The sisters Sydney trike tour was a success, “We had a great time”. One sister is from the UK, one is from Melbourne so Sydney is a central point to meet up. There is so much to do in Sydney which makes for a fun holiday. Our trike rider met them at their hotel and took them for a 2 hour tour around Sydney Harbour, the Eastern Suburbs and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the north side.

McMahons Point

Firstly, they rode under the south side and then over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to McMahons Point. The views over Blues Bay towards the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the CBD are just stunning. A perfect place for photos.

Jacaranda trees

Not far is McDougall Street, Kirribilli, one of the most beautiful streets in Sydney with canopies of jacaranda trees. For six or so weeks (usually from mid-October before a peak in mid-November) the streets become filled with beautiful purple flowers gently falling on the footpaths like purple rain… it’s just stunning (ellaslist). Where this photo was taken.

The funny think about tourists of a certain nationality, is they jump out into the middle of the road. Not to take photos of the jacarandas but of the trike 😂 :-).

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.

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. So far, the Christmas present motorcycle tour was fun and informative.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Then it was 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.

The SHB 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 construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.

Opera House

This led to the Sydney Opera House. We can’t get very close but we know some good angles which give some great scenic views. Even as “forever Sydneyites” we never get tired of looking at the Opera House. Along Macquarie Street which is famous for being home to the medical specialists. Past the gorgeous Government House which is the heritage-listed vice-regal residence of the governor of NSW.

St Mary’s Cathedral

Further up Macquarie St, is St Mary’s Cathedral. It 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. So far, the Sisters Sydney trike tour has showed them so many beautiful parts of Sydney.

Mrs Macquarie’s Point

They turned off to visit Mrs Macquarie’s Point, home of Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. From here there is a gorgeous view looking towards the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Mrs Macquarie’s Point is a peninsula which was named in 1810 after Elizabeth, Governor Macquarie’s wife. She ordered a seat to be chiselled into the rock from which she could view the harbour. Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, as it’s known, is still there today. It’s in the Domain but is effectively an extension of the Botanic Gardens. It also leads past the Art Gallery of NSW, a most magnificent building.

Woolloomooloo and Kings Cross

Next, they rode through the inner eastern suburb of Woolloomoolloo and past 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. Then it was up the hill and through Kings Cross. 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

After there, they headed east through the posh suburbs of the eastern suburbs of Sydney, including the Bays: Rushcutters Bay and Double Bay. At Woollahra they turned and headed south to Centennial Park.

Centennial Park

Riding around Centennial Park is actually a lovely thing to do. It’s quiet and peaceful, a break form the city noise. They rode about 5/8 of a circuit before coming out onto Oxford Street. It’s 189 hectares so rather a large space.

It was 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 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.

Barangaroo

Further west, they rode past the comparatively new development of Barangaroo where the Crown Casino is. A spectacular transformation from a disused container terminal on the edge of Sydney’s CBD into a spectacular 22-hectare waterfront precinct. This leads into the Rocks which is the birthplace of modern Sydney.

Harbour Bridge Southern Side

Hickson Road was next, and under the southern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, what a wonderful view!

The Rocks

The most historic place in Australia, the Rocks 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.

However, the 2 hours was almost up so Fred dropped them back at their hotel. In conclusion, the Sisters Sydney trike tour was a fun and memorable experience. Feel the Freedom! Check out our Tours and Prices!

Kate organised the Dads surprise trike tour and it was a big surprise and a huge success. He is up from Melbourne to visit Kate so she this would be a fun experience for them both to enjoy.

Review

Hi Katrina, 

Yes we had a great time, Fred was excellent.

Many thanks 
Kate

Waverley

Our trike rider picked them up from Kate’s home in the suburb of Waverley. It is the highest point of altitude in Sydney’s suburbs and the Waverley Municipality was proclaimed in June 1859.

