Come Ride - Sydney Olympic Park

Come Ride - Sydney Olympic Park

Hello again everyone! So a few weeks ago, my family and I were wanting to do something fun together to make the most of the awesome weather we were having throughout September. We wanted to do something outdoors in an interesting place that we hadn't really explored very much of before. So what did we do? We went for a good old fashioned bike ride! Now anyone who knows me knows that I have the balance and coordination of a newborn baby deer, so I never really gave bike riding a chance before. I know, how crazy for a 19 year old to not know how to ride a bike, yet here we are. But you know what? I actually did it, and I loved it! So here's the low down on what to expect if you're wanting to ride around Sydney Olympic Park like us!

Bike Hire

Now if you're an average Australian citizen, you most likely already own your own bike which you can obviously ride free of charge around the parklands. However, if you're like me and don't, you can rent one from the bicycle hire shop, located in the middle of Bicentennial Park. They offer several kinds of bicycles to suit your needs and supply helmets for a minor additional fee. To hire a standard hybrid mountain bike will set you back $15 for up to 1 hour, and up to $50 for a whole 24 hours. They also offer children's bicycles for family adventures, and tandem bikes for romantic trips around the park. For more information visit http://www.bikehiresydneyolympicpark.com.au/hire-rates.html 

Cycling Paths

Sydney Olympic Park offers several cycling paths which range in difficulty and length to suit the needs of everyone! Each path showcases a different section of the suburb, from the marshes and the parkland to the history of Newington Armory. For details of each trail, check out this map provided by the Sydney Olympic Park website: http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/555531/Bike_Safari_Jul2013.pdf

When I went with my family, we did the Parklands Circuit, which starts at the bike hire shops and goes up north through the bush following the river up to one of the main roads. Here we were able to ride around the centre of the Sydney Olympic Park business district before returning to do a lap of Bicentennial Park. Our little journey was about 8km total and took just short of two hours, allowing us to stop and look around. I would recommend this to anyone, even those who can't ride a a bike like me! The trails are all pretty flat, making the ride quite easy, and the area is pretty quiet so you won't feel like you're going to be run over by a car (what a plus!). With that aside, the views are also incredible. With the industrial business district on one side, with tremendous bushland and rivers on the other, it really is quite a remarkable place to visit. 

 

Food

After an intense two hours of cycling, we had built up quite an appetite. Fortunately for us (and for you in the future) there is a great cafe next to the bike hire place where you can grab a bite to eat after the ride. At Waterview in Bicentennial Parks is is cute little cafe offering a somewhat limited but extremely tasty menu featuring all the classics. Check out the menu at http://www.waterviewvenue.com.au/pages/cafe where you'll find these awesome pizzas we had the pleasure of devouring! If you're lucky, you'll even see this majestic bin chicken watching you eat from atop his throne...not off-putting at all. But the surrounding scenery and eclectic furnishings well makes up for the unwanted birdlike lurking around! 

So if you have some spare time on a sunny afternoon, I highly recommend checking out these bike trails with family and friends! It's some good wholesome fun in the sun that gets you moving and give you a fresh breathe of air! 

That's all from me today! Until next time,

Patricia ☺