This ride can be added to either the West Dapto Ride or used to extend the journey Around the Lake. It is a lovely ride through open farmland. The road surface varies from good to badly patched but most bikes will cope, though some sections will be a bit hard on the wrists if you have narrow high pressure tyres.

Dapto to Mount Brown.

From the centre of Dapto follow the Princes Hwy south for about 2.9 Km to Mount Brown and turn right into Huntley Rd. Follow Huntley Rd over the railway bridge and immediately turn left into Marshall Mount Rd (this joins the West Dapto ride).

Mount Brown to Marshall Mount.

Now the route goes past the Yallah Rd turn off (5.6 km) and eventually the road climbs gently but steadily for about 500 metres to the Marshall Mount Hall and the Old School Gallery (7.6 km) .

From then on the road drops down through pleasant dairy country to Calderwood Rd (9.5 km). Here turn left and follow the road to its junction with North Macquarie Rd (11.6 km). There is now a choice - continuing along Calderwood Rd to Albion Park or detouring via North Macquarie Rd.

Calderwood Rd comes out onto the Illawarra Highway (13.7 km) near the centre of Albion Park itself.

Via North Macquarie Road to Albion Park.

If you chose to turn right and follow North Macquarie Rd this adds about 7.8 km to the journey but it does extend the journey through pleasant farmland. The road surface is a bit rough but just before the junction with the Illawarra Highway there is a picnic area next to the ford (15.5 km). After rain the ford is only a few inches deep but normally it is dry and presents no hazard to a bicycle (When it has been flooded I didn't notice the surface being particularly slippery under the water but it would be wise to be cautious.) Immediately after the ford is the steepest 10 metres in the Illawarra! - road rises very sharply from the ford but it is only for a very short distance and almost immediately is the junction with the Illawarra Hwy.

Turn left onto the Highway, it is single lane but there is about a metre of hard shoulder all the way to Albion Park.

At about 19.4 km is the junction with the shorter route via Calderwood Road.

Albion Park to Dapto.

If coming from Calderwood Road turn left onto the Illawarra Hwy and continue on to the traffic lights where the Hwy turns left toward Dapto (14.6 km - NB distances refer to the Calderwood Rd route, add 7.8 km if you took North Macquarie Rd route).

Again there is about a metre wide hard shoulder to the roundabout at junction with the Princes Highway (17.4 km).

From there it is a matter of following the highway to Yallah (18.3 km) and on to Dapto (24.1km).

Alternately turning right at the roundabout joins the route Round the Lake

Return journey via North Macquarie Rd is about 31.9 km

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