After a few emails with John about bike adventures & other stuff, I was a bit inspired so headed to Seven Mile Bch for a lap around the peninsula (and the rain & miserable weather had finally broken).
The whole peninsula is soft sand so the ride would be resistance training. I started on a sandy track and after 5 minutes I was struggling in the soft sand. I was surrounded by pine trees (it is a pine plantation) and I tried to ride on the thick bed of pine needles so I didn't sink in as much.
After a further 5 minutes I decided to head out onto the beach because I knew it was low tide and I would continue on the soft sand as well. This was faster, except for the strong s/e sea breeze.
I reached the eastern end of Seven Mile Bch opposite Dodges Ferry and then turned north up the channel with the sea breeze. I was surprised that the Pied & Sooty Oystercatchers were less spooked by a bike than when I walk along this beach.
As I headed further north, opposite Lewisham their are wide sand flats at low tide and lots of oysters. Progress would be unpleasant on a bike at high tide but at low it was fine.
Eventually I turned another corner and had views back up to Midway Point. There was about 500m of dry sand flats from the shoreline to the water. I continued to the Five Mile Bch car park and then headed back into the soft sandy pine plantation to get back to the car.
I was stuffed from the soft sand riding but it was a pleasant afternoon with lots of sea birds & some large patches of soldier crabs.
