Family holiday in Sydney – Bernard, Jane + Fabio 01.01.24
The family holiday in Sydney is a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience. From Switzerland, the passengers did their research on what they wanted to see. Bernard had the route mapped out so our trike rider took them to see the places on their list. Our trike rider picked them up from their hotel, took them to see the sights and dropped them off at the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Firstly, they rode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. #1 bridge if going in an anti-clockwise loop. 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, which is where the top 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.
Woolloomooloo, Harry’s and Garden Island
Then, it was back over the Harbour Bridge and into the inner eastern suburb of Woolloomoolloo. 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, through the posh suburbs of the eastern suburbs of Sydney, including the Bays: Rose Bay, Double Bay and Rushcutters Bay. Already, the family holiday in Sydney trike tour has shown our passenger so much of the interesting areas of Sydney.
Bondi Beach
Next, 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. 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.
This is where the bottom photo was taken. There was a real life rescue happening while they were there.
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.
Queens Park
They headed west, past Queens Park which 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 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.”
However, the 2 hours was almost up so Fred rode them through the city and dropped them off at the Botanic Gardens. The gardens are Australia’s oldest scientific institution (1816) for botany and horticulture. Our passengers wanted to walk around the Botanic Gardens which we agree with – it has beautiful views of Sydney Harbour and lots of interesting plant displays.
In conclusion, the family holiday in Sydney, including the trike tour, is a real success – memorable and fun!