Grade: S-X or M-X
Distance: 35km or 60km
Road Conditions: All on bicycle paths.
Route:A round trip which takes you northwards from Lake Burley Griffin to Lake Ginninderra in Belconnen, and then eastwards via the Australian Institute of Sport and sections of beautiful gum treed Canberra Nature Park to North Canberra. Finally you go southwards through the older suburbs of O'Connor and Turner and the Australian National University back down to Lake Burley Griffin.
Map: Canberra Cycleways Map and detailed route map.
Starting Point:Weston Park, Yarralumla
Description:
This ride is described from Weston Park but can be shortened by starting from Yarramundi Reach on the northern side of Lake Burley Griffin.
From Weston Park take the cycle path westward and follow it clockwise around the Lake and across Scrivener Dam. The cycle path continues eastward towards Civic parallel to Lady Denman Drive.
About three kilometres from Scrivener Dam, and just before reaching Black Mountain, there is an exit to the left, across Lady Denman Drive and then through a series of tunnels under Parkes Way. The cycle path then meanders north-westward again, under Caswell Drive. At Bindubi St it heads northwards and crosses Bindubi Street at a combined horse and bicycle underpass, before heading for the ridge.
Pass through the suburbs of Cook and Macquarie and after crossing Belconnen Way at the lights continue down Benjamin Way in front of the distinctive Benjamin Offices, and past the Belconnen bus interchange and Belconnen Town Centre. Join the cycleway again by the lake foreshore. Turn left and follow the cycle path around the lake in a clockwise direction, crossing the dam and Ginninderra Bridge.
Continue along the foreshore south from Ginninderra Bridge until the turn-off to the left (eastward) taking you through the University of Canberra campus, south across College St, past Radford College, and right into Haydon Drive.
Turn east (left) at the crossing in Haydon Drive taking you into the Canberra Nature Park beside the Bruce campus of the Canbera Institute of Technology and the Australian Institute of Sport.
The path now continues downhill through trees until it meets Dryandra St in O'Connor and continues eastwards until it meets up with the main north-south cycle path which follows more suburban green-belt by Sullivans Creek (storm water channel).
This path comes to a halt at Barry Drive where you can enter the Australian National University campus by turning right and then left at the traffic lights for North Rd.
Continue southwards through the campus via Sullivans Creek Rd and Fellows Rd and Liversidge St which connects with the Lake Burley Griffin cycle path again above the Parkes Way tunnel. Turn left to follow the foreshores and Commonwealth Avenue Bridge back to Weston Park.
