Ride: Ettalong

If you are looking for a ride that takes you out of Sydney, the Ettalong loop is one of our favourites. This ~160km circuit links the Eastern Suburbs to the Central Coast via Brooklyn, Mt White, and the Hawkesbury, with a ferry crossing between Ettalong and Palm Beach connecting it all into a proper loop. It has become a regular MC feature and a perfect entry to the MC Velo Longest Day tradition.

The beauty of Ettalong is that it can be ridden in two directions, and each feels like a completely different ride. Same roads, same ferry, same loop. Completely different experience. Here is why both deserve a place on your route list.

The Classic

The Classic heads north from MC Clubhouse through the city and onto the Pacific Highway. The early kilometres thread through the north shore toward Hornsby, but once you pass Cowan and begin the descent into Brooklyn, the ride transforms. Brooklyn sits on the edge of the Hawkesbury with its marinas and waterfront cafes, and it is a beautiful first stop for coffee (and a famous pork & fennel sausage roll) before the climbing begins.

From Brooklyn, the road heads up toward Mt White. This is the climb of the route, a steady ascent through dense bushland to the ridgeline. From the top, the route drops toward Woy Woy and the coast. The air starts to carry salt, the landscape opens up, and from Woy Woy it is a short run along the waterfront to Ettalong where the ferry awaits.

The ferry timetable does not care about your headwind or the pothole that cost you a tube change. Miss the targeted departure and you are waiting an hour on the wharf while your legs stiffen. There is satisfaction if rolling onto the wharf with minutes to spare, clipping out, and knowing you have earned the crossing. If the water is choppy, a seasickness tablet beforehand is not the worst idea. More than one rider has regretted skipping it.

The ferry delivers you to Palm Beach, and lunch at a cafe is one of the highlights. After the inland leg and the anticipation of the ferry, sitting down for a proper meal feels like a reward. From there, the run south through the Northern Beaches is fast and familiar, with the promise of cold drinks at the Clubhouse keeping the pedals turning.

In reverse - chase the ferry first

The Reverse flips the script. Instead of earning the ferry at the end, you chase it first thing in the morning. Head north through the Northern Beaches to Palm Beach, catch the early ferry across to Ettalong, and ride the return leg via Woy Woy, Mt White, Brooklyn, and the Pacific Highway back to Sydney. Same spectacular loop. Completely different ride.

The Reverse demands an early start. Rolling from Centennial Park Horse Gates at 05:00, you need approximately 40 kilometres to reach Palm Beach wharf by 07:20, targeting the 07:30 ferry. There is no margin for error, or too many red lights. The next ferry is an hour later, and nobody wants to spend that hour on a wharf wondering what went wrong. The Northern Beaches northbound in pre-dawn darkness usually brings empty roads, and pace that is purposeful as the ferry deadline sharpens the mind. Traffic lights can severely impact your timing, so don’t dally.

Arriving in Ettalong around 08:00, the ferry pressure is behind you and the rest of the day is yours. Lunch at Ettalong is a highlight of the Reverse - a sit down meal knowing the hard part of the logistics already done is satisfying.

From Woy Woy, the road climbs steadily toward Mt White through bushland before the fast descent into Brooklyn, dropping you down to the Hawkesbury. Brooklyn is the perfect second coffee stop at around the 120-kilometre mark.

The final leg follows the fast Pacific Highway south through Cowan and Hornsby before the familiar descending roads back to MC Clubhouse for a cold drink.

AT A GLANCE

• Distance: ~160km
• Climbing: ~1,900m
• Classic route: https://www.strava.com/routes/23257398
• Reverse route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53077372
• Moving time: ~6.5 hours + stops. Expect a mid afternoon return.
• Pro tip: always check the weather and the ferry timetable!

Ettalong is more than a route. It is an MC institution that has inspired its share of tales, from ferry dramas and race-against-the-clock arrivals. This loop delivers distance, climbing, spectacular scenery, and the kind of shared experience that becomes a story told over and over at the MC Clubhouse. There is a reason this ride keeps finding its way onto the calendar.

Read the tales from past Ettalong adventures here.