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NorthShore Skimmer trike tours – Julie + Rory 22.02.20

NorthShore Skimmer trike tours testimonial:

On TripAdvisor: “We had the best time touring in and around the Northern Beaches. Craig was fantastic and we would recommend this to everyone.
Thank you Troll Tours for the experience.” Julie

On Facebook: “We had an amazing tour of the beautiful areas around the Northern Beaches. Craig was the best. We would recommend this to everyone.” Julie

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Craig picked them up from their hotel in Surry Hills. Firstly, they rode through Sydney city and over the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. The view of the arches is fantastic without a metal roof over your head. More than 6,000,000 rivets were used to assemble the various plates on the bridge.

Kirribilli

Next, they rode past Admiralty House which is the Sydney official residence of the Governor-General of Australia. After that they rode past the Prime Ministers mansion – Kirribilli House. It is the official Sydney residence of the Prime Minister of Australia.

Continuing around the corner they arrived at Jeffrey Street Wharf. From here, the views across Sydney Harbour towards the Sydney Opera House and the CBD are magnificent. In addition, it also has an up-close view of the side and underneath of the bridge. They also stopped for photos here.

lower North Shore suburbs

Continuing north east, the rode through Cremorne, Mosman and down past the Zoo to Bradleys Head. Make sure you look for the koalas eating and sleeping in the gum trees.

Bradleys Head and Balmoral Beach

Similarly, Bradleys Head has wonderful views across Sydney Harbour to the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the CBD. Continuing on, they rode past the lovely posh Balmoral Beach.

Crossing the Spit Bridge is always fun, with lovely views of Middle Harbour and hundreds of yachts. Riding further up the hill they rode into Seaforth and Clontarf. Another view worth checking out is at Tania Park, on Dobroyd Head. The views are amazing looking across Sydney Harbour and through North and South Heads.

However, time was just about up so Craig dropped the passengers off at Manly. They could continue the birthday celebrations at one of the many restaurants in Manly before catching a ferry back into town. In conclusion, the NorthShore Skimmer trike tours was a big success and a birthday present Julie will never forget.
https://www.trolltours.com.au/product/the-north-shore-skimmer-trike-tour/

Harley tour Eastern suburbs – Nalini + Sanjay 16.02.20

Harley tour Eastern suburbs testimonial

Hello Katrina
Just wanted to let you know that my husband and I had a great experience with our riders this morning. Both riders were friendly, and awesome.  
They took some photos which they said you would email to us. Very professional, funny and experienced drivers. Made my husband and I both feel very comfortable. I got the voucher as my birthday gift and took my husband along as well. We had an awesome experience on the rides. The route was also very scenic and beautiful. It was a really great experience.
Thank you.
Nalini

Nalini receive the Harley tour Eastern suburb as a Gift Voucher for her birthday. They are a Fijian couple living in Liverpool and are wanting to see more of Sydney. A Harley tour is a great way to see the sights in a fun way.

Our Harley riders Jungle and Phil, picked them up from near the train station at Circular Quay. Firstly they rode through the city and the inner eastern suburbs to the lovely Centennial Park. Originally a swamp and then set aside as land for the water source for Sydney, Centennial Park was reconstructed as a public park and opened in 1888.

Next, they rode further east to Bronte Beach. There is a nice walk from Bronte Beach to Bondi Beach. https://bonditobrontewalk.com.au/ After that, it was north past the little and secluded Tamarama Beach. They stopped at the famous Bondi Beach for photos, when in Sydney it is one of the places you should visit. The beach is seriously nice (but not our favourite) and we usually stop near the lifeguard station, made famous by the TV series “Bondi Rescue”. Bondi Beach is one of the most visited tourist sites in Australia.

posh eastern suburbs

Riding back around the posh eastern suburbs of the inner harbour is always nice. Vaucluse, Rose Bay, Double Bay and Rushcutters Bay follow the Sydney Harbour coastline.

However, time was almost up so they rode through the city and back to Circular Quay. In conclusion, the Harley tour Eastern suburbs tour was a great success. One of the best birthday presents ever!
https://www.trolltours.com.au/product/the-city-viewer/

Beach Beauty trike tours – Edward + Kalinda 23.06.20

Kalinda bought her partner Edward a Beach Beauty trike tours for his birthday. It was a beautiful clear winters day. They were staying in town but decided to make a day of it and caught a ferry to Manly. We sent a map and instructions of where to meet our trike.

3 hour exploration

Craig picked them up and they started on their 3 hour exploration of the northern beaches. Firstly, they rode through Manly and past the lovely Manly Beach.

After that, they followed the coast line – along famous Dee Why Beach, past Long Reef and Collaroy Beaches. On the Narrabeen Peninsula, there are great high views out to sea. We have seen whales from here, we always stop for a look if it’s the season but no guarantees.

