repeat passengers trike tour – Carter, Heather + Kayla 11.09.26

The repeat passengers trike tour in Sydney, was “organised” by Carter. He and his grandmother Heather, did one with us in 2023. He loved it so much that when they came back to Sydney, he wanted to take his mum on a trike ride. We asked Heather (who organised it) if she wanted to come along as well (free of charge). She sure did 🙂

We picked them up in the suburb of Pyrmont.

Pyrmont

The name of the area in the indigenous Dharug language is Pirrama. Pyrmont contained a mineral spring of cold water bubbling out of a rock and was thus named for a similar natural spring in Bad Pyrmont, close to Hanover, Germany. Thomas Jones was granted 55 acres (22 ha) of land on the peninsula in 1795. Land was sold to Obadiah Ikin in 1796 for 10 pounds, which he then sold to Captain John Macarthur in 1799 for a gallon of rum. Even though Australia is a young country in terms of European settlement, it still has an interesting history.

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.

McMahons Point / Blues Point Reserve

Secondly, they rode on through Milsons Point, did a left hand turn and rode up a few streets. This leads to Blues Point Reserve. The views over Blues Bay towards the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the CBD are just stunning. Already, the the repeat passengers trike tour in Sydney, has shown our passengers some major Sydney icons.

Kirribilli

Secondly, to the east, the rider took them through the back streets and into Kirribilli, to the Prime Minister‘s residence and Admiralty House. Kirribilli House is the secondary official residence of the Prime Minister of Australia.

Next door 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. Someone must have been in residence as there were more Federal Police than normal.

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 and Harbour Bridge!

The Kirribilli Loop – Harbour Bridge north side

From there, 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. Then it was back across the SHB.

Kings Cross

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).

Coca-Cola billboard

Further east – 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.

Rushcutters Bay

Next is Rushcutters Bay. After British settlement, the area was first known as ‘Rush Cutting Bay’ because the swampy land was covered in tall rushes used by early settlers for thatching houses. In 1878, 2 hectares (6 acres) were reserved for recreation; and, after reclamation work was completed, Rushcutters Bay Park was created. The repeat passengers trike tour in Sydney is fun and interesting as well!

Rose Bay

Further east, they rode through Rose Bay. It is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, located seven km east of the CBD.

The name Rose Bay was used as early as 1788 by Captain John Hunter. HMAS Tingira, named after an Aboriginal word for ‘open sea’ was moored in Rose Bay from 1912 to 1927. It was used to train over 3,000 Australian sailors, many for service in World War I. There is a small park on the Rose Bay waterfront which commemorates Tingira.

Double Bay

The suburb of Double Bay is a harbourside eastern suburb 4 km east of Sydney CBD.

It takes its name from the bay of Sydney Harbour and refers to the two geographical formations between Point Piper and Darling Point, which are interrupted by a miniature point in between. It has some of the most expensive real-estate in Australia and is colloquially often referred to as “Double Pay”, a term coined due to the high income of people living there, and the nature of the shopping area which features high-end fashion labels.

Vaucluse

Up 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.

Bondi Beach

Next, they rode south to the world famous Bondi Beach. 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. 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 to the southern end of Bondi Beach. It’s where this photo was taken.

Bronte + Tamarama Beaches

Riding on, along more beautiful, though possibly less well known, beaches. 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.

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).

Clovelly Beach

Further south, 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. The repeat passengers trike tour in Sydney has yet again, been fun and memorable.

Coogee Bay Hotel

Of course, no visit to Coogee is a success unless you ride past the Coogee Bay Hotel. For 150 years, Coogee Bay Hotel has hugged the stunning coastline of Coogee Beach. There’s always been a playground in these heritage buildings. Coogee Bay Hotel was a school in the 1860s, before conversion to a hotel in 1873. Now it is a local favourite which brings visitors and locals together (from their website).

Coogee Beach

Heading south, they rode past Coogee Beach. It’s name is taken from a local Aboriginal word koojah which means “smelly place” owing to the amount of seaweed that can collect on the beach. But daily beach cleaning by Randwick City Council staff keeps the beach in pristine condition year-round.

Centennial Park

There was time for an interesting ride through 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.”

The remarkable eels of Sydney’s Centennial Park is worth some research. We can’t guarantee you will see any, but you will still know they are there.

However, the 2 hours was almost up, so the trike rider rode to the drop off point and dropped them off. In conclusion, the repeat passengers trike tour in Sydney, was a fun and memorable experience to do. It shows a lot more of the city in a shorter time frame – in a unique way.

Feel the Freedom!

Check out a description of the tour here. Don’t forget every tour is unique so may not be exactly as stated but you will always see the icons mentioned.

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