surprise 50th birthday ride – Stephen 08.08.24

The surprise 50th birthday ride on the Harley Davidson, was “an amazing experience”. That’s what the organiser wrote after the tour. Our rider picked Stephen up from a cafe where they had eaten breakfast.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Firstly, they rode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We always tell our passengers to look up and enjoy the unique view. he 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

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.

Blues Point Reserve

Continuing on, they rode on through Milsons Point, did a left hand turn and rode up a few streets. This lead to Blues Point Reserve. The views over Blues Bay towards the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the CBD are just stunning. All the more stunning because of the lovely weather. Another perfect place for photos.

They continued riding on through North Sydney and Crows Nest before joining River Road. It is a fun road to ride on. River Road leads to Burns Bay Road which, in turn, leads to another bridge but not one of the main three. So far, the surprise 50th birthday ride on the Harley Davidson was already so much fun.

Fig Tree Bridge, Tarban Creek Bridge, Gladesville Bridge

The first bridge is an old but smallish bridge – the Fig Tree Bridge. It opened in 1963 and spans the Lane Cove River. After that bridge, they continued on and crossed the second of the bridges Tarban Creek Bridge. This spans Tarban Creek, likewise, it has nice views east to the Harbour Bridge. Then they got to bridge #2 of the main 3 Bridges, the Gladesville Bridge. It has wonderful views along Parramatta River towards the Harbour Bridge and the city.

Gladesville Bridge is a heritage-listed concrete arch road bridge that carries Victoria Road over the Parramatta River, from the western suburbs to the city (or vice versa). It was the first 305-metre (1,000 ft) span concrete bridge in the world and had a substantial number of engineering and technical elements that made it a world-leading bridge design and construction achievement. It was also the first bridge, if not one of the first bridges, to utilise computer programming in its construction.

This bridge is on the main arterial thoroughfare of Victoria Road – from the western suburbs to the city (or vice versa).

Bay Run

Then, they did a detour off the main arterial road through the inner west suburbs of Rozelle, Lilyfield, Haberfield, Five Dock and Drummoyne. They followed part of the Bay Run. It is a 7km long (4.3 mi) shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians that encircles much of Iron Cove. It never deviates more than 20m from the water so the views are pretty nice. It’s where this photo was taken.

ANZAC Bridge

Riding over our favourite bridge, the ANZAC Bridge, is an experience. We think it is incredible, a work of art and design. It is main bridge #3. Similarly, it is also great to see without a roof over your head inhibiting the view.

Most noteworthy, the stay cable design concept development and final design for the new bridge were carried out by the Roads & Traffic Authority of NSW. Finally, the bridge was opened to traffic on 03 December 1995 as the Glebe Island Bridge.

The bridge was given its current name on Remembrance Day in 1998 to honour the memory of the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (known as ANZACs) who served in World War I.

However, the 1 hour was up so our Harley Davidson rider dropped Stephen at Luna Park. There they were going to continue the birthday celebrations! In conclusion, the surprise 50th birthday ride on the Harley Davidson was a big success – and so much fun! He saw so much that the average traveller to Sydney doesn’t and had so much fun at the same time.

Feel the Freedom! Check the tour out here! It’s our second most popular tour, the Eastern Panorama is our #1.