The Mike Turtur Bikeway is one of Adelaide’s most popular off-road bike routes and it’s right in the city, following the Glenelg tramline from South Terrace.
Review by Carla Caruso
You’ve probably heard of cycling paths in the country that follow old railway lines, like Clare’s Riesling Trail and McLaren Vale’s Shiraz Trail.
(While we’re at it, there’s also the Amy Gillett Bikeway in the Adelaide Hills.)
But did you know that there’s a bikeway, right in the city, which follows the Glenelg tramline?
It’s called the Mike Turtur Bikeway in honour of a local cyclist, who competed in the Olympic Games and three Commonwealth Games. (He won a total of five medals.)
The shared-use trail – for cyclists and walkers – is 9.5km one-way and extends from South Terrace in the city to Glenelg. However, you can just do sections of it, if you wish.
With a wide, flat, bitumen surface, it’s suitable for people using wheelchairs, prams, and, of course, bikes.
I rode the bikeway recently with my husband and our 10-year-old twins, starting from the entry point off King William Road in Unley (near the Orient Express Model Railway Shop, appropriately).
While most of the bikeway is on a dedicated trail, there are short sections between Goodwood and Hyde Park that are along footpaths. These sections would better suit older, more experienced kids. You could instead start at Goodwood Railway Station to avoid these sections.
There are also areas where you have to cross main roads at crossings.
For us, highlights along the way included zipping over the overpass at Goodwood (I might’ve been tapping my brakes a bit), checking out sculptures en-route (think a giraffe and a ‘chain gang’ of fitness enthusiasts), and sailing past the back of the Morphettville Racecourse.
Kids who love moving vehicles will enjoy seeing trams passing at regular intervals too.
You can do pitstops along the way, like at such eateries as Forestville’s Dear Daisy and Glandore’s Beckman Street Deli or playgrounds at Plympton Oval and Forrestville Reserve. Or there’s even the Unley Swimming Centre over summer!
Once you hit Glenelg’s Jetty Road, the dedicated trail stops. So, we found it easier to ride along the adjacent Sussex Street – on its quieter footpath – to get to the beach.
Of course, you’ll have to take your bikes with you wherever you go, unless you have something to chain them up with. We stopped for a bite to eat at Potato on a Stick and Oakberry Acai, off Moseley Square, where there was outdoor seating and enough room to park our bikes.
Once we’d got our fill of vitamin sea, we headed back home via the bikeway. Unfortunately, you can’t take bikes on trams or buses in Adelaide – only on trains. Though, it might’ve been nice to have an easier trip home!
We got a little lost on the way back, adding 10 minutes to our trip, so pay attention to the signage.
Riding from Unley to Glenelg (and back again) took us about 45 minutes each way. It’s well worth ticking off your to-do list!
According to Walking SA, the trail – near Morphettville – also connects with the Westside Bikeway (a 7.6km trail along a linear park between Morphettville, back to Mile End), and the Sturt River Linear Park, which heads south-east. Get on your bike!
What we like about it:
The bikeway’s conveniently located in the city of Adelaide, and off-road much of the way! It’s a great outdoors activity with the family too.
Things to consider:
As mentioned, there are short sections between Goodwood and Hyde Park that are along footpaths. These sections would better suit older, more experienced kids. It may be easier to start at Goodwood Railway Station to avoid these bits.
Coffee and food options nearby:
There are many places to fuel-up along the way, as mentioned above – even McDonald’s at Camden Park. And once you’ve hit Glenelg, Jetty Road has oodles of eateries to choose from.
Location:
Check out this bikeway map care of Walking SA.
For more information about the bikeway, please visit the Unley council website.
All photos by James Elsby and Carla Caruso for Play & Go Adelaide.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
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