Cleveland Point to Victoria Point on the Bike

At times when you start writing a post you just never know where it is going to end up. I started writing this post around the middle of February. However, it ended up somewhere over 3,000 words with a significant number of photos. For me, that just seemed too long, as I like to give you smaller bite-sized posts that you can easily read in one sitting.

As such the post has turned into four posts, of which you have likely already seen three. The first post started out as the introduction, but I only shared this late last week. That post was called “Getting On The Bike & Peddling My Way Through 2018.” In this post, I share a little about why I am pushing to get on the bike a little more.

The other two posts I shared a couple of weeks ago and are mainly the bookends to this post. The first is “Wandering Around Cleveland Point” where I started this ride. With the second being “A Walk Around The Point at Victoria Point” where I finished this ride.

The Details

The ride that I am outlining here covers a large segment of a ride that I did complete while waiting for repairs on my car. I started the segment from Cleveland Point and followed the roads and cycleway through to Victoria Point. The total distance that I covered was 17 km, with the time around 2 hours, which included stopping for the photos.

From Cleveland Point, I followed Shore St North in a southerly direction and joined the Moreton Bay Cycleway. I followed the cycleway through Cleveland and most of Thornlands, before diverting onto Cleveland Redland Bay Road. I followed a path which goes around behind a new development at Thornlands onto Beveridge Road. At the end of Beveridge Road, a bridge crosses Eprahpah Creek, and I continued through to Colburn Avenue and onto Victoria Point Reserve.

What You See Along The Way

There is quite a bit to see along the way along with what you get to look at around the two points. There are plenty of places to stop, in parklands and bushland. The only thing missing along the route described above is any shops. So it is a good idea to be stocked up with water and if you want snacks or food for the trip before leaving.

Courthouse Restaurant

The Courthouse Restaurant is a part of Cleveland’s history dating back to its construction in 1853. The building had numerous uses including as a courthouse for a period from 1859 combined with some other functions. At some point, the elements damaged the building and finally in 1961 had a partial restoration with an extension added in 1978. Today the current owners operate it has a restaurant, which I have visited twice for different events.

The Grandview Hotel

The Grand View Hotel is another part of Cleveland’s Heritage that you will pass as you head towards Victoria Point. The pub has been operating since some time in the 1850’s or 60’s, although there are some differences in the accounts I can find. The venue is somewhat popular and at times can attract huge crowds. In 1992 the building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register.

Fig Tree

There is a huge Banyan Fig Tree which is just next to the Grand View Hotel. It is listed as being Queensland’s Oldest Fig and has some extensive root systems which make it rather interesting. The site behind the fig has been under some contention as developers want to build, but people would prefer the fig left as is.

On the Trail

After following the water for a little way, some of the route takes to concrete pathways passing through some beautiful sections of bushland. The path here is specifically between the Wharf St carpark off Middle Street and the Oyster Point Park.

Oyster Point Park

The first spot that can be nice to stop at the Oyster Point Park. The distance from Cleveland Point is right around 3 kilometres, and there are numerous facilities here. Including playground for children, toilets and picnic tables.

Moreton Bay Cycleway Signage

Along the way you will find some signage for the Moreton Bay Cycleway. The cycleway does not go all the way to Cleveland Point, but following the above directions, you will spot it along the way. However, disappointingly there is somewhat limited signage, and I would not want to be relying on it.

Eddie Santagiuliana Way

A significant section of the pathway between Cleveland and Thornlands is named Eddie Santagiuliana Way. The path has been named in honour of the service that Eddie Santagiuliana provided to the community, as a member of the community, councillor and mayor.

Goleby Esplanade Foreshore

Another section of the path passes through the Goleby Esplanade Foreshore. This area is quite lovely with some great views of Moreton Bay.

Pinklands Bushland Reserve

In years past you would have continued along Cleveland Redland Bay Road towards Victoria Point. However, in the last couple of years, a new development at the southern end of Thornlands has included a new path. The path takes you along the side of Pinklands Bushland Reserve and around the back of the new development.

Eprapah Creek

The spot below needs a small detour off the main cycleway but is worth a look. At the end of Beveridge Road, as you continue along the pathway, there is a sign directing you to a fishing platform. It is only about 200m, and this is where you end up. A great little sidetrack.

Cameron Court Park

After getting back on the main cycleway, you will cross Eprapah Creek to arrive at a largish Parkland name Cameron Court Park. The area has a playground and half-court basketball, with a dog off leash park when you get to the other end.

Victoria Point Alternatives

When you reach Victoria Point, there are a couple of alternate routes you can take. I chose to follow Colburn Avenue to Victoria Point Reserve, having already ridden some distance before starting this ride. However, you can also choose to detour via Point OHalloran Road and Orana Esplanade where you follow the waterfront. Or you can take a short detour off Colburn Avenue to Thompsons Beach. I won’t include either of these here and will look to share a little more about both options in future posts.

Considerations For Your Ride

If you were interested in undertaking a similar ride yourself, there are one or two things you might like to consider. The first is that the distance I covered was one way. So if you drive to either end and park, you will need to cover twice the distance to get back to the car. In saying that there are a couple of spots you could cut off a little distance for the return trip.

The second thing is around the Moreton Bay Cycleway, which I used as part of this ride. What is shown on their website is somewhat out of date. The physical signage along the route now directs you differently to the online map. The most prominent difference is that you no longer need to ride along the road at Cleveland Redland Bay Road. New paths and infrastructure have changed this to make the journey a little safer especially for this riding with children. If possible, I would suggest having access via your phone to online maps just in case you get lost.

Enjoy The Ride

One of the most important things about a ride like this is that you take the time to enjoy it. As you can see from the distance and the time, I might have covered 17km, but I took two hours to do so. That is just 8.5km an hour which is only about double the speed of regular walking.