www.Muggaccinos.com  The Bullsheet

Wed, 1 Jan, 7:15am - Tour de Royal National Park - 94km – ETR 1:20pm
 *    Ride contact:     Phil Johnston  9498.3684 hm
*    Hardcopy these directions and bring on Sunday

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).  We assemble at the bottom RHS in largish carpark immediately outside the swimming complex at 7:05am to conquer the largest national park in Sydney, The Royal National Park – rollout 7:15am sharp. 

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 to Bundeena Beach 25.2km

 

At 7:18am, after 600m of pedaling S along Rawson Ave we enter Princess Highway at lights and 1km later pass Loftus Oval on LHS (familiar to ‘Gong riders as the initial morning tea spot).  100m onwards we L into Farnell Ave (some maps call it Sir Bertram Stevens Drive).  After passing the toll booths the road changes to Audley Weir Rd and we shortly descend on a dog leg R and hook L to cross Audley Weir [5km].  Whereupon we veer R (it becomes Sir Bertram Stevens Drive) and encounter our first, of several delightful treats, a wonderfully steep climb up Artillery Hill to Gibraltar Rock [7km] and along Flat Rock, passing Warumbul Rd on LHS [11km].

Around 7:55am we pause for our 1st Sag Stop (5 min) [15km] 50m after hooking L into Bundeena Drive.  Pedal 10.2km due E to our 1st Nosh Stop (30 min) at God’s Own Country, picturesque Bundeena Beach 8:20am approx [25.2km] with spectacular views NW twds Sydney Harbour and two good cafés overlooking the water. 

 

2nd Leg: Bundeena Beach to Otford Pie Shop - 31.3km (agg 56.5km)

 

Approaching 8:55am 2nd arduous climb, retracing up Bundeena Drive.  Around 9:30am 2nd Sag Stop (5 min) [35.2km] 50m short of the intersection with Sir Bertram Stevens Drive.

After re-grouping we hook a L into Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and high tail it along the ridge then after passing Garie Beach turn-off [41km] down.  Around 10am we pass a bridge on R to McKell Ave [45.5km].  Road becomes Lady Wakehurst Drive which takes us to our 2nd Nosh Stop (40 min) “Otford Apple Pie Shop” (another landmark for Gong riders) with fabulous views of the Blue Pacific - arriving around 10:30am approx [56.5km].

 

3rd Leg: Otford Pie Shop to Audley Weir  - 30.8km (agg 87.3km)

 

11:20am cycle N back up Lady Wakehurst Drive, initial 300m along the coast with spectacular views of the Blue Pacific, and then into the wooded forest where it is up-hill initially, then predominantly undulating.  Around 11:45pm [66.4km] we pass McKell Ave bridge (Waterfall exit) on the LHS.  Cycle a further 9.5km N along Sir Bertram Stevens Drive for a further fleeting 3rd Sag Stop (5 min) [78km] approaching 12:15pm at intersection of Bundeena Drive.

Continue NW another 9.8km for a 3rd Nosh Stop (20 min) [87.5km] at Audley Kiosk 50m before Audley Weir around 12.40pm - excellent coffee 'n maggot sacks.

 

4th Leg: Audley Weir to Sutherland - 6.7km (agg 94km)

 

1pm cycle over the weir and up precipitous Farnell Ave to Princess H'way and R onto the H'way, shortly passing Loftus Oval on RHS.  2km after traffic lights at Rawson Ave turn R into Sutherland Leisure Centre - 94km - ETR 1:20pm.

CARE: Keep well to LHS along the final legs from Bundeena to Audley Weir and up to Princess H'way.  If a cue of cars is behind you, pull over to side of road and allow 'em to pass.

Bank Teller's rap-up of Sunday, 29 Dec, Tour de Windsor - 99km

On cue at 8:45am Whippet, Dicky Knee, Waratah, Starbucks, Tyro Mark 'n Scribe began rolling into Macquarie St Windsor, where Kate's Place was the only café open.  Already present were Dieter 'n Helga and ToothFairy who'd commenced from Dural Info Centre - above pic ^^^^^^^

Blonde Bombshell 'n Waratah were shooting the breeze at our Sag Stop 50m past Hallcrows Rd, after scaling that dog of a climb from Cattai Creek  - Right pic >>>>>>>

At our 3rd Sag Stop at Old Northern Rd, Scribe headed twds Berowra Waters as he wanted to measure distances from Windsor via Berowra Waters and Bobbin Head to Turra' - (69.7km) for an all-up ride of 118km.  The rest stuck to the programmed route of 99km.

The Scribe     29 Dec 2002