Unfinished Business

November 20, 2021

The Business End of Town

While in Adelaide I've been exploring not only by bike, but by train. Roger and I set out to ride the entire Adelaide Metro train network, which isn't anywhere near as big a job as it sounds. It took us slightly less than a day to do it and we were feeling very proud of ourselves until someone kindly pointed out that we had overlooked an entire branch line.

Oops. And bummer.

We set out to fix this up, and while we were about it I also decided to finish off the loop around the Lefevre Penininsula (which also isn't as grand as it sounds) by bicycle.

We started with a little 5km bike ride down the OHG to Woodville station, where the branch line branched. We could have caught the train to Woodville, but riding was faster.

To Grange we go. When the train gets here, that is.

It would have been just as fast to ride our bikes from Woodville to Grange, but that would have missed the point of finishing off the entire length of the Metro, wouldn't it? So we caught the train.

There is a pool fence and a merman at the end of the train line at Grange. This is to prevent loss of life and limb should the brakes fail and the train crash past the end of the line and out into the street. South Australia's cavalier approach to public safety is both refreshing and horrifying by equal measure. The merman needs to cut his fingernails.

We went out on the Grange jetty. Last time I was here a seal was annoying the crabbers by stealing bait from the crab pots. No such entertainment this time.

The ride north from Grange was uneventful: the sea (St Vincent Gulf) on the left, clouds overhead, the usual southerly at our backs. Once we got past Semaphore Roger got jittery and zoomed off as he had set himself a deadline to catch the train at Outer Harbour in order to personally ride the last 10km of that line. I had already done that, so I proceeded at a more sedate pace, taking in the sights:

Fishing/viewing platform at the top of the Lefevre Peninsula. This is near the cruise ship terminal, which is a Very Quiet Place thanks to Covid.

I went past the train station. Roger must have caught the train because he wasn't there. Or he got lost.

The river side of the Lefevre Peninsula gave up any pretense of pandering to tourists and yachties, and knuckled down to business. I pedaled past the Naval Shipyards, which I didn't photograph due to security paranoia.

I pedaled past LEGO mountains of shipping containers,

The path followed quiet back roads beside the railway line, with industry primarily on the other side of the tracks.

which got closer and closer to industry, until I felt like I was cycling through the middle of the cement mill.

But I had a fantastic view of the big ships.

The finale of the ride was crossing the big bridge with a beautiful view of Port Adelaide.

Although there seems to have been a bit of confusion about what to name the bridge.

Port Adelaide front and centre, and far away on the other side of Adelaide you can see the Adelaide Hills.

Roger didn't get lost. He made it home to the overjoyed dog, which happily laid its heavy head on his knee and slobbered on his pants while they both waited for me to come home.

I enjoyed my ride.

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Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 77 km (48 miles)

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