this trendy area, running up Captain Cook Cres. before turning right at Murray Cres., Griffith, and linking with Flinders Way. It continues to the left, rising gently, to pass tennis courts and parklands, then Canberra Grammar School to meet Mugga Way, Red Hill, Canberra's most fashionable address. By now you have been riding for about 7 km (excluding the detour to Boat Harbour). The abrupt change in housing standards along Flinders Way is quite startling--from being neat suburban cottages the houses suddenly become mansions on blocks huge by normal Canberra standards.
The middle section of this ride now continues on footpaths and roads. Turn right at Mugga Way to cross Flinders Way and cycle along the Mugga Way footpath, gazing when it's safe to do so at the diplomatic and private residences backing on to Red Hill. Calthorpes' House, No. 24, is not owned by foreigners but by the people and is open for inspection at certain times. It was built in 1927, the year old Parliament House was opened, yet remains almost intact. A brochure says, 'It is not a reconstruction of what might have been, but a surviving document... [the Calthorpes'] home not only represents the fashions of a different era but the values, technology and social roles of their time'. Admission must be booked..
The footpath crosses several roads--Dampier Cres., Torres and Baudin streets--before Mugga Way ends and becomes Stonehaven Cres. A difficult crossing follows at the intersection of Stonehaven Cres., the Red Hill Lookout road and Melbourne Ave. Once across it's best to ride on the footpath down Stonehaven Cres. to where it meets Hopetoun Crct at a roundabout. Move onto the road and keep following Stonehaven Cres. to the left until it meets Strickland Cres. at a T-junction (perhaps a safer alternative is to ride along the footpath).
Turn right at the junction, then hard left into Norman St and soon afterwards left into Beauchamp St--a good address, by the look of it. There's a short, steep climb and in riding on after that notice a path at No. 20 leading off to the left between houses. This takes you on to Kent St, Deakin, and turn left here to ride along the footpath. You are now cycling on the edge of Red Hill, part of Canberra Nature Park. To the right across the Canberra valley, are the majestic southwest ranges. As you cycle along notice an odd structure to the left--narrow windowed and mysterious, a cross between a fortress and a monastery. (In reality, the Deakin Offices, originally planned as a telephone exchange, are now largely occupied by several government departments which have computing facilities there.)
Carruthers St is next and turn right here, just before the suburb of Hughes, to cross Kent St and ride down Carruthers St on the footpath on the right. Notice the Black Mountain tower on its hilly site across grasslands and hills. You cross Denison St, then meet a junction of four roads and the City-Woden cycleway. Follow the bike path to the right here and zip along beside playing fields and the Royal Australian Mint (it is open to the public and you can watch coins being made and view a coin exhibition) to rejoin Kent St, some 13 km since you set off. Turn left to cross Adelaide Ave by a bridge, then Dudley St and Novar St in the suburb of Yarralumla at a service station.
After the hurly-burly of traffic it's good to ride quietly through Yarralumla although several roads have to be crossed--first Guilfoyle St, then Weston St and Loftus St. Stately eucalypts drop bark and leaves on the path which runs past a children's play area, tennis courts and Yarralumla Oval. Lake Burley Griffin glints in the distance. A busy road, Schlich St, must be crossed and the path heads down to the lake shore, the bulk of Black Mountain dominating the view ahead. Turn right at a point where your cycleway meets the one running around the lake, cross two wooden bridges and then Alexandrina Dr. From here it's a spectacular lake ride back to Mr Spokes' bike hire shop along the hilly path, across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and on to Albert St and Barrine Dr. where you rejoin the lake cycleway.
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:
