Tour de Warragamba Dam for a Muggaccinos "RainDance" ride - Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September staying Sat. night at the Royal Hotel in Richmond

NB:    Option to ride from Turramurra station carpark by 7:10am (or Vimiera Rd entrance to M2 by 7:15am) on Sunday morning to catch 8:20am train at Seven Hills station to meet us at Richmond at 9am, if you can't start on Saturday

Saturday 9 September - 87km

1st leg:  Turramurra station carpark to Seven Hills station - 26km (55 min)

Depart Turramurra station at 11am via Kissing Point Rd, Browns Waterhole, M2 (11:10am from Vimiera Rd M2 entrance, Marsfield), Abbott Rd, Prospect Highway to aboard 12:20pm half hourly train at Seven Hills arriving Windsor station at 12:49pm. 

2nd leg:  Sackville/Cornelia/Sth Maroota/Pitt Town clockwise loop - 47km (115 min)

At 1pm descend and cross the adjacent Old Windsor Bridge heading N along Wilberforce Rd for 7km to Wilberforce - taking the bike lane with views of river flat vegetable farming. 

R at a slight incline into King Rd for 5.4km after passing thru Ebenezer becomes Sackville Rd.  

R into Tizzana Rd for 8.9km which leads to Sackville as we wind anti-clockwise NW, then fleetingly W then SW, then S, passing the Tizzana Winery (founded by Italian surgeon Dr. Thomas Fiaschi in 1880s) and a lily farm opposite.  St. Thomas Anglican Church at Ebenezer, oldest church in mainland Australia, is nearby.  If the weather is balmy, and we aren't in a hurry we could meander to Swallow Reach Walking Trail (1km mostly rideable).  As we commence heading S there is 1.5km of good unsealed road.

Upon arriving at “T” intersection where Tizzana Rd meets Sackville Rd - R for 200m and re-group off-road Sag Stop (5 min) at Sackville Ferry.  

1:55pm after we cross the Sackville ferry ride ESE up the hill on Sackville Rd for 9km to Cornelia where we turn right (SSW) on Wisemans Ferry Road, heading back to Pitt Town and Windsor. We pull up for a Nosh Stop at a winery at South Maroota.  Nice covered deck area / coffee / wine tasting. Genuine dinosaur footprints visible in cellar!!  The Bird in Hand pub is at Pitt Town, as seen many moons ago on former Seven soapie, A Country Practice. 

2:55pm W for 16km on Wiseman's Ferry Rd to Cattai.  Ahead on Cattai Rd thru Pitt Town, McGraths Hill to Windsor arriving from 3:40pm for afternoon 2nd Nosh Stop (60 min) at The Bridge Cafe, Macquarie Place Windsor.  Click on: Detailed description of loop although we diverge slightly to visit Tizzana Winery as explained above.

3rd leg:  Windsor to Richmond - 14km

4:40pm take the scenic Lowlands bucolic "traffic-less" route where residential building not allowed due to (historical accounts of) floods. Easy access: turn downhill next to striking sandstone St. Matthews Church, arriving Royal Hotel Cnr East Market and Windsor Sts, Richmond at 5:25pm. 

Accommodation:

Unfortunately, none of the 6 hotels in Windsor provide room for casual bookings

Click on: Accommodation at Richmond - 5km NW of Windsor  Phil has booked 2 rooms at the Royal Hotel which collectively accommodate between 4 and 6 cyclists.  John Langley aka Auckland, Annie aka Yes Minister, Kaza, Princess Caroline, Martin aka Architect and Scribe previously indicated they want digs in Richmond on Sat night. If you don't want a bed in one of these rooms, no worries, 'cause we have enough crew who will take 'em.

Sunday 10 September - 96.4km

1st leg:  SSW from Windsor to Penrith - 19km - (42 min)

9:05am from Richmond Park sporting oval Sth 18km down Castlereagh Rd to Jamieson Rd Penrith;

R into Jamieson Rd Penrith for 2km to Parker St for 1st Nosh Stop from 10am (30 min).

Steve aka TravelDoc who lives at Kurrajong is cycling down the mountain to join us both days.  Andrew aka TugBoat who lives at Narellan is cycling up to also join our caravan to The Dam on Sunday.  ToothFairy and Pacific Pete are driving to Richmond, 'cause they aren't enamoured with the M2.  Jean aka DishPig lives in the inner west. Guy aka Lawyer lives at Drummoyne.  They are probably cycling direct to Penrith to intercept us from 9:50am.  (Suggest Jean 'phone Scribe to at 9:45am to locate in Penrith).  Grant is going to suggest to Mrs Grant that this Sunday she might like to drive their kids to Warragamba Dam for an educational excursion.

Presently 6 cyclists, incl Samurai, Architect and Tara, have indicated they are commencing early Sunday morn' from either Turra' station carpark from 7:10am via Kissing Point Rd, Browns Waterhole or by 7:20am from Vimiera Rd M2 entrance, Marsfield along M2 to Abbott Rd, thence 700m ahead along Prospect Highway to Seven Hills station (on LHS) to catch 8:20am train arriving Richmond station at 8:58am to meet us. (Total Sunday ride distance if starting from Turramurra Sunday morn' is 109km.)

2nd leg:  Penrith to Warragamba Dam - 25.7km - (78 min)

10:30am Sth 16km down Parker St / Northern Rd to Park Rd;

R due West into Park Rd for 4.5km to Mulgoa Rd shopping centre;

3rd leg:  Warragamba Dam to Penrith station - 25.7km - (65 min)

12:40pm retrace back down Fourth St, Farnsworth Ave, Silverdale Rd, Park Rd, Northern Rd, Parker St to Penrith station to catch the half hourly train at 1:19pm or 1:49pm arriving 28 min later at 1:47pm or 2:17pm at Seven Hills station.

4th leg: Seven Hills station to Turramurra station - 26km - (65 min)

1:50pm or 2:20pm:

*        Left into Terminus Rd for 200m;

*        Left into Prospect Highway for 700m;

*        Veer R at Cnr Johnson Ave and Abbott Rd.  Be VERY careful, because some cars rifle up Seven Hills Rd;

*        Ahead along Abbott Rd and M2 for 15.6km;

*        Exit M2 at Light Tower, cycling down cement path, thru tunnel under M2;

*        Left along Browns Waterhole for 1.7km

*        Left up Kissing Point Rd for 3.3km

*        Right on Pacific H'way for 100m;

*        Left crossing over rail line into Rohini St for 100m to carpark - ETR 2:55pm or 3:25pm

Bank Teller's rap-up of last Sunday 3 Sept, Cinque Montagnes clockwise - 96km - 15 cyclists

The 7am news service reported 8^o above normal and it sure felt that way when descending Bobbin Head at 8am in short sleeve jerseys, whereas three weeks ago we descended the same Bobbin Head with 3 layers yet still froze our buns off as we delved into the abyss. 

Global Warming is also affecting the magpies, 'cause guess what, the same motherly magpie who lays her eggs in a tall tree 400m Nth of the disused Heavy Vehicle Checking Station at Nth Berowra, which has scared the bejesus out of Publican when cycling to PitS thru Oct/Nov in previous years, dive-bombed Samurai this morning - 4 weeks early.  If that ain't mother nature re-affirming that Global Warming exists, then what is. The brain of a Magpie ain't large.  Those black 'n white feathery things breed according to temp. Magpies don't get bold in late Summer, cause 'em chicks would perish if hatched too early.  The bottom line is that even with the brain the size of a tadpole, they know the joint is warmer than it used to be.  Yet the Corporate Dollar Driven Johnny Howard's of this World are still pontificating about GW.

Ann-Marie and ToothFairy at Andy's after 33km if ya started from Nth Turra', but these two didn't.

Lawyer, DishPig, Auckland, BeanCounter, Tod, Richard, Tony, Adam, Ann-Marie 'n Pacific Pete at the Berowra ascent Pool Shop

The dude on the RHS standing is Guy aka Lawyer who flies up the hills in a lowly 12/23 rear cassette and swam 4km (80 lengths of a 50m) the day before at his local pool.  When Bank Teller visits his local pool, he's lucky to crank out 32 lengths (1 mile) max, and more often only 20.