Australia - New Zealand - Good 40-60k rides in/around Sydney

So I just moved to sydney and I've found that my neighborhood all the way through to the CBD are fine little rides as far as errands go, but I decided yesterday to ride from where I live, st peters, out past bankstown to Dunc Grau velodrome to ride their criterium track. Worst ride ever. People told me Sydney was a tough place to ride and I really thought their were just being softies, my neighborhood is fine! but the entire way to bankstown is just ridiculous. People wont give me an inch, and theres even three lanes! it's insane. And i thought 20 k to the criterium track, some laps then back home would be a great ride.
So anyone know any good, safeish, rides that will let me actually cover some ground? I don't care if its a loop or out and back, just nothing that requires a car to get to, train is fine.
Thanks!

Well, today I went to check out centennial park. Looks like thats going to be my main ride from now on.
Anyone else ride there? I'm the hairy guy on the surly CrossCheck.

I live on Flinders St south of Taylor Square, only seconds away from Centennial Park. I also ride a Surly Cross Check. I moved here from Toronto, Canada yesterday afternoon. Send me an email at yan.personal at gmail.com if you're up for some cycling or exploring.

Awww hell... I thought I was the only CrossCheck.

It'd be cool to go for a ride sometime. I'm thinking of doing a bit of cooks river either tomorrow afternoon or sometime this week depending on work. The internet says that's a pretty good ride.

Take the Cooks river cycleway to Homebush, there are some great cycling tracks/roads out there.
Some info here,
http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/www/html/83-cycle-way-to-botany-bay-and-cycleway-plan.asp

Yeah, if you can get to Homebush, there's a lot of off-traffic cycleways, as well as nice roads to ride on. You can get out, do a few loops, and get back for 60km I'd think. Just dont expect any hills in that lot though!

Jim