Ku-ring-gai National Park

Have a look at Bilgola Beach and Avalon Beach as we ride past to Whale Beach, an elite area of Sydney. We continued on to Palm Beach to have a look at where the rich and famous live or visit for the Christmas holidays. An option we can include, is a stop for coffee or lunch there (not included in price) before returning via the Ku-ring-gai National Park.

There are plenty of stops for photos. Sydneysiders who think they have seen all of Sydney always see something new on this ride.

However, the 3 hours goes very quickly when you are having fun. So Craig had to turn around and head south. He dropped them back at Manly so they could continue celebrating Edward’s birthday. In conclusion, the Beach Beauty trike tours was a very interesting and fun ride – you can see by the passenger’s smiles. Lots of beautiful scenery, the wind in your face an the roar of the trike. What a great day!
https://www.trolltours.com.au/product/the-beach-beauty/
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/kuringgai-chase-national-park

Sydney Harbour – 8 interesting things you should know!

Sydney Harbour – 8 interesting things you should know! A report by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, reveals some very interesting secrets lying in Sydney Harbour.

One Sydharb

1: One Sydharb is an official Australian unit of measurement. It is used to measure volume and is equivalent to 500 gigalitres. Incredibly, this is the volume of water in Sydney Harbour.

The beautiful Sydney Harbour – One Sydharb is an official Australian unit of measurement.

2: Sydney Harbour is also known as Port Jackson. It is 19 km long with an area of 55 km². A source of confusion has been the definition of “Sydney Harbour”. The estuary (see point 4) does not have one official name; instead, there are five formally defined parts, of which Sydney Harbour is one. All five together are sometimes called greater Sydney Harbour, while the combined parts of Sydney Harbour, North Harbour and Middle Harbour are collectively known as Port Jackson.

Fishing

3: Over 586 species of fish are found in Sydney Harbour. This is more than you would find off the coast of the United Kingdom. During summer, recreational fishers caught an estimated 74,000 tonnes of fish. Interestingly, the NSW Government has a recommended maximum intake. No fish or crustaceans caught west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge should be eaten. Release your catch. For fish caught east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, generally no more than 150 grams per month should be consumed. Interestingly, I read interviews with locals who live on Sydney Harbour. Many people catch and eat more than the guidelines with no adverse effects. Sydney Harbour is getting cleaner by the year.

A Dusky Flathead, one of many species of fish found in Sydney Harbour.

drowned river estuary

4: Amazingly, the harbour is a drowned river estuary. It was carved out of the sandstone about 29 million years ago. About 17,000 years ago, the sea level rose flooding the river and creating the harbour. As a result, we have the beautiful Harbour we all know and love. The Sydney Harbour Estuary comprises Port Jackson and its major tributaries – Parramatta River, Lane Cove River and Middle Harbour.

Looking across Sydney Harbour to the city. This is one view Troll Tours takes our passengers to see.

5: 20,000 boats (approximately) are registered in the harbour, which is about 52 boats per square kilometre.

swimmable beaches

6: There are over 20 swimmable beaches nestled in the harbour. 77km of the original 322km of shoreline has been reclaimed.

The famous Bondi Beach. ©Tourism Australia

Sydney’s Bridges

7: Five bridges cross the harbour: the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the ANZAC Bridge, the Gladesville Bridge, the Ryde Bridge, and the Silverwater Bridge. However, on our 3 Bridges ride we take you over 3 of these bridges. Also included are a couple of minor bridges. Most Sydneysiders don’t know these minor bridges. All bridges have spectacular views!

The ANZAC Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Two of the bridges we ride over on the 3 Bridges ride.
©Tourism Australia

A secret reef

8: An unpublished NSW government report, reportedly, has mapped a secret reef in the harbour. Also, marine scientists have been examining the little known coral reefs of Sydney to try and understand more about coral survival. Mangroves are often known as ‘nurseries of the sea’ for the role they play in supporting small fish and other marine creatures.

Mangroves are an extremely important part of Sydney’s waterways.
Source: UNESCO https://es.unesco.org/node/293694

In conclusion, we hope you have enjoyed this blog, Sydney Harbour – 8 interesting things you should know!
With thanks to www.abc.net.au/news

https://www.trolltours.com.au/tours-and-prices/
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-skills/fishing-in-sydney-harbour

Us, COVID19 and Point to Point – Book Now!

Us, COVID19 and Point to Point – Book Now! What can we say about this relationship?

COVID19

COVID19 – the virus – Coronavirus or as Troll calls it – Coniverus, has certainly changed our lives. Probably forever. We decided to close down for 2 months though we could actually have stayed open. Troll Tours runs under the NSW Government Point to Point system. This means social distancing is not applicable. As long as we follow the hygiene practices, as outlined by the Government, we are able to provide our tours.

Troll Tours is now fully operational with all our tours. We follow the NSW Government rules on COVID19, for Harleys and trikes. Hygiene has always been a big deal for us so this really is nothing new.

