Posted on 2008-04-27 21:00:00
Tags: Cycling, Cycling in Australia, Lake Tuggerah
The Tuggerah Lake is a trip which takes you past Norah Head, Toukley, Gorokan, Wyongah, Wyong, Tuggerah, Chittaway Bay and then all the way around the lake to the Entrance. Good for some 50 kilometers of travel, which is mostly flat. Google Map
I started at Magenta, at the eastern part of the lake. From there to Norah head is a asphalted road through the nature area. Through Carlton Beach past the lake and then over the bridge to Gorokan. If you are brave and curious enough you can visit the One Stop Rock and Voodoo Shop which is on this strip. After Gorokan you will see in the distance a traffic light with a huge hill, turn left (south) before the hill, there is enough road left for getting tired later. You can't cycle directly next to the lake here, you are always one block of houses away from it.
Once past Rocky Point you end up on a beautiful stretch next to the river. And when the road goes away from the river you go to a nice forest area again. If it has rained a lot, which it did for about 12 days before I did this trip, then the river is very high and all the moats in front of the houses are filled up; Not a picture you see often in Australia.
Under the railroad tunnel and the Pacific Highway and you end up back in the reality of a stretch of commercialism: The sudden overflow of cognitive impulses which fight for your attention is enormous. Luckily that the part of this road is very short, and you can relax on the road to Chittaway Bay and then back to the lake.
The next part up to the bridge at The Entrance is a piece of cake it isn't too late in the morning or when it hasn't rained for 12 days in advance: Too late in the morning and it will be all filled with little children cycling there and lots of people walking, and if it has rained for 12 days it will be flooded at certain parts. The flooding part isn't that bad, just make some speed, lift your feet and you get through it without too much problems: It doesn't get deeper than 10 centimeters. Except for two places: Just before the Rotary Park there was a whole street flooded and the last three meters suddenly brought the water up to the chains; and a silly low bridge near the Picnic Point Reserve which on both sides had very deep water on the path.
Once I left the Picnic Point Reserve (with or without dry feet) I went up the bridge and north back to the Magenta Shores. The trip took 200 minutes and included two breaks of say 15 minutes each.
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| Posted on: | 2008-04-28 10:59:06 |
| Comment | Errr.... no mention of your map holder??!?!!? |
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