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7:45am Easter Sunday 16 April from Sutherland Leisure Centre - Tour de Wollongong, cycling back to Otford Village to catch Iron Horse back to Sutherland - 90km – ETR 2:50pm
*         Ride Organiser:     Phil Johnston  9498.3684 hm
*         Hardcopy these directions and bring on ride

*         Click on: Risk Warnings about cycling on public roads with motor cars

Snap Shot:
At sparrow fart on a Sunday morn' it is only 45 minutes drive from Chatswood [38km] to the Sutherland Leisure Centre at Waratah Park off Rawson Ave (approx 1km south of Sutherland shopping centre).  Assemble at centre of largish carpark immediately outside the swimming complex rollout 8:10am sharp Cycle down Princess H'way past Waterfall and left into Lawrence Hargraves Drive veering right at Stanwell Tops descending Lawrence Hargraves Drive crossing new bridge to Coledale cafe and newsagency 1st Nosh Stop. 
Thence south to Wollongong Harbour 2nd Nosh Stop.  Retrace to the village setting of Otford Pie Shop for 3rd Nosh Stop, thence 2km to Otford station for a ride back to Sutherland station, whereupon a 2km ride south back to Waratah Park - 90km - ETR 2:50pm.
Nosh Stops:
 Austinmer Café                                                    from  9:45am       25 min
 Wollongong Harbour                                           from 11:10am      30 min
Otford Pie Shop                                                   from  1:35pm       20 min
Sag Stops:
Lawrence Hargraves Drive                                   from 9:05am        5 min

 

Directions from North Shore, either –

Ø          Homebush Bay Drive / Centenary Drive / Roberts Rd / Wiley Ave / King George's Rd / Princess H’way; or

Ø          Pacific Highway over Harbour Bridge onto Princess H’way at Broadway, remaining on Princess H’way crossing George’s River Bridge and passing thru Sylvania and Gymea. 
Then -

    (a)      continue straight into The Grand Pde (when most of the traffic turns L into Arcadia Rd.)

    (b)      250m later veer L into Old Princess H'way which 250m later, after passing President Ave on LHS, becomes Rawson Ave.

    (c)      150m later L into carpark at Waratah Park and park down the bottom on RHS in front of the Swimming Centre. 

1st Leg: Sutherland via Princess H'way to Austinmer Cafe -  37km - 95 min

8:10am:

Left South along Rawson Ave for 1.1km;

Ahead South down Princess H'way for 22km;

Left after 23km near Sambio Animal Gardens sign into Lawrence Hargraves Drive for 200m and take 1st Sag Stop (5 min);

Ahead due E for 3.1km to Bald Hill which is the juncture of Lawrence Hargraves Drive and Lady Wakehurst Drive Sign Post [25km];
Right 2.7km Sth descending from Stanwell Tops along Lawrence Hargraves Drive to Coledale cafe and newsagency  arriving from 9:45am for 1st Nosh Stop (35 min) to 10:20am.


2nd Leg: Austinmer Cafe cafe to Wollongong Harbour - 18km (agg 55.1km) 48 mins

10:20am Sth past the now dismantled steel fence on Lawrence Hargraves Drive passing Coalcliff Harbour, Clifton, Cape Horn, Scarborough, Wombarra, Coledale, Austinmer, Thirroul, Sandown Point, Bulli, Woonona Beach to Wollongong Harbour around 11:10am 2nd Nosh Stop (45 min) to 11:55am.

3rd Leg: Wollongong Harbour to Otford Apple Pie Shop -  33km (agg 88.1km) 100 mins

11:55am Nth retracing to Otford Apple Pie Shop arriving 1:35pm for 3rd Nosh Stop (20 mins) to 1:55pm

Nth along Lady Wakehurst Drive 500m;

Left down Beaumont Rd for 400m to Otford train station arriving 2pm to catch 2 hourly service at 2:19pm.

Alternatively, catch train back to Sutherland from Woonona at 1:49pm, Coledale 2pm or Coalcliff 2:10pm.

4th Leg: Sutherland train station to Waratah Park -  2.1km (agg 87.2km)

Alight train at 2:47pm and cycle 1km Sth to Sutherland Leisure Centre, Waratah Park arriving 2:50pm - 90km.

 

Bank Teller's rap-up of Tour de Kurrajong to climb Bowen Mountain and Bellbird Hill on Good Friday, 14 April - 5 cyclists

 

Brill Autumn weather encouraged 5 cyclists (Andrew aka TugBoat, Brian aka TourRider, Anthony aka Froggy, Angelo, Tyro Lawrence and Scribe) to tackle Bowen Mountain and Bellbird Hill, the later finishing with the dreaded 900m up Warks Rd.  Alas, no one brought a camera so there ain't any pics, but we had a ball "busting our balls" in the high country where the views from 400m above sea level were plentiful.  Tyro Lawrence, who hails from Inner West (Newtown) is half way thru an Agriculture/Economics Degree at Sydney Uni.  This young dude can deadset climb hills.  His Giant bike has only a double chain ring on the front and a 12 / 24 on the back, so he ain't got low gears, but golly gosh it didn't stop him flying up Bowen Mountain and Bellbird Hill -  2 of the toughest KOM Climbs at KOMpm. 

 

 

A few of the seasoned climbers today like Brian and TugBoat must have been privately "concerned' that a novice could turn-up and keep them honest on such tough climbs.  Lawrence, at 20 or thereabouts, ain't got an ounce of fat on him, and a few years of filling out to do, but he surely can climb serious lopes.  If this dude from the Inner West hangs around, he could dent a few prides, 'cause he's all bone 'n muscle and raring to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bank Teller's rap-up of Tour de Macarthur - 97km  on Sunday, 9 April - 5 cyclists

 

KoalaBear, TugBoat, Froggy, DishPig 'n Scribe at delightful Cobbitty Cafe Patisserie at 23km on a delightful mid-Autumn day, albeit we seemed to be hitting swirly head winds more often that tailwinds.

Above 'n below snaps taken from Simply Delicious Cafe, Argyle St Picton after 85km.

 

 

Anthony aka Froggy rolling out of Menangle Park                           Gene and Jean preparing to roll out

Scribe   7 April ' 06