SYDNEY’S COOKS RIVER CYCLEWAY – a nice little city ride

When I first started jogging this path fifteen years ago, the Cooks River was a disgusting, dirty drain, and the path beside it was a treacherous mix of potholes, flood plains and asphalt broken by tree roots. Things have improved a lot since then.

Thanks to recent work on the surface the Cook’s River Cycleway has just under 16km of flat, smooth concrete, through newly landscaped parkland, almost completely separated from motor traffic. Signs warn us that cyclists share the path with pedestrians, and that this is a ‘slow speed, recreational path’. It’s not a route for road warriors doing serious training, but it’s an excellent family ride or gentle commuting path. Well done, Marrickville and Canterbury Councils!

The starting point at the end of the aptly named Coward St is not promising...

...but there's some nice water around Tempe...

...and the river doesn't look too dirty if you're not swimming in it.

There's a bike-friendly cafe in Earlwood...

...and a few obstacles on the path, but we agreed to share it, remember?

If pelicans like it, the river must be clean.

The river turns into a drain again, unfortunately...

...then in Strathfield the cycle path proper comes to a rather abrupt end.

But we can always ride back again, or ride on to Homebush Bay.

This means mixing it with the cars on a few quiet roads, but nothing too dramatic.

Here’s the map of my route below:

And if you want to see it in full expandable, Garmin Connectorama, click here.

TRIP NOTES:

Access by public transport is best from Tempe Station.