Interstate passengers Sydney tour – Garry + Ingrid 15.12.25

The interstate passengers Sydney tour was organised by our Queenslanders. The tour was originally organised for last Friday, however the rain was horrendous. So we changed it to today. Our trike rider picked them up from their hotel.

Opera House

Then they rode to 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 down 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.

Mitchell Library

Then they did a loop and went across Macquarie St, and past the Mitchell Library. The Australian Subscription Library, established in 1826, was renamed as the Australian Library and Literary Institution in 1853. In 1869 the NSW Government purchased the collection and building to form the Sydney Free Public Library, the first truly public library for the people of NSW. Free Public Library was renamed in 1895 as the Public Library of NSW. In 1907 David Scott Mitchell bequeathed his collection to the NSW government and the Mitchell Library, built to hold the extensive collection, opened in 1910.

1975 saw the Library renamed as the State Library of NSW. We all still call it the Mitchell Library! The State Parliament of NSW had its flags at half mast.

St Mary’s Cathedral

Along William St 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 Girlfriend’s Sydney trike tour experience to show our passengers major sights and have some fun as well!

Art Gallery of NSW

Further on they turned left, along Mrs Macquaries Road. The Art Gallery of NSW has beautiful historic sandstone buildings which were built between 1896 and 1909. The Art Gallery of New South Wales began without a collection and without a building on 24 April 1871 when a group of 30 art-loving citizens established a society to support artists and promote knowledge and enjoyment of art in the wider community. In 1874 they secured government support for their project and by 1880 they had their own dedicated building, the first of its kind in Australia.

Domain

Also, this road goes through the Domain. The Domain is a heritage-listed 34-hectare (84-acre) area of open space located on the eastern fringe of the Sydney CBD. Showing a great part of Sydney to the interstate passengers Sydney tour on a trike.

Mrs Macquaries Chair / Point

This leads to Mrs Macquarie’s Point. This peninsula was named in 1810 after Elizabeth, Governor Macquarie’s wife, who ordered a seat to be chiselled into the rock from which she could view the harbour. Mrs Macquaries Chair, as it’s known, is still there today. It’s in the Domain but is effectively an extension of the Botanic Gardens. They had a quick stop here to check it out and take photos.

Woolloomooloo, Harry’s and Garden Island

Further on, 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).

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 2016, and uses a lot less power. It is the single largest controllable LED sign in the Southern Hemisphere and can change colour. A fab interstate passengers Sydney tour on a trike – so far!

Moore Park

Next, they rode past Moore Park which is home to Sydney (Alliance) Stadium. It’s where Rugby is played. This entertainment, dining and leisure hub spans 115 hectares and includes the serene Centennial Park, all only a stone’s throw from the city centre. From watching a major sporting match and browsing farmers’ markets to going horse riding, playing golf and enjoying a range of fun indoors activities, including wine tasting.

Centennial Park

They also rode through the huge Centennial Park, which is a lovely experience. 120 fields and venues, and 35+ different sports 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.”

Clovelly Beach

Further east, on the coast is Clovelly Beach. It is a small beach that sits on the end of the narrow bay. The bay is home to one of the first surf lifesaving clubs in the world, Clovelly Surf Life Saving Club, which was founded in 1906.

Tamarama + Bronte

Riding north, along more beautiful, though possibly less well known, beaches. The suburb of Tamarama has a small ocean beach about 1 kilometre south of Bondi Beach and a couple of hundred metres north of Bronte Beach. It is an extremely narrow beach and deceptive for its size. Tamarama Beach is often referred to as Glamarama (or Glamourama), owing to the alleged abundance of glamorous people who sunbathe (often topless), on what must be one of the smallest strips of sand in the state (Wikipedia).

Bronte Beach sits on Nelson Bay, surrounded by Bronte Park. Bronte offers scenic cliff-top walking paths south to Coogee via the Waverley Cemetery and north to Tamarama and Bondi Beach.

Bondi Beach

Usually we stop at south or middle Bondi Beach. However, because of the horrendous event of last night, the roads were closed.

North Bondi and Ben Buckler Point Lookout

So, the rider and passengers headed to a lookout at the North Bondi headland. There are beautiful views of Bondi Beach and out to the Tasman Sea, part of the South Pacific Ocean. The rider stopped here for a few photos and so they could admire the view. Out of respect, they didn’t take photos of the beach but wanted to stop nearby to show solidarity and have silence for minute. It’s where this photo was taken.

Oxford Street

There was enough time to ride down the famous Oxford Street. The western section of Oxford Street, which runs through the suburb of 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, the 1.5 hours was up so our trike rider dropped them back at their hotel. In conclusion, the interstate passengers Sydney tour exploration on a trike, 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.