The ride is a combination of bike paths and back streets. Distance is about 25 km and can take about 1 hour 10 minutes on a very good day! Do a reconnoitre first, however, and be prepared for it to take you a good deal longer. Cut the maps out of an old Melway to help you.
1. Join the Eastern Freeway bike track at Middleborough Road [47 H4] and head west. Use your bell to avoid collisions with pedestrians and dogs, especially going down from the Camberwell Municipal Golf Course to the tunnel near the Burke Road overpass [45 G2]. There is a tunnel near the Burke Road overpass to go through so that you are then on the north side of the freeway [32 A12]
2. Continue along the Yarra and past the Guide Dog Centre [45 B1]. Taking your bike up the steps beside the Chandler Hwy bridge is the ecologically sound and least stressful alternative. The adventurous might take the walking track alongside the Yarra, but it becomes "technical" in places, definitely not good for road bikes. You can take your chances crossing the Chandler Hwy near the Guide Dog Centre, or wait very, very patiently for the lights further along.
3. Continue up the Yarra Boulevard and then turn right and follow the track down to the pipe bridge near the Fairfield Boathouse [30 J12]. If you haven't had breakfast, the Boathouse makes a great stop on the way.
4.Ride past the Fairfield Hospital [44 J2/H2] still on the main trail and then go on to the Merri Creek Trail, heading south. There is a bicycle underpass on the east side that comes around to a bicycle bridge across Merri Creek, just before Dights Falls where the Merri flows into the Yarra [44 F3]
5. As soon as your cross Merri Creek look for an off-ramp. Look carefully -- it is very easy to miss. It takes a westerly direction.[2D B5] Avoid the low branches.
The next set of instructions take you through the back streets [Melway 2D, 2C, 2B]
You will pas the Ericsson building and then turn right, carefully, across onto Maugie Street. [2C K6] This is a busy road in the morning.
7. At the end of Maugie Street, join the track which runs beside the freeway, under the railway bridge.
8. Cross Hoddle Street at the lights near Hotham Street. This means backtracking south a block or so to Thuna Street.[2C J6]
9 Ride west along Hotham and turn right at Charlotte and left onto Mater Street[2C E5]
10. Continue west, crossing Smith Street, where Mater becomes Westgarth Street
11. Cross Brunswick Street and at Nicholson Street, cross to join Kay Street [2B K5] These are very busy streets.
12. Turn left on Canning Street and right onto Palmerston Street where you can cross Rathdowne at some lights.
13. Head up Palmerston, past the primary school to Lygon Street [2B G6]
14. Cross Lygon Street and keep going along Palmerston Street to Palmerston Place and thence to Swanston Street.
15. Nearly there! Cross with the lights at Swanston Street near the Tin Alley entrance to the University. [2B E6]
Note that there are three hill climbs on the way in. The first is from Bulleen Road lights up to the Eastern Freeway overpass to the Camberwell Golf Course. The second is past the Kew Golf Club to where Belford Road crosses the freeway. The third is up Yarra Blvd from the Chandler Hwy bridge to the top of the hill, where, on the right, you turn into the track leading steeply down into Fairfield Park area.
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