Grade: S-X
Distance:3.7 km, one way
Road Conditions: Mainly cycle paths
Route: From Belconnen Town Centre through Florey via Coulter Drive to Ginninderra Creek
Map: Location Map (Ride No 8) and detailed map of ride
Starting Point: Lathlain St/Luxton St, Belconnen Town Centre
Description: A cycleway sign points the way to Florey and soon after the start find that a short connector takes you into Ranken Pl., Belconnen (if you ride past this connector the path ends abruptly shortly afterwards). Ride down Ranken Pl., past Ranken Loop, to meet another connector (right) marked by another 'Florey' sign. This leads you back to the cycleway near a Totterdell St underpass. The path continues under Coulter Dr., swings left, and curves around to the left to run parallel with busy Southern Cross Dr.
The bike path crosses the difficult Southern Cross Dr./Ratcliffe Cres. (Florey) intersection and continues on down Southern Cross Dr. (A prominent offshoot to the left, 1.5 km from the start point, travels under Southern Cross Dr., through a gully with undeveloped grass-land on the left and townhouses on the right to bring you out at Burkitt St, Page.) An underpass further along the Belconnen-Florey path takes you under Ratcliffe Cres. and as you come out of this take the right-hand curve. (If you go straight ahead another tunnel, this time under Southern Cross Dr., will bring you out at Harrison St, Scullin.)
Continue riding on the Florey path, houses on the right, a floodway on the left, and find another underpass takes you beneath Barnard Crct. (A path to the left just before this underpass leads up to Pawsey Crct, past the St John the Apostle school on the left, and funnels between houses, then under Southern Cross Dr., to reach Broadsmith St, Scullin. It skirts Scullin Oval and brings you to Ross Smith Cres. and the Scullin Shops.)
As you continue riding the Florey path it takes you under Krefft St, then through parkland. It moves under transmission lines and through a gloomy tunnel under Ginninderra Dr. to where it meets the Belconnen Town Centre-Holt cycleway near the Kingsford Smith Dr./ Ginninderra Dr. intersection. (See Commuter Ride 6.)
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:
