Our travel agent Sydney recce passengers are “scouts” for a very large group of tourists coming to Sydney next year. They are working out experiences for the tourists to make it a fun time. Our trike tour certainly fitted the bill.

Sydney Fish Market

The trike rider picked the passengers up at the Sydney Fish Market, in Sydney’s inner west.

Sydney Fish Market moved to its current location at Blackwattle Bay, Pyrmont in 1966. Fish were sold using the traditional ‘voice’ auction system. This system saw buyers assemble outside the sales bay fence, where inside an assistant would hold up samples of fish from each box for buyers to bid until the highest price was reached.

The history of the fish selling industry in Sydney is very interesting. Like everything else in the world, how they sell the fish has changed dramatically since it began pre-1945. Currently, there are 150 to 200 buyers each day.

The Rocks

Firstly, they rode through the Rocks, such an interesting place in/of Sydney. It’s the most historic place in Australia! It is a neighbourhood of historic laneways in the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Rocks became established shortly after the colony’s formation in 1788 so it is the oldest residential, developed area in Australia – the birthplace of modern Sydney. With the arrival of European settlers in 1788, it was here that the convicts first set up house and shop.

Opera House

Secondly, they rode 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.

Macquarie Street

Next, they rode up Macquarie St. This street, 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.

St Mary’s Cathedral

Further on, they rode through the city and past St Mary’s Cathedral which is very impressive, even when riding past. It’s a Gothic Revival architectural building which opened in 1928. It took from 1866 to 1928 to build and has a height of 75m. It didn’t take long for the trike tour 60th birthday experience to show our passengers major sights and have some fun as well!

Woolloomooloo, Harry’s and Garden Island

Then, they rode into the inner eastern suburb of Woolloomoolloo. It has the famous Harry Cafe De Wheels. Harry’s Café de Wheels 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.

Also there is Garden Island. Garden Island is the location of a major Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base.

Kings Cross

Riding through the infamous Kings Cross is always interesting. It has calmed down a lot since it’s heyday – it’s home to 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). The travel agent Sydney recce is fun and interesting!

Coca-Cola billboard

Look up to see the famous “Coke Sign”. It is an advertising billboard erected in 1974 by the Coca-Cola Company. More often regarded as an iconic landmark than as an advertisement. The new Coca-Cola sign was officially turned on, on 15 September 2024, and uses a lot less power. It is the single largest controllable LED sign in the Southern Hemisphere and can change colour.

Eastern suburbs

Continuing on, they headed west through the posh suburbs of the eastern suburbs of Sydney, including the Bays: Rose Bay, Double Bay and Rushcutters Bay. The passengers have seen so many beautiful places.

Bondi Beach

Heading east, they drove past the world famous Bondi Beach, both the north and south side. 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 is seriously nice (but not our favourite) but it’s good to say you have seen it – even in the rain 😊. 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.

They stopped near the Lifeguard Tower to have a look and take photos. Then they were dropped off at the famous Bondi Icebergs.

In conclusion, the travel agent Sydney recce was a fun and memorable experience. Feel the Freedom!

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

The Northern beaches car tour was actually meant to be a trike tour. Our passengers from Switzerland had booked the tour back in March. They have limited time in Sydney so thought the 4 hours Southern Spectacular would be a great way to see something different. It sure would have been! However, the weather has been extremely bad for the last few weeks as well as today 🥹.

It was way too wet for a trike (or Harley) tour so we asked the passengers if they would be happy with the tour in a car. Because they had no other time in Sydney they said yes. They loved it! We worked out that heading south would not be the best route and the passengers didn’t actually mind where they went. They just wanted to see something unique. So our rider did the Beach Beauty tour plus a little extra. The passengers loved it!

Our driver/rider picked them up from Circular Quay.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Firstly, they rode over the 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. 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

Heading east, they rode past Kirribilli House. Kirribilli House is the secondary official residence of the Prime Minister of Australia. Further on is Admiralty House. It is the Sydney residence of the Governor-General and one of the most historic and important residences on Sydney Harbour. The house – originally called ‘Wotonga’ – was built in the mid 1800’s.

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. 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. Already, the Northern beaches car tour was showing the icons.

Balmoral Beach

Riding on, they rode past the lovely posh Balmoral Beach. Everyone who comes here loves it! Balmoral Beach is not so well known by visitors and tourists, but the stunning natural beauty of the beach and surrounds make it well worth a visit. The Beach Beauty trike ride was showing our passenger some beautiful and unique places and views!

Balmoral Burn

Amazingly, the Balmoral Burn is the next experience. Phil Kearns AM, came up with the idea of running up Mosman’s Awaba St as a way to raise funds. It was to say thank you to the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) after one of his sons received emergency care, for suspected meningococcal. It started 22 years ago and is now called The Balmoral Burn.

At its steepest the gradient is nearly 30%, and over its length it rises about 70 metres (230 ft). So far, $33.7 million has been raised! Wow!

The Spit

Then, it was through Spit, which is a suburb in its own right. It protrudes off Beauty Point and is home to the Spit Bridge, a bascule bridge opened in 1958 over Middle Harbour. The bridge opens at set times to allow yachts with high masts to pass. Crossing the Spit Bridge is fun, it has great views of Middle Harbour.

Seaforth

They headed to Seaforth lookout which faces towards the Spit. Seaforth was named after Loch Seaforth and Seaforth Island in Scotland. The land in this area was once owned by Henry Halloran, who subdivided it in 1906. The Seaforth library was built in 1887 and protected by heritage listing by Manly Council in 1995.

