Grade: S-X
Distance: 11.7 km, one way
Road Conditions: Mainly cycle paths
Route: From the Family Court building, University Ave/Childers St, City, via Lake Burley Griffin, Glenloch Interchange, Bindibi Street and ends at the Belconnen Town Centre, Belconnen.
Map: Location Map (Ride No 5) and detailed Map 6 of ride
Starting Point: Family Court building, University Ave/Childers St, City.
Description: It's a breeze riding in from Belconnen along this bike path because long stretches of it are downhill. But the reverse applies when you are going out to this town and several taxing climbs must be made.
When you leave the start point, cycle up the University Ave footpath on the right-hand side and cross Marcus Clarke St at traffic lights before turning right to ride down this street on the footpath. Take care at an entrance to Farrell P1. and also in crossing Gordon St and Edinburgh Ave (at traffic lights). Once over Edinburgh Ave get a spurt on to climb an overpass above Parkes Way. At the bottom turn right at the Ferry Terminal and cycle for 0.5 km along the shores of Lake Burley Griffin towards the Acton Peninsula (once home of the Royal Canberra Hospital). Turn right at a tunnel (if you go straight on you end at the Peninsula) and climb up to Liversidge St, Acton.
Once over this thoroughfare find that the path rushes down to meet the lake again and continues along the shore parallel with Parkes Way. After a flat stretch it climbs to meet Parkes Way and cross Sullivans Creek via a bridge before dropping off and continuing below Parkes Way.
(If, instead of climbing to Parkes Way, you had cycled straight ahead you would find the path swings under the bridge and continues on to end at Ward Rd next to South Oval on the Australian National University campus. A similar detour from the cycleway on the opposite bank of Sullivans Creek takes you on to Clunies Ross St and runs past the Australian National Botanic Gardens to end at Barry Drive).
The cycleway flattens out, then climbs to cross Garryowen Dr., the access road to picnic areas on Black Mountain Peninsula, before sweeping down to hug the lake shore. It tackles a couple of rises and then, 4.7 km from the start point, arrives at an unmarked junction where you must turn hard right to cross Lady Denman Dr. Once over this obstacle find the bike path swings right to move through three tunnels (keep left in negotiating these), climb two hillocks and proceed alongside Rani Rd (it's a dead-end at the lake end) before tunnelling under Caswell Dr. and ascending to Bindubi St.
The path heads right and levels off for a time before climbing up a slope and leading on to a tunnel under Bindubi St. It emerges on the left-hand side of this road and ascends another rise before reaching the houses of suburban Cook and Aranda. About here, 8 km from City, the track begins its long descent to the Belconnen Town Centre. It dashes along to cross Lyttleton Cres. and Redfern St, then threads its way through housing developments and crosses Catchpole St before meeting Belconnen Way.
Cross this road with the help of traffic lights and continue down Benjamin Way on a footpath on its left-hand side (if you wanted to, you could ride on the cycle-way on the opposite side), taking care in crossing Lathlain St, an access road to the Belconnen markets. Cross College St at traffic lights, turn left, and continue across the entrance to the Benjamin Offices before cycling behind these, crossing Chan St and passing the bridge over Joynton Smith Dr. leading to Westfield Shopping Town. The path you are on reaches Lathlain St and then joins the bike path to Florey at the Lathlain St/ Luxton St intersection (see Commuter Ride 8) where the route from City ends.
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:
