Sydney birthday surprise ride – Martine + Mo 26.08.24

The Sydney birthday surprise ride on the trike was exactly that! A surprise but a great one!! Our trike rider picked the passengers up at the Star Casino.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Firstly, they rode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We always tell our passengers to look up and enjoy the unique view. he more than 6,000,000 rivets are so interesting and the arch is so iconic. It’s nicknamed ‘The Coathanger’ because of its arch-based design. It is the largest steel arch bridge in the world. This bridge is the eighth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level. It was also the world’s widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 m (160 ft) wide, until a bridge in Canada was completed in 2012.

Kirribilli

Next, they rode past Kirribilli House. Kirribilli House is the secondary official residence of the Prime Minister of Australia. After that, they rode around the corner to 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. A perfect place to stop for photos – what a great view of the Sydney Opera House!

The Kirribilli Loop

They rode under the north side of the bridge and continued on their tour. The underside of the northern end of the SHB – Sydney Harbour Bridge – is very interesting. The Kirribilli Loop was finished by riding past Luna Park and the North Sydney Olympic Pool.

Opera House

Then, it was back over the SHB and past the iconic Sydney Opera House. We can’t ride close but you can see it from a different angle to the usual. The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, but completed by an Australian architectural team headed by Peter Hall, the building was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973. Already, the Sydney birthday surprise ride on the trike was fun and has shown them many famous icons.

Macquarie Street

Further on, they rode along Macquarie Street which is the location of the main governmental institutions of NSW: Parliament House, Government House, and the Law Courts Building (which houses the Supreme Court of New South Wales). There is so much history behind Macquarie St. and the buildings that front it.

In the years since its founding in 1788, Sydney had developed organically, and by the early 1800s was lacking in major public buildings, and had a complex network of narrow streets. The supply of drinking water and waste management was also becoming an issue. Governor Macquarie initiated the construction of Sydney’s first public buildings of any real permanence and set the boundaries of Sydney’s grid of streets, laying out the street in 1810.

Woolloomooloo, Harry’s and Garden Island

Woolloomooloo is known for Finger Wharf, an old cargo dock that attracts a trendy clientele with fine dining, hip bars and water views on all sides. It also has the famous Harry Cafe De Wheels which has been serving customers for over 80 years. They make delicious pies, hotdogs and more. Lots of interesting photos are on the walls, mostly of famous celebrities who have visited over the years. They rode past Garden Island which is the location of a major Royal Australian Navy base. Then it was up the hill and into Potts Point.

Kings Cross

Continuing on, they rode through the infamous Kings Cross, though it has calmed down a lot since it’s heyday – home of the famous and huge Coca Cola sign. Kings Cross is also home to nightclubs and ladies of the night though it is not nearly as raunchy as it was in the 1970s (apparently).

Eastern suburbs

Heading east was next, through the posh suburbs of the eastern suburbs of Sydney, including the Bays: Rose Bay, Double Bay and Rushcutters Bay.

Watsons Bay and The Gap

Then north, through some upper class suburbs, such as Vaucluse, they rode to “The Gap” and stopped for photos. The view towards North Head, Manly and out to the South Pacific Ocean is spectacular. The Gap is a dramatic ocean cliff which faces the Tasman Sea, which is located in the suburb of Watsons Bay. Although the cliff is a popular tourist destination, it is infamous for suicides. Watsons Bay sits on the end of the South Head peninsula.

Bondi Beach

Finally they arrived at Bondi. They rode south and past the world famous Bondi Beach to the south side. Here, there is a lovely view overlooking the whole of Bondi Beach. They stopped for photos and a leg stretch. A perfect place to stop for photos which is where the one below was taken.

This is the beach where Bondi Lifeguards of the Bondi Rescue TV series is filmed. When in Sydney it is one of the places you should visit. The beach was made more famous by the TV series “Bondi Rescue”. Bondi Beach is one of the most visited tourist sites in Australia. Bondi Beach is recorded by the Australian Museum that Bondi means place where a fight using boondi sticks (nullas nullas or fighting sticks) took place.

Tamarama Beach

Then, they rode north to the tiny but picturesque Tamarama Beach. It’s lovely to look out to the South Pacific Ocean from any of the beaches. Initially known as Dixon Bay by early European settlers, the name was changed to Tamarama in the 1800s. Tamarama is probably a derivation of the Aboriginal name ‘Gamma Gamma’ (possibly meaning ‘storm’), which appeared on maps of the coastline in the 1860s by the Military or Naval Authority.

Bronte Beach

Next, they rode south to Bronte Beach. It is a small but picturesque popular recreational beach in the eastern suburbs.

Centennial Park

Turning west, they rode through the suburbs to the fabulous Centennial Park. It is a lovely experience, to ride through.

With 120 fields and venues, 35+ different sports are played in the Centennial Parklands. It is the largest community sports precinct in Australia! The history is also interesting: “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. Sir Henry Parkes’ vision was to create a ‘People’s Park’ in which the citizens of Sydney could ‘take in the air’ away from the Sydney town centre.”

Oxford Street

There was enough time to ride down the famous Oxford Street. The western section of Oxford Street, which runs through the suburbs of Paddington and Darlinghurst, is widely recognised as Sydney’s main gay district and Oxford Street is closed to traffic once a year in early March for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

However, time was up so the rider dropped them back at The Star. In conclusion, the Sydney birthday surprise ride on the trike was a huge success and so much fun! Check it out here.