The day got off to a bad start. I put the battery back in the 30D and it would not start. I then checked to see if the battery was charged, but the charger thought that it was charged. I had lost my spare in packing for the CQ event, but eventually I found it still the camera would not start. So I headed out without it. I went down to the Concordia Club in Tempe to go on Bike Sydney‘s Green Ring Ride. I did not know it was there. But it had German food, which I would try for dinner.
After a long wait as the others, apart form Gilbert, were all late and one had got lost, we headed off in the direction of the Airport. He had brought along his trike – a Swift Adventure. A fully suspended trike capable of being used off road. The man looking at the trike was there to play in the state championship Croquet that just happened to be on while we were there. He explained some of the simpler rules to us. Each winner of a state championship wins a national bronze medal. They all then go (next year) to play in the national championship. The winner is the National Champion and gets a gold medal. The Runner up gets the silver medal.
We rode alongside Airport Drive, something I had not done before.
The purpose of this ride is to follow some of the historic water courses in Southern Sydney. Wooli Creek used to go through the airport. But now it goes straight in to Botany Bay. We passed over the Pond Stream and headed up as best you can along East Lakes. Much of the area is covered in the Golf Course. We head north through Daceyville and Kingsford, past Randwick Race Course and into Centennial Park. Centennial Park, along with once being Sydney’s water supply is the head water catchment for the Pond Stream.
After that we headed through Fox Studios to eventually come out on Oxford Street. Through the city via Pitt Street, King Street and onto Pyrmont Bridge. This was the first time I have ridden down the famed King Street Bike Track and also the first time I have ridden across Pyrmont Bridge. We then headed over Anzac Bridge, through Lillyfield and into Habberfield to join the Hawthorn Canal. I do not know much about this canal, expect that it follows an old water course and makes for a good bike track.
Over the hill we travelled into Lewisham. Here we followed the approximate course of a creek that runs down into the Cooks River. We then followed the Cooks River Cycleway back into Tempe at our starting point. Here we had dinner in the German Restaurant known as the Concordia Club. I had the Bratwurst. It was of average quality and the serving was small. The price was $12.
