CANBERRA TO MORUYA VIA ARALUEN

Grade: M-XXX or L-XXX depending on time taken.

Distance: Canberra to Moruya via Captain's Flat 166km. Canberra to Braidwood 85km; Braidwood to Moruya 85km.

Road Conditions: Sealed roads to Captains Flat and then mainly unsealed roads in good condition, with little traffic from then on. Some quite steep hills in places.

Route: It is recommended that riders should avoid the heavily used Kings Highway from Canberra to Braidwood by using the route through Captains Flat Ride to Captains Flat and then across the Jingera Mountains to Majors Creek, where you pick up the road to Araluen and the coast from Braidwood

Maps:NSW road map. See also sketch map.

Starting Point: Canberra.

Description: The New South Wales south coast, the summer playground of the nation's capital, is usually reached from Canberra via the King's Highway, which winds its tortuous way down the Clyde Mountain to Batemans Bay. A far more pleasant route for cyclists follows the Deua or Moruya River valley through Araluen to the sea at Moruya, travelling along quiet, little used roads.

There are many distinct ways of starting the ride. The easiest is to take the Murrays Canberra Cruises and Tours bus which leaves Canberra every day and be dropped off at Braidwood.

For a pleasant challenge avoid Braidwood altogether and ride to Captain's Flat then across the Jingera Mountains to Major's Creek. This may well take an extra day.

To return one can catch a bus from Moruya, or ride to Batemans Bay and catch the bus there, or simply retrace one's steps. The buses usually have room for three bicycles, but it is as well to make inquiries about the availability of space in advance.

Points of Interest include:

• Braidwood is an old gold town, which once had a population of 50,000 and a pub per thousand head of population, and which still retains some impressive buildings. Although the population is now less than a thousand, there are a number of shops, small hotels and motels, and a camping ground.
  
• View over Araluen: about fifteen kilometres south of Braidwood, shortly after the sealed road commences, there is a tight hairpin bend, from which a magnificent view over the Araluen Valley can be obtained.
  
• Major's Creek is another old gold mining town which has slipped a lot further into obscurity than Braidwood. The village's St. Stephen's Anglican Church dates back to 1870. The rather more famous Major's Creek pub (actually the Elrington Hotel, was named after the Major Elrington who first settled in the area) probably dates back to the 1851 goldrush. The village also has an excellent camping ground with water and toilets.
  
• Araluen is yet another old gold mining town situated in the beautiful Deua River valley. The area is now famous for the peach orchards, and there is an Annual Peach Festival. There is still a pub, but no shops or facilities.
  
• The road forks at this point, the northern branch taking the high ground via Larry's Mountain, and entering Moruya from the north, while the southern branch, which is partly sealed and flatter, enters the town from the west.
  
• Moruya has a population of 1700, and the full range of facilities expected in a resort town of this size, including camping grounds with on site vans. The town is on the estuary, the actual sea being a further six kilometres to the east.

Report of a ride from Braidwood to Moruya at Easter 1998

contributed by Adrianne Waterman, member Pedal Power ACT

I had no idea what I was letting myself in for when I decided to do the Easter Pedal Power ride - ignorance was definitely bliss until I learnt what an undulation is.

Braidwood was cold and windy when the nine of us set off from the Police Station heading for Majors Creek on Good Friday. We hit the dirt just outside Braidwood after the optimists in the front had to be called back from taking the easier, sealed and downhill route to Araluen. We eventually got to Majors Creek for lunch and as it was so cold we decided to have a drink in the warm pub and eat our lunch inside. A bit of a mistake - for which we were roundly abused. We then continued our journey - up and down more hills - till we reached the Araluen Valley and the pub came in sight. Not content to rest we divested our bikes of the heavy things and took a short and very, very steep ride out of town. Having had enough of going uphill for one day we returned to the pub for warm showers and fish and chips. The accommodation at the pub was very comfortable and the people extremely friendly and there was plenty of food.

