CYCLING SOUTH BANK TO DARRA

 

 

The day we picked to ride from South Bank to Darra was a scorcher. The humidy was high and unpleasant and the summer sun reflecting off the cement paths didn't help matters but you can't have it good all of the time and there were sufficient distractions along the way to make it well worthwhile.

Artist - Michael Perekowhai of New Zealand

Notice how small the rodent in the foreground is compared with the elephant.

As our home base is Cleveland we caught the train to South Bank, where we joined the riverside path and followed it to the Gallery of Modern Art viewing the very new and rather large elephant sculpture perched on the lawn alongside the Brisbane River. The government of the day paid $A1,000,000  for this new aquisition making it very controversial considering the repair bill after having endured a massive flood. To my way of thinking , it was good value when the price is divided by the population of Brisbane (1,079,392 as at the 30 June 2011) and it's presence bringing a huge amount of discussion and pleasure from both locals and tourists alike.

 

 

We continued riding for a short distance before crossing the Brisbane River via the Go Between Bridge and headed west following the pathway running parallel with Coronation Drive. It's generally very pleasant  riding a path alongside a river but more so when the path is painted green. The glare associated with harsh Australian summers can be particularly hard on the eyes and riding on a green path provides some relief. Unfortunately, we had to break from this path and head for the lower portion of Mt. Cootha where we joined  another path adjacent to the Western Freeway.

Climbing a hill with the temperature hovering around 33deg. C and the humidity 80% can be a bit taxing.

Everything that goes up must come down and not only is it a more pleasant experience gliding down a hill rather than climbing but the breeze it creates is a welcome reprieve from the sun. Reaching the Brisbane River again, we crossed the Centenary Bridge, turned left onto a long slender path following the river through Amazon Place all the way to Seventeen Mile Rocks.

Time for a coffee break and with the Jindalee Shopping Centre not far from here, we diverted from our route and made haste to the nearest caffeine hit.

Having sated our caffeine 'dependency', we returned to the river pathway and followed the path until we reached the Rocks Riverside Park which was built on the old cement works. This site is a great place for a family gathering. The kids would just love it, with plenty of open space to roam and the old machinery to explore. Just a lot of fun in the great outdoors.

We left this park and continued on 17 Mile Rocks Road, for approximately 300m before turning right into Oldfield Road and once again, entered another delightful park. This park ends at the intersection of Ashbridge Road and Station Avenue. A right turn onto Station Avenue  and a short ride to the station concludes this ride.

A short diversion was made at the invitation of one of our riders to view a ground radar system capable of determining the degree of deterioration of the sub strata of roads, freeways and airport runways, which he helped develop with his son.

The above map is for the express purpose of giving you an idea as to the general direction the ride takes. For a more detailed map, may I suggest Google Maps or a Brisbane Street Directory.

Distance: Approx. 25km
Bike required: Suitable to most bikes
Family friendly: As this route crosses a number of roads carrying heavy traffic, it would be up to the discretion of parents. Having said this the parks along the route are certainly family friendly.
Difficulty: Easy.

Cheers and safe riding,

Jimmy Bee