Cycling in Redcliffe, Qld

Location - Brisbane, Queensland Australia
Ride - Scarborough to Shorncliffe
Distance - 40.8 km round trip
Terrain - Flat, bike path separated from the roadway.
Difficulty - Dead easy but don't forget the wind - a tailwind out and a headwind home just isn't fun.
Highlights - The picturesque Scarborough boat harbour, a stop for lunch at Woody Point and the chance you just might see a whale.

It is a truth universally acknowledged among cyclists that if you cycle into the wind on the way out, at the precise moment you turn and head for home - so will the wind. You NEVER get a tail wind on the way home.

Almost never! Today was that very rare exception to the rule.  After 20 odd hard fought kilometres from Redcliffe to Shorncliffe riding into a strong south-easterly we turned north looking around for the back-up crew with hot coffee, massages and a lift home. The crew was pure fantasy but the tail wind arrived instead and was almost as good.

We're staying at Redcliffe, Brisbane on the 9th floor of a serviced apartment block looking out across the Pacific.  The brochure said we could whale watch. We do;  but despite being in the peak of the migration season we see nothing but seagulls and empty ocean. After many decades of avid wildlife spotting I have learnt to live with disappointment. It doesn't stop me from keeping my eyes peeled in the general direction of Tahiti though for most of the 41 kms. David knows the game and tolerates it with good humour -  koala country means eyes up, kangaroo country scanning the roadside paddocks and whale country eyes to the ocean. I can't count the number of hours I've spent looking in creeks in vain for platypus despite their reputation as one of the shyest animals on the planet.

The cycle path runs along the coast from Scarborough in the north to Shorncliffe in the south, a total of 20.4 kms one way. We began at Redcliffe but continued on for a few kilometres past Shorncliffe so even with missing the beginning of the path we did the full distance plus a bit.  The ride is flat and almost entirely on a shared bike and pedestrian path separated from the road. There are loads of picnic tables and enough fish and chip shops and cafes to make the most dedicated cyclist fat.

Outside the whale season the beautifully restored period houses along almost the entire route make for great scenery. In whale season - eyes to Tahiti and hope to get lucky!

Woody Point - A great spot for lunch.

It's a long slog across the Houghton Highway Bridge - note the
complete absence of whales.

Beautiful architecture along the route.