NSCS #1: Chatswood Railway Dash Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
By Zalgariath on 21-Jul-17. Waypoint GA10546

The North Shore Cycleway Series - Bike-Cache Adventure #1

North Shore Cycleway Series #1:

Chatswood Railway Dash

Jan 2019 Update - Moved to a temporary new home due to the closure of Frank Channon Walk during the construction of the Metro. You can't access the walkway at all, so bikes, and the cache, have been diverted through Chatswood Park until further notice!

 My first series of caches was hidden in 2009. Titled the "Cooks River Cycleway Series" it involves an 8km ride along a mostly separated path following the banks of one of Sydney's most famous storm water canals. They are hidden on Geocaching.com and can still be found today. It is much prettier than it sounds.  The North Shore Cycleway is not as pretty, but is a more important commuter route linking Chatswood, Artarmon, Naremburn and the surrounding suburbs to North Sydney, and eventually the Harbour Bridge and the CBD. I ride it everyday to and from work and it is worth the exploration. Be warned, some of it is hard shoulder along a very busy Gore Hill Expressway and these sections should only really be attempted on a bike as they are unsafe for pedestrians. Make sure you have your high-vis and/or lights. Other sections are on separated paths and some very cool little rat runs through the back streets. Do them all at once or it bits and bobs, either way I hope you enjoy the journey.

Route Planning: Unless you like hills I strongly suggest you start at Chatswood and head to the city. Besides having gravity on your side most of the way, the final is closer to the CBD than Chatswood. The total distance is about 10km one way and without stops would take you around 40 minutes riding at a comfortable pace, plus any hunting time you need. All in all it would be a few good hours of caching fun to do the series in one ride. Don't forget your bike is FREE with an Opal card on trains these days.  

This Cache: Starting at Chatswood Train Station, this section of the North Shore Cycleway takes you alongside the rail tracks mostly from Chatswood to Artarmon, past the bowling club. The best part is the dedicated shared path called "Frank Channon Walk", a 500m stretch along the railway, well lit at night and a gentle uphill gradient southbound. Northbound you can pick up some good speed, but watch out for pedestrians. From the Willoughby Council Website - "In 1916, Frank Channon, a young man from Willoughby, volunteered to serve on the battlefields of World War I. Enlisting as a gunner with a trench mortar battalion, Frank often found himself at the front lines of battle in Northern France and Belgium. Recording his experiences in a diary, Frank’s honest and brutal account gives incredible insight into the daily life of a soldier and the tragedies they faced each day. After returning home, Frank was an active member of the Willoughby community and went onto become an Alderman from 1940 to 1944. In memorial of his service to the community, a walkway was named after him, located between Albert and Nelson Streets in Chatswood."  

The Final: Just like my original series here there is a puzzle cache final to be found! Collect the bits of co-ords from each of the caches along the way, piece them together, and voila! There will be a bonus box for you to discover at journeys end. Please leave the laminated Co-ords cards in the original caches for others to find.

Check Out the Rest of the Series:

NSCS #1  -  NSCS #2  -  NSCS #3  -  NSCS #4  -  NSCS #5  -  NSCS #6  -  NSCS #7 (Final)      

Did you know that NSW has a geocaching association? Geocaching NSW aims to enhance and improve the activity of geocaching and holds regular events where geocachers meet to enjoy their common interests.

Visit the association website here.

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