A chance comment the other day, pointing out that my blog hasn’t had anything added for over a year, spurred me into action!  It’s starting to cool down a little in Brisbane now, so a good time for a Sunday ride.

And where better to go than out to Sandgate, along my favourite bikeway – the Boondall Wetlands.

stencil art under Juliette Street bridge

More stencil art near Stanley St

The ant trail!

My usual ride to work was extended over the Storey Bridge, out along the River, along the Schulz Canal and past the Nudgee Golf Club.

Brisbane 

The Storey bridge

A deviation into Nudgee Beach for a cappuccino on the beach front seemed like a good idea.  It seems to take a long time to make a coffee at Pam’s Café, but eventually my number was called and I collected the cup and headed off to the beachfront. 

Nudgee Beach

mangroves

Then onto the Boondall Wetlands.  It’s such a nice ride, with melaleuca trees crowding along the path edge or through the open grasslands.  There are boardwalks (rides?) over samphire flats and boggy bits and little bridges over salty looking drains.  And it’s popular, with a whole range of cyclists, from 3yr olds to granddads and grannies like me and everything in between.  Eventually the path arrives at the Boondall Wetlands Environment centre.

Boondall Wetlands looking dry

Boondall Environment Centre

Then onto Deagun and around the corner to Sandgate.  I headed down to beach front and rode along The Esplanade, waking up memories of past rides when I used to live out at Brighton.   I was looking out for a shady seat to sit on and have a rest and just after the Brighton boundary I stopped for awhile and munched on an apple and looked out towards the sandy Moreton Island.  It was very pleasant but eventually one must get those pedals turning. 

Sandgate Esplanade

Old Sandgate church, now a child care centre

Shorncliffe pier - still closed

Public art at Shornecliffe

Rocky Shornecliffe

Under the Gateway motorway

When I arrived back at Toombul, I decided to ride on along the Kedron Brook bikeway to come into the city another way.  There’s a few new paths, but I still ended up riding into The Valley along the footpath of very busy Lutwyche Rd into the Valley. 

Kedron Brook bikeway

Noisy Miner bath time or just cooling down

Check out the mega solar panels on that house!

But now the sky was covered with dark billowing thunderstorm clouds and so I pushed on to home, expecting any minute to start getting rained upon.  

Stones Corner, Norman Creek

Greenslopes Bus station

But luckily, I made it home with only a couple of drops.  I was disappointed to see my odometer just under 100km – 98.65km…  drat, I should have ridden out to the end of The Esplanade!

A nice shower of rain from my deck