Tranby House River Ride - a bit of an adventure

Tranby House - a beautiful spot
to enjoy lunch or a coffee

The Tranby House River Ride (15 km circuit) is a delightful ride. If you found the City Bridges Ride (10 km circuit) way too easy you may enjoy this ride. It's considerably more challenging with one 'terrible uphill' in the Rivervale section but I find it far more interesting.

If you use a car park en route it keeps the ride to the far more manageable 15 kilometres but I usually park at Burswood which makes it about 20 km. There are plenty of rest areas and toilet options along the way, but only the one cafe.

I recommend you travel this ride in a clockwise direction which is how I have commentated the ride. However the Rivervale/Belmont Park section is the most challenging so depending where you park you may like to do that section first - get that 'terrible uphill' out of the way early in the piece.

Tranby House River Ride - 15 km circuit
Google Maps - Tranby River Ride

Following the path generally keeps you on track if you keep in mind that the river is always on your right. But the location of the river can sometimes be a little confusing plus there are a couple of lovely spots I wouldn't want you to miss. Hence the detailed commentary which you are welcome to completely ignore. I have included the map which may be all you need for guidance.

Graham Farmer Bridge to Tranby House

Graham Farmer Bridge - See the lower tier of railing. This is the
pedestrian and cycle access, so you don't mix with the traffic at all 

If you aren't sure about doing the whole circuit, this section  is a lovely ride all on its own with out much in the way of challenging hills. If you return the way you came after your Tranby break you will have had a lovely uncomplicated  12 km ride.

Crossing the Graham Farmer Bridge sounds daunting with all that traffic, but there is a nice undercroft cycle pedestrian path under the bridge (see photo) so it isn't stressful at all.

Once on the city side of the Graham Farmer bridge make your way back down to the river at the first opportunity (if you reach an underpass you have gone too far), turn left at the river and follow the path. This is very straight forward even when the path looks like it leaves the river, there is a golf course and a police facility (horses I believe) on your right between you and the river.

Even though you can't see it, you need to remember that you are following the river (always on your right). You will see water on your left but (as per the map) that water is not the river it is Lake Bungana and Lake Brearley.  I don't detour off around Lake Brearley, I follow the path alongside Swan Bank Road (which becomes Clarkson Road) till the path leads you to cross back over the road to the riverside parkland again.  Continuing on the path you will pass a car park and Maylands Waterland on your right (between you and the river) but you'll be back with the river shortly.

Kangaroo Sculpture
Tranby Reserve
Maylands

At this point you are at Tranby Reserve (nearing Tranby House), and if you are being observant you will see a Kangaroo Sculpture up ahead. There are two paths through Tranby Reserve, one closer to the river, and one that cuts closer to the road. I like the river option, but they both meet up near the Maylands Boat Yard, so it doesn't matter which path you choose. There is a lovely gazebo on the river if you have brought your own coffee.

As you pass the Boat Yard (on your right) the path ends at the intersection and you have to choose what to do. The first road to the right is the entrance to the Boat Yard, the second (right next to the first) is the entrance to Tranby House car park (also to your right). This is the one you want.

Tranby House - beautiful outside, but they also have
 protected verandah and indoors seating available

As you enter the car park you will see the historic buildings and the river. The cafe is behind these buildings and is called Peninsula Tea Gardens Cafe. It's open from 8am to 5pm everyday according to their web site.
http://www.peninsulateagardens.com

This is the only cafe on this circuit. It often doesn't look open but don't let that put you off. You will see the tables. Enter through the verandah.

They do have a lunch menu although I've only ever had morning or afternoon tea there. Water is available free with your order and there are toilets inside the cafe.

Once you have enjoyed your nice break you will need to decide whether to press on to complete the circuit, or return the way you came. If you are already feeling the challenge, probably best to go back.