Manly

Of course, they had to ride past the famous 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.

Freshwater

Further north, Freshwater 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)

Curl Curl

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. The rider and passengers stopped for a stretch and refreshing drinks.

Dee Why

Further north, this 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. Already, the Beach Beauty trike ride has shown our passengers some beautiful beaches.

Collaroy

Following those 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

They rode further north to 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. Our Harley rider stopped for her to walk to the beach for a stretch and a look.

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. The Northern beaches car tour has shown some interesting sights.

Wakehurst Parkway

They did a big loop as this joins the Wakehurst Parkway. We love the Wakehurst Parkway because the legal speed is faster than most Sydney limits. Also, it is a haunted road!! Not that we have seen any ghosts during the day.

Mona Vale

Even further north, is Mona Vale. The main beach is 1 km long and very beautiful. The area was known as “Bongin Bongin” by the Aboriginals. The initial land grants in the district of Pittwater were not made until April 1813.

Newport

Continuing north, the 1.3 kilometres long beach at Newport has reddish golden sands and faces east. Love it! The Northern beaches car tour is still interesting and full of surprises! This photo was taken here.

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.

Whale Beach

Then they started heading south. Whale Beach is a 600 m long, and one of our favourites. Between Whale Beach and Palm Beach is the Palm Beach Bible Garden. It has spectacular views over Palm Beach (next beach).

“Home and Away” – Palm Beach – Summer Bay

Palm Beach is the home of the long running TV series “Home and Away”. Home and Away has been on our TV screens since 1988 and the famous Aussie soap is set in a fictional town called Summer Bay. Did you know most of it is filmed here? Palm Beach is a beautiful location for the show and if you’re lucky, you may even spot the show being filmed!

We cannot guarantee it but many of our passengers have seen it being filmed. The narrow peninsular is surrounded by water on three sides: Pittwater, the Pacific Ocean, and Broken Bay, making it perfect for surfing, swimming, sailing and lots more.

Today, the driver stopped at Palm Beach and they all looked for the cast and crew. They weren’t filming today so they stopped for a coffee instead.

Terrey Hills

Now it was time to head south. Terrey Hills is a very leafy suburb and in some areas semi-rural, 25 kms north of the Sydney CBD. The area was used by Indigenous people prior to European settlement, and rock carvings exist in some places. One set of carvings depicts hunting scenes with kangaroos, human figures and footprints.

Roseville Bridge

The Roseville Bridge is a pre-stressed concrete box girder road bridge. Davidson Park is underneath the Roseville Bridge and within Garigal National Park. The Garigal National Park is a protected national park. It is located within the North Shore and Forest District regions of Sydney. At 2,202-hectare (5,440-acre) in size, the national park is quite small but important. Moreover, it is situated just 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Sydney CBD.

However, the 4 hours was up so the rider took them back over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and dropped them off at Central Station. In conclusion, the Northern beaches car tour was a complete success, even in this inclement weather.

Check out the basics of the tour here.

We were contacted by Karen, the daughter of the Mum (Fran) who had passed. Fran did a Harley ride with us at the beginning of last year and loved it. She has always loved Harleys! Karen thought her Mum would love a Harley Davidson funeral procession. What a lovely send off.

Our Harley rider waited at the pickup place, in Smithfield (which was Fran’s home) for the procession to come past. He joined them on the way to the mass in Mt Pritchard. Then it was in the procession to the the cemetery in Leppington.

Smithfield

Smithfield is located 31 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD. Geologically, the suburb sits on the Cumberland Plain.

The area is full of fab history which we hadn’t realised until researching this. Aboriginal people from the Cabrogal tribe, a sub-group of the Gandangara tribe, have lived in the Fairfield area for over 30,000 years.

White settlement began in the area in the early 19th century. Smithfield was originally known as Chilsholm’s Bush. In 1803, homeless children were becoming a problem after convicts turned their children out into the streets. As a consequence, Governor Philip Gidley King, put aside a large area of 12,300 acres (50 km²) for a Male Orphan School. Thanks to Wikipedia for this info. For more info, check out the Wikipedia post.

Mt Pritchard

Mount Pritchard was originally home to the Cabrogal people who occupied much of the greater Fairfield area. In the early 19th century, the land was granted to a number of ex-convicts for farming. Later it was made part of the Male Orphan School Estate. In 1913, land west of Cabramatta Creek and Orange Grove Road previously owned by the Bull family was subdivided into smaller residential lots by a real estate property salesman named Hugh Pritchard, who named it the Cabramatta Park Estate.

From the early settler days the general area had been known unofficially as Mount Misery, originally because of a story of one of the early settlers and his family camping there whilst travelling, losing their bullocks, and for three weeks remaining in misery until starvation compelled them to beat a retreat, minus bullocks and dray.

Leppington

52 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, is the area now known as Leppington. It was originally home to the Darug people. It was named after a property called Leppington Park granted to William Cordeaux in 1821. Cordeaux used convict labour to build a two-storey mansion and to work in his fields. The house burnt down in the 1940s but some of the bricks from the house were re-used at Leppington Public School.

For more info on any of the suburbs above, check out Wikipedia. It’s actually very interesting. In conclusion, the Harley Davidson funeral procession was a memorable experience for the mourners. Mum Fran would have loved the idea.

Design your own ride

or just email trevor@trolltours.com.au and tell us what you would like to do. Or ring 0410 46 47 40.