Point to Point

From 1 February 2018, all point to point transport service providers (Troll Tours, taxis etc) need to pay a temporary $1 Passenger Service Levy on all trips (including taxi, hire car and rideshare) taken in NSW. Apparently this is to help people like mums and dads and retirees who have put their lifetime savings into the taxi industry and are now doing it tough. The levy is funding an industry adjustment assistance package of up to $250 million.

Basically, Uber, Olacabs etc have made a huge indent into the taxi industry. This means the taxi licences are not worth as much as they used to be. NSW Government data in 2017 shows Sydney licences in February were worth, on average, $200,000, down from $406,000 in October 2012.

taxi licences

This has now crashed from $115,500 (average for August 2018) to around $70,000 in June 2019 and a little more in July 2019. We can hardly believe it but we do believe it is true. We really do appreciate how hard it is for the taxi licence owners. The thing is, we don’t understand what it has to do with us. However, it is what it is so we have to put up and pay up.

The NSW government website says, “Service providers can absorb the cost of the levy or pass the levy on to the passengers. If the levy is passed on, GST is payable and $1.10 will be added to your fare. The levy may affect the cost of your trip – you can check whether the levy is being passed on with your driver or service provider before your trip commences or when you make your booking.”

However, we at Troll Tours, don’t pass the levy on to our passengers. We absorb as many costs as we can. Our reward is our passengers loving our tours! ??? Reviewing and writing about your ride is our reward!

Us, COVID19 and Point to Point – Book Now! Yes, it is a weird combination but it doesn’t stop us giving you the Ride of your Life! Contact us now trevor@trolltours.com.au or 0410 46 47 40 for the Adventure of a Lifetime!
https://www.trolltours.com.au/tours-and-prices/
https://www.roadrider.com.au/travel/motorcycle-riding-and-covid-19-rules-easing/

Our Harley riders clean their Harleys before every ride. They will also provide hand sanitiser.

Harley surprise tour Sydney – Rory 31.05.20

Another 60th birthday surprise present. This Harley surprise tour Sydney was organised by his family. It’s not every day you turn 60, so we reckon it’s worth celebrating. The ride was an extension of the 3 Bridges Tour. It included some of the city and eastern suburbs and beaches as well.

Our Harley rider Phil, picked him up from home in Balmain, in the inner west of Sydney. Firstly, they rode over the incredible Anzac Bridge. This is our favourite Sydney Bridge. We think it is incredible, a work of art and design. Similarly, it is also great to see without a roof over your head inhibiting the view. Most noteworthy, the stay cable design concept development and final design for the new bridge were carried out by the Roads & Traffic Authority of NSW. Finally, the bridge was opened to traffic on 03 December 1995 as the Glebe Island Bridge.

The bridge was given its current name on Remembrance Day in 1998 to honour the memory of the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (known as Anzacs) who served in World War I.

Next, they rode through the city and to the eastern beaches of Bronte, Tamarama and the famous Bondi Beach. They stopped at the famous Bondi Beach for photos, when in Sydney it is one of the places you should visit. The beach is seriously nice (but not our favourite) and we usually stop near the lifeguard station, made famous by the TV series “Bondi Rescue”. Bondi Beach is one of the most visited tourist sites in Australia.

posh eastern suburbs

Continuing on, they rode back towards the city via the posh eastern suburbs. It follows the inner harbour and is always nice to check out the view. Vaucluse, Rose Bay, Double Bay and Rushcutters Bay follow the Sydney Harbour coastline. This road leads to Kings Cross, the re light district of Sydney. It’s not as raunchy as it used to be but still interesting to ride through. Down the hill they rode ,past the iconic Harry Cafe DeWheels and into Woolloomooloo.

The traffic is still not heavy so there was still time to keep riding.

So, they continued riding on over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. We always tell our passengers to look up and enjoy the unique view. The more than 6,000,000 rivets are so interesting and the arch is so iconic. Next it was through North Sydney and Crows Nest before joining River Road. It is a fun road to ride on. River Road leads to Burns Bay Road which, in turn, leads to another bridge but not one of the main three.

Fig Tree Bridge, Tarban Creek Bridge, Gladesville Bridge

The Fig Tree Bridge opened in 1963 and spans the Lane Cove River. After that bridge, they continued on and crossed the second of the bridges Tarban Creek Bridge. This spans Tarban Creek, likewise, it has nice views east to the Harbour Bridge. Then they got to bridge #3 of the main 3 Bridges, the Gladesville Bridge. It has wonderful views along Parramatta River towards the Harbour Bridge and the city.

This bridge is on the main arterial thoroughfare of Victoria Road. However, the 1.5 hours was almost up so they travelled along for a short while before turning off into Balmain. Phil dropped Rory back at home. In conclusion, the Harley surprise tour Sydney was a huge success. Rory rang up straight away for the photos, which we hadn’t yet received from our Harley rider. 🙂 We always email the photos once we receive them and ask for feedback and a testimonial.
https://www.trolltours.com.au/product/design-your-own-ride/