18th birthday Harley transfer – Reuben 06.09.25

The 18th birthday Harley transfer was organised by Natasha for her son. It was a fabulous and fun surprise! Our Harley Davidson picked Reuben up from home in Oran Park and rode him to the The Imperial at Clifton, south of the Royal National Park.

Oran Park

Oran Park 59 km south-west of the Sydney CBD. The area now known as Oran Park was originally home to the Dharawal people. In 1805 John Macarthur established his property at Camden where he raised merino sheep.

Mount Annan

Firstly, they rode through a few suburbs and past the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. It is primarily a native garden but is equipped with barbecuing facilities and picnic areas. Mount Annan is a hill within the grounds and there is a track in the gardens to the summit.

Campbelltown

Then, they rode through the outskirts of Campbelltown. There is a lot of history in this area. Not long after the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney in 1788, a small herd of six cattle escaped and weren’t seen again by the British settlers for seven years. They were spotted, however, by the Tharawal people. In a rock art site called Bull Cave near Campbelltown, they drew a number of cattle with pronounced horns. The Tharawal described the cattle to British explorers and in 1795 the British found a herd of around 60 cattle grazing in the area now known as Camden.

Appin

Next, they road through Appin. “During the Dreaming a great fire swept through the land. Wiritjiribin led the people to sanctuary in a cool green gully which had been missed by the fire, under the rocky cliffs of a gorge south of Appin. Those who had perished in the fire were reincarnated as animals and Wiritjiribin appeared as a lyrebird, which became the clan’s totem, a symbol of peace and caretaker of the Land of Gawaigl, an area which became a meeting place for Peoples from all over the east coast of Australia”. Wikipedia.

Thirroul

Still heading east, they are nearly on the coast. Thirroul has a population of approx 6,500. It has a heritage building called Anita’s Theatre. In 2019, Midnight Oil launched their “The Final Tour” at this theatre. So far, the 18th birthday Harley transfer has been fun and shown some interesting sights.

Coledale

Turning north, they headed along the south coast to Coledale. Coledale is a coastal village in the Illawarra region, approximately 18 km north of Wollongong and 52 km south of the Sydney CBD. Approx 1300 pax live in this village. There are two sandy beaches, Coledale Beach and Sharkey’s Beach.

The early development of Coledale and the surrounding areas of the Illawarra was largely due to the coal mining industry. The first mine in the area opened in 1889, but closed due to issues with groundwater. It was redeveloped in 1902 as the North Bulli Colliery, which closed in 1926. The mine employed around 100 workers. Wikipedia.

Scarborough

Further north, Scarborough has a small beach offers fantastic views of the coastline and the cliffs that lie above. We love the Scarborough Hotel. Established in 1886, ‘The Scarborough’ is an Illawarra icon. Perched on the Illawarra escarpment’s cliff edge just south of the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge.

Coal Cliff

In 1797, survivors of the Sydney Cove discovered coal in the ‘Coal Cliffs’. Clifton was created with the construction of the Coal Cliff Colliery in 1877. The Imperial Hotel was established 1884 by Allan Broadhead as a miners Pub. It closed in November 2002 after the collapse of Lawrence Hargrave Drive (now replaced by the Sea Cliff Bridge). It has now been purchased and restored by Shellharbour Workers Club, this is where we dropped Reuben off.

His family and friends met the Harley here and they continued the celebrations. Turning 18 is worth celebrating. In conclusion, the 18th birthday Harley transfer for Reuben had a fun, unique and memorable start to a special birthday.

Feel the Freedom!

or just email trevor@trolltours.com.au and tell us what you would like to do.