Also called South Head General Cemetery, Waverley Cemetery was established in 1877. It is one of Australia’s most notable cemeteries due to its cliff-side location. The cemetery features the graves of several notable Australians including poet Henry Kendall and aviator Lawrence Hargrave. If you have time, it’s definitely a cemetery worth exploring.

Clovelly Beach

Further north, 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.

Bronte + Tamarama

Riding further east they arrived at Bronte. 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.

Just north of Bronte is the suburb of Tamarama. It 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).

Bondi Beach

Next, they drove past the world famous Bondi Beach, the south side is closed for the moment, due to Sculptures by the Sea. 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) 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. 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.

So far, the Dads surprise trike tour was fun, informative and scenic.

Watsons Bay and The Gap

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

Gap Park is located on a coastal escarpment on Sydney Harbour’s South Head. It has spectacular views of both the harbour and the ocean. A weather worn memorial to an officer killed in the Boer War, the one in the photo, is at the entrance to Gap Park.

Vaucluse

Down the hill, they headed north through the posh eastern suburb of Vaucluse. The first European activity in the area took place not long after settlement, when a makeshift signalling station was set up on the ridge overlooking the ocean. Its role was to signal the colony if a ship was approaching. Pilots based at Camp Cove, Watsons Bay, could then meet the ship and guide it through the harbour. A formal signal station was established in 1790, serviced by a bridle trail that later became Old South Head Road in 1811.

However, the 1.5 hours was almost up so Fred rode south through the eastern suburbs and back to Waverley and home. In conclusion, the Dads surprise trike tour was a fabulous experience. For some ideas check our Tours and Prices page.

The Blue Mountains full day trike tour was a fabulous way to see some interesting parts of Western Sydney. Over the 7 hours, the rider showed them many beautiful views and interesting places.

The rider picked them up after they had finished the Bridge Climb.

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 construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver 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. It’s where this photo was taken.

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.

Bells Line of Road

After that, they rode west on the motorway and joined up with the Bells Line of Road, approx 64km north west of Sydney. The Bells Line of Road was originally known as Bells Line, after a local pastoralist, Archibald Bell Jr, who was shown the route by Dharug men in 1823.

Bells Line of Road is a 59 km major road which provides an alternative crossing of the Blue Mountains to the Great Western Highway. It’s well known by Sydneyites, especially bikers who love the bends. It starts at Richmond Bridge.

Richmond

While they didn’t stop here, there is so much history in this area, both from the Aboriginals and Caucasians. The area was originally explored by British settlers in 1789. Interestingly, during WWII the RAAF operated a top secret operations bunker from somewhere in Richmond. It was either half or completely underground. The location of this bunker is unknown.

Kurrajong

Kurrajong, the Aboriginal name for ‘shade tree’, which grew in abundance in the town, was settled around 1790. In earlier times the seeds of the trees were roasted as a coffee substitute. Prior to 1823, attempts to cross the Blue Mountains had been unsuccessful until Archibald Bell followed some Aboriginal women who had been kidnapped by the Springwood tribe.

Bilpin

There are probably more orchards here than people – Bilpin is all about apples. The rider stopped at a Cidery and bought pizza for lunch for the passengers. Food to a certain value is included on rides of 5 hours or longer. Bilpin is 623 m above sea level so there are some beautiful views here. So far, on the Blue Mountains full day trike tour they have already seen and experienced so much.

Mount Tomah

Further along the Bells Line of Road, Mount Tomah is only a small township (pop 76), yet the town hosts one of the Blue Mountains’ major tourist attractions. ‘The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah’, subtitled the cool climate garden of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Featuring over 5000 species of cool climate plants set on 28 hectares of land, it’s well known in Sydney but we definitely didn’t have time to stop here.

Bell

Although widely known because of its key location at the meeting point of Bells Line of Road and the Darling Causeway which connects with Mount Victoria and the Great Western Highway, Bell is really nothing more than a small village with a few services and a major truck checking point.

