21/03/24 Industrial Riding: Mawson Lakes to Outer Harbor

Don't worry, I didn't get to update while I was riding but I finished my cycle tour.  Let's just pick up where I left off, the day after riding from Gawler to Mawson Lakes.

Before I could get pedaling again I had a few errands to run in Adelaide in the morning.

After all that talk about the Barossa's beautiful buildings, it's only fair if I show you one of Adelaide's equally beautiful buildings.

 

Roger dropped me back at Mawson Lakes in the afternoon, ready to finish the last bit of the Stuart O'Grady/Port Adelaide bikeway and spend another night at home rather than in the tent.  I'd love to say this was an exciting ride but really, it wasn't.   

The path followed Dry Creek along a corridor from the suburbs into the industrial areas closer to Port Adelaide;

 

 

 

through a culvert under the Salisbury Highway;

and down toward the Dry Creek salt fields.

The Dry Creek salt fields were previously owned by the Ridley Corporation, which ended salt extraction there in 2014. The site, part of the non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying industry, was subsequently purchased by Buckland Dry Creek Pty Ltd (BDC) which continues to extract salt from the fields. 

 

Long views across the salt pans to the Adelaide Hills,

with the city centre tucked in between the salt and the hills.

Industry continued beyond the salt pans.  I pedaled past squadrons of pelicans coming in to spend the night in the quiet(ish) wetlands below the motorway.

Behond the freeway lay a mountain of landfill: a stiff headwind made the going tough but kept the landfill's stench at bay.  In no time at all (well, in an hour or so) I was up on the bridge over Port River with a fine view of the big ships moored at the docks.

Beside the lighthouse is the Fish Market shed, destined for demolition in favour of yet another block of high density housing. 

Ships from the bridge.

 

In the interests of completing a circumnavigation of the Le Fevre Peninsula, I hung a right on the far side of the bridge and followed the bike path through the cement works.

The Adelaide Brighton Cement Factory could learn a thing or two about dust management here.  Not a skerrick of cement dust to be seen.

Just the odd random chimney puff.

 The Osborne Naval ship-building yard did not allow people such as myself to pedal their bicycles through the site, forcing me to detour out onto the road and back again.  I considered a detour to Pelican Point as well, but I was running out of light and I'd already seen a whole heap of pelicans back at the freeway wetlands, so I kept on going toward home.

I passed the Outer Harbor railway station, the cruise ship terminal (no cruise ships there but one due in very early tomorrow morning), and almost zoomed right past my own street so focused was I on pedaling.  Arriving home, I was very flattered to have made it onto Dog's list of People Who Don't Get Barked At.

Outer Harbor sunset.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm having an early night.  I've officially joined the cruise-ship spotter's association and have to get up early tomorrow to catch the next cruise ship as it comes in to dock.