2 hour Northern Beaches ride – Nora 11.04.26

The 2 hour Northern Beaches ride was organised by Nora’s husband as a special birthday treat. Our Harley Davidson ride picked her up at Manly, we sent instructions and a map of exactly where to meet.

Manly

The second most famous beach in Sydney – they rode past the main beach of Manly. Manly has several claims to fame; it was the birthplace of surfing in Australia, the first place to legalise all-day bathing in 1903 and one of the world’s first Surf Life Saving clubs. Manly Beach was the location for the first World Surfing Championships held in 1964.

North Head

Firstly, it was to the beautiful views of North Head near Manly. Unending ocean views and a spectacular panorama of the harbour and Sydney skyline. Situated on the northern-most edge of the harbour within sight of Hornby Lighthouse on South Head. What classic views!

Queenscliff

Secondly, they rode the length of Manly Beach, to the northern end which is actually called Queenscliff Beach. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria (England). The area was popular with holiday-makers from the early 1900s to World War I, who stayed in holiday shacks on the headland. The suburb is famous amongst the Australian surf beaches for its “heavy” waves (bomboras) that break out at sea. All of the east cost of Sydney is beautiful as you can see on this 2 hour Northern Beaches ride on a Harley Davidson.

Freshwater Lookout

Locals often call this the South Curl Curl Headland. It is at the northern end of Freshwater and the southern end of Curl Curl. It offers panoramic ocean views and a tranquil environment for relaxation and recreation. The park features a bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku, honoring his contribution to surfing in Australia (as mentioned above).

Freshwater / Harbord

Next, they rode past Freshwater Beach which has a very interesting history. This is a very small part of the history:

In December 1914, Duke Kahanamoku, the world sprint swimming champion, was touring Australia. He selected timber from a Sydney firm to fashion a board modelled on those used in his native Hawaii. He gave a demonstration to the press of surf board riding at Freshwater Beach. It was the second recorded time that anyone had surfed the clean waves beyond the break in Australian waters using this Hawaiian-style surfing technique. The first known surf board rider was Manly local Tommy Walker who rode a board at the 1912 Freshwater surf carnival. (wikipedia)

Also, this suburb and beach was originally called Freshwater. Historians think it was named after a fresh water creek which flowed into the ocean. It was changed to Harbord on September 1, 1923, The Harbord estate was named after Lady Judith Harbord, the sister-in-law of Lord Carrington, the Governor of NSW at the time. Harbord was again, officially renamed Freshwater on January 12, 2008 – 85 years after the other name change.

Curl Curl

Further north, they rode past Curl Curl Beach. This is one of our favourite beaches in Sydney! The name Curl Curl may have been derived from a Dharuk Aboriginal phrase curial curial, meaning river of life. It’s such a lovely beach to ride past as it’s easily seen from the road. It was first settled by Europeans in 1858. Already, the 2 hour Northern Beaches ride on a Harley, has shown Nora some beautiful beaches.

Dee Why

Further north, Dee Why is a very popular beach, it has been done up over the last decade. A park for concerts, a playground and restaurants across the road make it very popular with locals. It also has lovely clean sand and good waves.

Long Reef

Long Reef is a perfect stretch of white sand located on the Northern Beaches, approximately 21 km from Sydney’s CBD. There are many submerged shipwrecks off Long Reef Aquatic Reserve. In the 1970s and 80s, many vessels were purposely sunk off Long Reef Aquatic Reserve to create artificial reefs, including the Manly ferries Dee Why and Bellubera.

The offshore reef in the north (the Long Reef Bombora) starts to break at one metre or so, and in a big south swell, can produce a beautiful wave up to five metres.

Located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, it is a headland and beach area known for coastal walks, surfing, and the protected Long Reef Aquatic Reserve. The reserve features a unique marine environment with submerged shipwrecks and is used for education and research. Other features include the Long Reef Golf Club and a prominent, geologically significant headland rich in fossils.

Collaroy

Following along more beaches, they rode through Collaroy. The name Collaroy is aboriginal for “big reeds”. In 1881, the steamer “Collaroy” ran aground on Long Reef at the southern point of the suburb. Crowds came from all around the district to see the wreck that subsequently gave its name to the suburb.

Narrabeen

Then it was past Narrabeen Beach. It is one of Australia’s iconic surfing and swimming beaches. Over 3 km of sand stretches from Long Reef in the south to the Narrabeen Lagoon entrance in the north, with 4 surf lifesaving clubs along the beach.

Narrabeen Lagoon

Next, they rode via a part of Narrabeen Lagoon (also referred to as Narrabeen Lake). It is Sydney’s Northern Beaches largest estuary system located just behind the world famous surfing beach at Narrabeen. It is a haven for wildlife.

Newport

Continuing north, the 1.3 km long beach at Newport has reddish golden sands and faces east. Love it! The northern beaches trike ride – Beach Beauty – is interesting and full of surprises!

Bilgola Beach

Bilgola Beach was next. The name “Bilgola” is derived from an Aboriginal term Belgoula meaning “swirling waters”, or perhaps “a pretty beach with steep slopes, studded with cabbage palms”. The word Belgoula was noted in Surveyor James Meehan’s records of 1814. It’s another fabulous beach and is 33 km NE of the Sydney CBD.

Avalon

They had a stop at North Avalon Beach. It is a fantastic spot for surfing, swimming, or simply enjoying the coastal views. The surf here is less intense compared to some of the more famous beaches in Sydney. The sand here is a cool orange colour. This is because of iron oxide, which is like rust. It’s where this photo was taken.

However, the time was up so the rider dropped Nora at a rearranged drop off point, different to the pick up. In conclusion, the 2 hour Northern Beaches ride on a Harley – a variation of our Beach Beauty tour – around the northern Sydney beaches, was so much fun. Memories were made!

Feel the Freedom!

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