It had rained on the Thursday and it was enough to lay the dust but not make it slushy - however the corrugations were indescribable - so I won’t - suffice it to say that anything that could come loose did and bones were rattled incessantly. The corrugations even seemed to be worse on the return trip after the road had dried out and the traffic had increased. We passed some wonderful scenery - mainly of hills and trees - sometimes it was hard to appreciate it when your vision was blurred by the corrugations. The tranquillity and smell of the bush were wonderful - until a four wheel drive came roaring past..

Saturday we set off about 9.30 after a good country breakfast - more up and down hills. Kim, Anna and Gavin set the pace with Roger and Tony close behind. Denis, Lenore and June were never far away and I brought up the rear. When we reached Larry’s Mountain I finally found out what an undulation is. Two kilometres going straight up. There was no way I could ride up that and pushing the bike wasn’t much easier but I eventually reached the top to find there were more up and down hills before we finally reached Moruya. Going up the last stretch to the top of Larry’s Mountain I was thinking to myself ‘What am I doing this for?’. Everyone was waiting patiently at the top for me and Denis asked if I was glad I’d come along. At that moment I wasn’t sure but in the end I was glad I did it.

We declined to go for an afternoon ride once we reached Moruya - even the 20 km round trip to the beach didn’t raise any enthusiasm. A few beers proved to be more popular and the Chinese dinner really went down well - there were even leftovers. We listened to the vocalist at the pub for a while then four of us retired to our vans and five went to the bed in the pub serenaded by the local lads.

Sunday morning was still overcast when we set off back to Araluen - this time by the less undulatory route. We had lunch at a BBQ area near the Deua River where I found a 1947 half penny on the ground - quite amazing.

We reached Araluen about 3.45 and decided to try for tea and scones at the Old Courthouse but alas it was closed so had to make do with peanuts, chips and beer at the pub. There were another four cyclists there when we arrived - they were from Goulbourn and Sydney and had gone to Moruya on Friday had two nights there and then back to Araluen via Larry’s Mountain - would have been quite a ride coming down. They had a support vehicle to take their tennis rackets and other gear.

It rained on Sunday night but was fine when we got up on Monday morning. We set off along the bitumen back to Braidwood. Denis had been heard to say that Monday’s ride would be like two Larry’s Mountains and he wasn’t far wrong - 9 kms of steep winding road was very interesting - every time you looked up it was still going up. When we finally reached the area with less undulations, 15 kms out of Braidwood, we were hit by a very cold head wind so it was over an hour before we reached our destination and a wonderful lunch. The traffic in Braidwood needed to be seen to be believed - most of Canberra must have been to the coast for the weekend.

I joined Pedal Power to learn more about bike riding and looking after my bike and to meet people who also enjoyed bike riding - I got all that in my first ride. I’ve listed some of my learning experience and high points of the ride below.

Learning Experiences

• Definitely don’t leave your padded nics at home when you have a long and bumpy ride ahead of you.
• You need to take your feet out of the cleats before you stop.
• It’s always wise to put your bike in low gear before you hit the steep bits.
• Don’t eat your lunch in the pub at Majors Creek.
• Sleeping bags are not needed unless specified.
• A mobile phone and recharger are not essential items where there is no mobile service.
• Only pack what is absolutely, absolutely essential and then take out something.
• Reading glasses are handy for reading menus in Chinses restaurants.
• That hill is twice as steep as it looks.

High Points

• Fish and chips at Araluen pub
• Chinese meal at Moruya
• Egg and bacon rolls at Moruya
• Custard tarts
• Lasagne at Araluen pub
• Lunch in Braidwood

Overall I can say I had a great weekend especially as everyone was so friendly, welcoming, helpful and patient and I am looking forward to my next Pedal Power ride. Many thanks go to Denis and Lenore for the great organisation and the many challenges posed by those long steep hills.

Adrianne Waterman