Midsumma Cycling & Punt - Fed Square to Williamstown

This easy ride will take us from Federation Square along Southbank, through majestic mansions and gardens in South Melbourne and follow the Bay to Westgate Park with its intriguing Pink Salt Lake. After a short punt ride to Spotswood (cost $5) we'll ride along the coast for lunch at Al Porto Vecchio on the stately Williamstown waterfront.
GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Easy 15 to 30 km cycling circuit. (15 km to the lunch point, from where you can return by train, or cycle back to Federation Square via an alternative route).
MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:30am departure from ACMI Cafe and Bar, Federation Square. Arrive a bit earlier for a coffee and chat beforehand. Bikes can be parked on Birrarung Marr (on the river side, opposite the Federation Square car park) or beside Transport Public Bar on Swanston St, opposite Flinders Street Station).
MAP REFERENCE: Melway map 1B grid P10 | Google map goo.gl/maps/PLQZM16sWG92. 
APPAREL | FOOTWEAR | FOOD: Bike, helmet and spare tube. Dress for the forecast weather conditions. Don't forget sunscreen, drinking water and waterproof gear if the weather forecast indicates any chance of rain. Lunch will be purchased from a pub in Williamstown.
COST: $5 for the punt ride plus cost of your lunch selection from the restaurant in Williamstown.
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: 
We'll meet at the ACMI Cafe on Federation Square for a leisurely coffee while waiting for everybody to arrive. From there, we'll walk to the nearby bike racks on Birrarung Marr (beside the Yarra) and ride along the Southbank Promenade, then via cycling tracks through South Melbourne to the Bayside Trail in Port Melbourne, admiring some of the stately Victorian era architecture along the way. The trail will take us past Station Pier and through Garden City to Westgate Park, where one of the attractions will be the Pink Salt Lake - which we can expect to be bright pink, a natural phenomenon caused by the mix of high temperatures, sunlight, natural salt levels and low rainfall in summer. (Disclaimer: the lake only turns pink after periods of high heat and low rainfall, so the pink colour isn't guaranteed). From beside Westgate Park we'll take a short punt ride across the Yarra to Spotswood, then cycle along the coast to Williamstown. Lunch will be at Al Porto Vecchio, 175 Nelson Place, overlooking the beautiful Williamstown waterfront.

After lunch, your return could be via train from Williamstown, but most will cycle back via the coastal cycling trail. This time we'll continue past the punt stop (though you could return by punt if that's more convenient for you), under the Westgate Bridge, beside Footscray Rd and through Docklands back to Flinders Street Station. There are several train exit options along the way as well as intersections with several major cycling routes (Maribyrnong River, Moonee Ponds Creek, Capital City Trail...) if any of those are convenient ways for you to return home.

LEADER | BOOKING: Alan D. | by Friday 8th February. Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members->Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.