Adelaide Beach Ride

It was a sunny autumn Sunday after a week of rain – the perfect day for an Adelaide beach ride.  Starting at Ovingham Railway Station, the plan was to cut across to the Outer Harbour Greenway and follow that to Port Adelaide. From there we would go south to Glenelg, use the Mike Turtur Bikeway to Goodwood and then take the Parklands Trail up the west side of the city back to our start point.

Our Adelaide Beach Ride got off to a slow start – a very long train came through just as we were about to cross Torrens Road.  We had to wait several minutes.

We found our way through the South Road diversions and headed north on the Outer Harbour Greenway for eight kilometres.

We arrived at Port Adelaide and stopped to take photos of the group

and the old lighthouse,

before continuing along the Port Adelaide bike path,

and over the Hart Street bridge, to coffee at the Red Mill Bake House in Ethelton.

Recharged, we followed Bower Road to the beach path.

Heading South along the Beach

With the northerly breeze behind us, we headed south until the bike path ended and then continued on Military Road for about five kilometres before heading back to the beach at the Grange.

A little further on at Henley Beach we did a head count and discovered that we had lost two members of the group.

I checked my phone and realized that I had missed a call from Simone. I returned her call and learned that Brian had got a puncture. They weren’t far behind us, but suggested that we cycle on and meet up with them again at our next stop at Cibo’s in Glenelg.

We continued on south at a relaxed pace,

passing the mouth of the Torrens River.

Soon the multi-storied buildings of Glenelg came into view.

Shortly before arriving in Glenelg, the bike path crosses the lock between Patawalonga Boat Haven and Holdfast Bay.

Just after Di and I had crossed, the bikeway gates closed and the lock gate began to slide open ready for a boat to head out.

Then while the lock was open, another boat came in.

Di and I were fascinated and would have liked to stay longer, but I was a bit worried that our friends might be waiting for us in Glenelg if they had taken the quicker route on the road.

Mike Turtur Bikeway

We all met up again in Moseley Square and had snacks and drinks to refuel us for the final eighteen kilometre push to the start point. There was construction work on Jetty Road, but we managed to find our way through to the start of the Mike Turtur Bikeway which runs alongside the tram route. The bikeway is notable for interesting sculptures such as this one:

When we reached Goodwood we turned north up the west side of the Adelaide Parklands. This route takes you through the West Terrace Cemetery.

We completed our Adelaide Beach Ride but were just short of fifty kilometres. As we were so close and some of us had never completed fifty kilometres before, we headed up Devonport Terrace for a kilometre or so to make sure the “milestone” was achieved.

If you are interested in joining relaxed, social rides like this, please join our Facebook Group. Another enjoyable coastal ride in Adelaide is the Port Adelaide loop while the Outer Harbor Greenway is a flat and easy ride.