Pie in the Sky trike – Rhonda + Werner 04.08.23

The Pie in the Sky trike tour was organised by Rhonda as a present to herself. She turned 60 and wanted to celebrate with some fun. It was also a chance to go to places of her youth and reminisce about the good old days.

She brought her friend with her, they have both been on trike tours with us over the years. They love the experience so keep on doing them. Our trike rider picked them up from one of the homes in Hornsby.

Mount Colah

Firstly, they rode through .Mount Colah. It was originally known as Colah – the name first used by naturalist George Caley to describe a koala in a letter to botanist Sir Joseph Banks. When Hornsby became a shire in 1906 the name was changed to Mount Colah.

Old Pacific Highway

Fun is the word used to describe the Old Pacific Highway. They rode along the Old Pacific Highway which was the main route for heading North before the construction of the M1 (freeway). It winds through the hills instead of cutting through them. At 66kms long, it’s THE road to ride on for Sydneysider motorcyclists.

Mount Kuring-gai

Then it was through Mount Kuring-gai. The name “Kuring-gai” derives from the Guringai Aboriginal people who were thought to be the traditional owners of the area. More contemporary research suggests that this was not the case.

The railway station opened on 5 October 1901 and was named Kuring-gai. The current station was constructed in 1909. The Mount was added to the name on 1 August 1904.

Berowra

Further north, they rode through Berowra, an Aboriginal word that means place of many winds. The Berowra area has many Aboriginal carvings and is the site of the world’s oldest living amphibian fossil.

Cowan

Officially, the Old Pacific Highway starts at Cowan, a suburb about 42kms north of Sydney. The town takes its name from an Aboriginal word meaning big water.

The 1828 census lists two convicts called Cowan, and it is also thought possible that Cowan was named after one of them. Still another suggestion is that it was named after a small town in Scotland.

Besides the English botanist George Caley, who explored the area in 1805, the first Europeans to visit the area were timber-getters. The timber from Cowan was used for coach building, one of the first industries in the area.

Pie in the Sky

Next, it was time for a refreshment and a stretch. So they stopped at this famous cafe. Perched on a hill top by the side of the old Pacific Highway north of Cowan is the legendary Pie in the Sky. No matter what day you choose or what time it is, there is always a surprising collection of bikes, exotic-looking trikes or perhaps even a bright red vintage truck. Cyclists call in, the police stop by, a helicopter pilot calls ahead to make sure there are no cars parking on his helipad, and the Ulysses Club get together after a hard day on the road.

It started out as a railway canteen for the fettlers as they worked on the northern train line. Then it became the site of a Mobil petrol station and fell victim to the opening of the F3 in 1968, which diverted passing traffic away. Finally it became a pie shop. Initially, it was not a huge success. and was sold to a Mr. Tom Ransom and later to his son who both built it into the thriving business it is today. See there website for interesting stories. So far, the Pie in the Sky trike tour was certainly a run down memory lane.

Rest Park, Brooklyn

Rhonda used to frequent Rest Park when she was young. She wanted to come here to day for a look and talk about memories. Brooklyn came into existence in 1884 when the Fagan Brothers subdivided their 100 acre grant. America’s Union Bridge Company built the first railway bridge across the Hawkesbury in 1889. It is called both the Brooklyn Bridge or the Hawkesbury River Bridge, depending who you talk to.

However, the 1.5 hours was almost up so Fred turned around and they rode back to Hornsby where he dropped them off. In conclusion, the Pie in the Sky trike tour was lots of fun and a great way to celebrate a birthday.

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