This riding bikes caper is addictive!

Wow, it’s been just over three years since I last rode my mountain bike in anger!
In that time, I’ve had three surgeries, and now that I’m finally through the recovery phase, I’m working on shedding the weight I put on — largely from a lack of activity, especially mountain biking.

That said, I have been getting out on the eBike a bit, trying to rebuild some semblance of fitness.

Today, I decided it was time to get the Sentier out and hit some dirt. Lately, the only dirt I’ve ridden has been on my motorbike, so this felt long overdue. Luckily, Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve is only about two kilometres from home, so the pain of riding on the blacktop was mercifully short.

I only had an hour, so my usual longer loop was off the cards — partly due to time, partly due to my current fitness. After passing through the anti-vermin gate, I turned left and followed the fenceline, aiming for the ruins of the old Inglewood Homestead. Along the way, I stirred up a few mobs of kangaroos. My biggest fear is always driving them into fences — they never seem to bound into the wide open fields, but rather straight towards danger. Sure enough, they headed for the fences instead. Sigh.

Reaching the 'Back in Time Trail'* (I think that’s the name — I wasn’t paying too much attention to the sign), I followed it past a few sites of European heritage and onto the Inglewood ruins.

European Heritage:
Sheep grazing began in this area in the mid-1820s, with continuous stocking in large, fenced paddocks from the 1860s onwards. Between 1920 and 1925, old and dead trees were felled for firewood to supply the Canberra market. Some pasture improvements also took place from the mid-20th century.

After stopping to read the sign, take some photos, and have a bit of a wander, I continued on into the inner sanctum of Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary. Passing through another layer of defences (aimed at keeping out cats, foxes, dogs, and rabbits), you enter an area rich with endangered or reintroduced native animals. Interestingly, all the gates in Goorooyarroo and Mulligans are named after local flora and fauna.

Rather than following the Centenary Trail as signposted, I turned off towards the Old Coach Road — a more scenic, quieter route through the area. In fact, I didn’t pass another soul. After enjoying the most picturesque section, I diverted over to the Centenary Trail where it skirts Mulligans Woolshed. The historic woolshed is a must-visit whenever I ride out this way, and as usual, I stopped for a photo.

From there, I followed a singletrack behind the woolshed, cutting back across the Old Coach Road and heading towards Echidna Flats. I then turned right, passed through another gate, and continued along the trail towards the wetlands. After stopping to take in the view and snap another photo, I headed towards Wildbark via the Orchid Gate and the raised walkway.

From Wildbark, it was a shared path pretty much all the way home.

It felt amazing to be back on the Sentier, and my love for mountain biking has been reignited. Expect more rides as my fitness improves! 🚲

Map of ride.