Wollongong Beaches cycleway

Yesterday, after reading poetry to one hundred and seventy Year 8 boys at a Catholic College in Wollongong, I cycled the beach cycleway. And a very pleasant experience it was. Starting at City Beach, Wollongong, the mostly off-road path meanders beside the beaches of the northern suburbs. A stern southerly pushed me along as I admired the rolling waves; the battery of imposing tankers anchored out to sea waiting to be unloaded; the seagulls arguing over hot chips thrown by a giggling child and the designer chic houses near Thirroul. Whoa! What happened to the discreet fibro seaside cottages inhabited by the miners from the nearby coal fields? These McMansions were testosterone-fuelled giants all angling for the prime beach vista.

Although, I was much amused to see the biggest, most imposing houses were opposite the historic Sandon Point heritage area, a patch of grassland and sand with the Aboriginal Tent Embassy plonked among the low-growing scrub. Yep, you can spend all the money you like to build your five-bedroom glass and brick palace, but.. um, there were inhabitants of this land here just a few thousand years before you mortgaged the bank for excessive finance.
The Kuradji Tent Embassy was established in late 2000, to protect a significant burial site and the sand-dune and wetlands environmental area. The Aboriginal flag flutters proudly above the site.
The path joins the road at Austinmer. I cycled a further few kilometres to Coledale, where the local Coledale Cafe cooks an excellent Croque Madame with lots of melted cheese and fresh ham wedged between slices of wholemeal grain bread, topped with a gooey runny egg. Tres bon! The cafe dog wagged his tail and sat at my feet. I think he was admiring my bicycle, but he may have  been interested in sharing my meal. The outside tables offer a lovely view of the imposing escarpment. 
If I had the time, I could continue the cycle along Lawrence Hargraves Drive over the sublime Sea Cliff Bridge, followed by the steep climb to Stanwell Park. I've cycled that route before and it is one of the best rides in Australia.

On the return leg, the wind picked up and threatened to push me back to the cafe, but I hunkered down and weaved, politely, between pram-pushing joggers, school children on BMX bikes and the occasional pedestrian. 
Amusingly, of the numerous cyclists on the path, not one wore their helmet correctly. Some wore it like a lop-sided beret or pushed so far back on the head that it seemed to function more as a hair-net than a protective device. I don't have a concerted opinion on the compulsory use of helmets, but this was more fashion parade than head-protection. 
I love the way the path wanders alongside caravan parks and Council flats, all with beachside frontages. It seems, in Wollongong, the beach is not the sole preserve of the rich.
The cycleway continues south all the way to Lake Illawarra, but that journey is for another day. The Wollongong Cycleway is a well-used and much-loved link alongside the beach suburbs and villages of the South Coast. Highly recommended for a day out. 

I have recently published an eBook about my bicycle journey across France, including a number of Tour de France mountain climbs.
     baguettes and bicycles  is a travel adventure, a restaurant safari and a guidebook for those who enjoy slow food, easy cycling and... fast descents.
     To purchase this book for $2.99, go to my Amazon page, here.