Tranby House to Ascot

After you have enjoyed your break at Tranby House, the path continues on behind the cafe (keeping the river to the right) and winds up an incline (the biggest challenge of this section), up to a road where you will turn right (there is a toilet block here if you didn't stop at Tranby House) and continue on the footpath for a couple of hundred metres where the path will veer off to the right giving you a spectacular view out over the river and across to Garrett Road Bridge.

The view down the path
to Garrett Road Bridge

It's a lovely rest for your legs riding down to Garrett Road Bridge. Pass under both bridges then turn sharp left on path up to cross bridge. It's best to stop at the top as its another even sharper left turn onto the bridge. This bridge is a bit rustic, but you do have railing between you and the cars which I do appreciate.

You have now crossed the Swan River to the other side.

Once over the Garrett Road Bridge follow the path along Garrett Road to the first roundabout (Waterway Crescent). At the roundabout cross Garrett Road first and then Waterway Crescent, and follow the path around Waterway Crescent till it peters out.

At this point I ride for a short distance on the road (Waterway Crescent) rather than crossing back and forward from side to side as the path comes and goes. It's always been very quiet when I've ridden along there. I then turn right into a side road called  'The Riverwalk' (clearly marked). This will bring you back to the path and the river and if you turn left on the path you meander again along the waters edge.

At this point you will have water on both sides of the path and you will more than likely see quite a few black swans that enjoy this section of the river. I do love this section which is why I'm talking you through it but I will admit it's a bit of a fiddle.

One of the special spots on this delightful ride - Ascot

When you come to a road it looks like the path is at a dead end. Its not immediately obvious but there is a zig zag ramp on the other side of the road that leads you back to the waters edge. (you'll notice a bridge to your left crossing the water… ignore it unless you feel like exploring).

After navigating that zig zag ramp (probably easier to walk it than ride your bike) follow the footpath, keeping the water always on your right, past the residences, the seaweed lady, and the boats, until you see a narrow footbridge (not boat access ramp) crossing the water.

All this water is a bit confusing but you are still on the same side of the river coming towards Rivervale.

Ascot to Graham Farmer Bridge.

Having crossed this narrow foot bridge you want to turn right (keeping the river on your right) and follow the path. After a relatively easy and rather pretty section, you will come to the 'terrible uphill'. If you have gears on your bike now is the time to access the low range, possibly your lowest 'granny' gear and you may surprise yourself and make it all the way to the top.

View of the city from the top
of the 'terrible uphill' 
Rivervale

If you don't feel up to the challenge don't stress. Just get off and walk. But whether you walk or ride the 'terrible uphill' you simply must stop at the top and enjoy the view, both out over the river to the city, and also looking back over the river in the direction you have just come. It is breathtaking and well worth a photo opportunity.

After this there are a couple more up and down hills, but nothing like the 'terrible uphill' and you will soon come to the car park just near Belmont Racecourse with a toilet block should you need it.

Continue either on the cycle path or the car park road to the intersection (controlled by lights). This is the Graham Farmer Freeway. The cycle path continues on the river side of the freeway past the entrance to Belmont Race Track (controlled by lights) and  the path remains on the river side of the freeway all the way back to the Graham Farmer Bridge.

At which point we have returned to where my commentary on the Tranby House River Ride began. If you parked at Burswood you will follow the river to the left returning to the Burswood carpark.

I love this ride. There are options to decomplicate it. You can see by the map that you can cut off a large section of Maylands to get to Tranby House. You can skip the pretty but fiddly meander through Ascot with the black swans by continuing to the second roundabout after the Garrett Road Bridge and connecting to the cycle path there.

Or you can add to it and explore in the area of Lake Bungana and Lake Brearley in Maylands, or in Ascot where I told you to ignore that bridge… there is a circuit in that area which you can see on the map, that you might like to explore though be warned - there's another 'terrible uphill' in there.

Should you actually get to ride this Tranby House River Ride, I am sure that you will see why I recommended it to you. If you meander around Ascot I think you will understand why I sent you that way ….  and I hope that, like me, you found the view at the top of that 'terrible uphill' worth all the suffering those legs had to endure.

Happy cycling.