When we arrived at Madora Bay at the northern end of the Mandurah Coastal Ride, it was raining lightly. A full rainbow arched across the ocean.
I had not been expecting rain and had not even brought my rain jacket with me, but I was not too worried as the temperature was quite warm at 24 degrees.
Derek and the dog drove off in the car and I began my ride.
I was following a map which is available from the Mandurah Visitor Centre. If you are planning to do this ride, I recommend you get a copy of this map, as there are no markers for the trail and it’s not always obvious which way to go.
Madora Bay to Mandura Foreshore (13 kms)
As I pedalled south, I was enjoying the light rain. The shared trail varied between passing directly in front of the beach-side houses,
through the coastal vegetation
and quiet coastal roads.
The terrain was mostly flat, and the riding was easy and enjoyable. Time passed quickly and before long I had arrived at the Mandurah Ocean Marina.
The rain was easing now. I cycled through the “Venetian Canals” area and past this sculpture in front of the Performing Arts Centre
to the Mandurah Foreshore. There are quite a few coffee shops along this stretch. I chose the Dome Cafe and looked over the water while I had my coffee.
Mandura Foreshore to Halls Head (4 kms)
The “Old” Mandurah Bridge between central Mandurah and Halls Head has recently been rebuilt. They were still putting the finishing touches on the pedestrian/cyclist path that runs alongside. I was impressed at how wide it was.
When you reach the other side of the estuary, you can make a short detour to see historic Hall’s Cottage, built in the early 1830’s, by Henry Hall. He is credited with being the first person to establish a fishing industry in the district.
Another worthwhile short detour is to Sutton Farm, established in the 1870’s.
I had already visited these attractions on my bike the previous day, so today I followed Mary Street towards Halls Head Beach.
As I pedalled over a canal, I was overtaken by a cyclist wearing a yellow jersey marked “Over 55 Cycling Club, Mandurah”. Before long, another rider in the same yellow jersey hurried past.
I came around the corner towards the Mandurah Yacht Club building and was surprised to see a gathering of over 50 members of the Mandurah Over 55 Cycling Club listening to their pre-ride briefing.
Since then, I have read that the Over 55’s divide into smaller groups for their Tuesday ride. However, at the time I thought I had better get a move on before this large gathering took off.
Halls Head to Wannanup (11 kms)
The clouds were clearing and the day was warming up as I continued the Mandurah Coastal Ride south. There was a strong easterly breeze and not much surf.
Unlike the flat and easy northern section of the trail, the southern half was quite undulating with a few steep sections.
I was pleased to see quite a few cyclists and walkers using the path. A number of lookouts were dotted along the path, some accessible to cyclists. One of my favorites was “Benny’s Bar” at Falcon Beach.
Benny’s Bar
This “bar” on the beach is a memorial to a young local surfer, Ben Gearing, who died from a shark attack in May 2016. Derek and I returned the next evening with a bottle of wine and saw this beautiful sunset.
After you have passed Benny’s Bar and arrive in the suburb of Wannanup, follow Avalon Road to its end rather than taking the path to the right.
If you do take the path to the right, you will end up at a dead end on one of the Port Bouvard canals. Frustratingly, the path continues on the other side of the canal. Hopefully one day there will be a bridge across.
There wasn’t much shelter on the southern half of the Mandurah Coastal Ride, so I was really feeling the heat by the time I reached Wannanup. I was on the lookout for a coffee shop where I could cool down and take a break. As if by a miracle, I turned around and saw this building with an eye-catching display of a bicycle on its wall.
It was La Belle Patisserie. I sat outside enjoying a coffee and a delicious fresh-baked apple danish. Suddenly, a small group from the Over 55 Cycling Club sped past on Westview Parade.
One of the members called out “There’s a new coffee shop!” I smugly sipped my cappuccino thinking “If there is a coffee shop in the area, you can guarantee I will find it.”
Wannanup to Port Bouvard Bridge (3 kms)
After my coffee, I proceeded to the pedestrian/cycle ramp onto Port Bouvard Bridge. I was really looking forward to crossing this bridge, as I had seen it from the Dawesville Channel on the previous day.
What was exciting was that the pedestrian/cycle paths hang on each side underneath where the traffic goes.
As I suspected, the view from the bridge was wonderful. I could see all the way to where the Dawesville Channel empties into the Indian Ocean. However, this bridge is probably not for those who suffer from vertigo.
There was a slight incline on the way over and a lovely roll as returned on the other side facing the estuary. When I arrived back on the Wannanup end of the bridge, I stopped to finish recording my ride on Strava.
“Biker up!” I heard. I looked around to see another group of the Mandurah Over 55 Cycle Club coming towards me.
It was a fitting end to my very enjoyable Mandurah Coastal Ride. I had cycled 31 kilometres and climbed 286 metres.
A little further south from Perth, Bunbury has some great cycling paths. Other enjoyable coastal rides in Western Australia are the Esperance Great Ocean Trail, the Perth Coastal Ride and the Turquoise Way, north of Perth.