Darling Causeway

From Bell, the rider turned left (south) and rode along the 9 km Darling Causeway, leaving the Bell Range behind and heading towards Mount Victoria and the Blue Mountains Range. 2 km of the Darling Causeway has a steeper in incline/grade than 5%.

Mount Victoria

The westernmost village in the Blue Mountains, Mount Victoria is brimming with historic charm and natural attractions. Originally a stockade for convict chain-gangs, and later an important staging post for Cobb & Co coaches, the town became known as Mount Victoria in the 1860s when the railway came to town.

Evans lookout

They stopped at Evans lookout for a stretch and a look at the breathtaking views towards Grose Valley.

Hydro Majestic

Next stop was the amazing Hydro Majestic, which has incredible architecture. Perhaps as early as 1901, Mark Foy, dashing retail baron, world traveller and sportsman, sold off shares in Mark Foy’s Department Stores to finance what was to become Australia’s first health retreat. Check out their website for more interesting history.

Most of the construction of the Hydro Majestic took place in 1903. It’s been refurbished and in parts, rebuilt over the years. It’s definitely worth a visit. The wonderful views are across the Megalong Valley.

Katoomba

The rock formation known as the Three Sisters, viewable from Echo Point about 2 km south of the main town, attracts four million visitors each year. Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains, its name is a derivative of the Aboriginal word ‘Kedumba’ meaning ‘shiny, falling waters’ after the natural beauty of the area.

The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters is essentially an unusual rock formation representing three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone. They are stunning and it’s an easy walk to them.

Leura Village

Finally, they rode into the garden village of Leura, showing the autumn trees with the leaves turning reds & yellows. What a great time of year to see this. Leura is arguably the prettiest village in the Blue Mountains. It’s has character-filled heritage homes, glorious cool climate gardens and a National Trust-classified town centre lined with cherry trees that sends Instagrammers into a frenzy during blossom season.

However, it was time to head back to Sydney via the Great Western Highway. All in all, it was a great, relaxing day out for both rider and passengers. In conclusion, the Blue Mountains full day trike tour was a fun and memorable experience. Feel the Freedom!

The Sydney trike holiday experience was organised by Ashleigh for the two couples. Herself and husband and friends. From the UK, they are in Oz for the “holiday of a lifetime” and we know it will be. Even before we had a chance to email the follow up with photos, she emailed us: “We had a great time on the trikes and it’s an excellent way to see the city x “. Thanks Ashleigh, we appreciate any comments / feedback. See a rough itinerary here.

Our 2 trikes picked the passengers up from their hotel in the Sydney CBD.

Woolloomooloo and Kings Cross

Firstly, they rode through the inner eastern suburb of Woolloomoolloo and past 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. Then it was up the hill and through Kings Cross. 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

After there, they headed east 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

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

North Bondi and Brighton Lookout

Then they headed back south to the famous Bondi Beach. There are a couple of lookouts at the North Bondi headland. They all offer beautiful views of Bondi Beach and out to the Tasman Sea, part of the South Pacific Ocean. Fred stopped there for a few photos and so they could admire the view. So far, on the Sydney trike holiday experience they have seen some great views and scenic sights.

Bondi Beach

Next, they drove past the world famous Bondi Beach to the south side. Looking from the two ends of the beach give a different perspective. 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) 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. 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 + Bronte

Riding further south, 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. Time was almost up, so they headed north west and past Queens Park.

Queens Park

Queens Park is a 26-hectare urban park, set in a natural amphitheatre at the foot of dramatic sandstone cliffs, with panoramic views of the Sydney region. It’s right next to the famous Centennial Park so they rode through it.

Centennial Park

They rode around the edge of the huge Centennial Park 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.”

St Mary’s Cathedral

Finally, it was back 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.

However, the 1.5 hours was almost up so our two trike riders dropped them back at their hotel. In conclusion, the Sydney trike holiday experience was a fun and memorable experience. A fabulous thing to do in Sydney!! Feel the Freedom!