My bum's sore. Zane and I went for a great bike ride yesterday along the Wollongong beaches. Unfortunately, I forgot my padded biking shorts, and my Mongoose saddle isn't the most comfy seat I've ever had. Regardless, it was one of the best ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Mark was tied up in film-making tutorials all day, so Zane and I loaded up my bike and set out for Wollongong early in the day. It's actually quite a nice drive, although the roads in Sydney are some of the worst ever. On a good day, the drive is roughly 1.5 hours. The scenery can be spectacular. And you get to drive under one of the Sydney Airport runways...a real treat for someone of any age, especially when the timing is such that a jumbo-jet happens to taxi over your head as you pass underneath.
You drive along a portion of Botany Bay, upon which the airport is situated.
Botany Bay (click to enlarge)
After that, you climb through the Shire and then pass through the Royal National Park.
Royal National Park
After passing through RNP, you meet up with the beginning of the south coast as you near the Gong.
First views of Wollongong from the highway
We stopped in the Gong long enough to retrieve Zane's new bike from Uncle Steve's new home. Steve and his family (Deanne, who is Mark's sister, and their children Jordanna and Blake) recently moved to Australia from New York and had the Harley-Davidson bicycle that we bought for Zane in America shipped with their household stuff. After some bike assembly (thanks, Steve!), Zane and I headed for Towradgi Beach, where we parked the car and jumped on the bike path.
Zane's first go on his new bike
From Towradgi, we cycled along the path through Fairy Meadow (or Poofter's Paddock, as some call it...for reasons I won't go into here), and up to Wollongong's City Beach. The weather was perfect.
Towradgi Beach
Cricketers playing at Fairy Meadow
City Beach, Wollongong
Photo opportunity Number 527
After a quick breather at City Beach, we got back on the saddle and headed back to Towradgi.
No, Sandy, that's not a saddle.
The return journey begins
Although we had to retrace our steps, we didn't mind. Heading the opposite direction means you get to see things from a different angle. (Metaphor, anyone?) Plus, it meant I got the opportunity to snap a quick photo of Diggies, the beach-side cafe Mark and I used to frequent during the 6 months we lived in the Gong in 2005, just after I moved to Australia.
Dog-days at Diggies
Zane really likes his new bike, especially the fact that it has gears. Admittedly, it is a long-legged step up from the K-Mart "learner" bike we got for him last year.
Anyway, I'm glad he likes it. Cycling is one of my favorite things to do, and we live near some excellent bike routes. I look forward to exploring them with him.
