John shares Joan's Bucket List ride.

Steve from Just Cruisin' www.justcruisintours.com.au contacted me to see if I could do a 2 hour ride from Caringbah. The original plan was to head south to Kiama through the Royal National Park up onto the Old Princes Highway and work our way to Kiama with a freeway run home.
This was not to be, as a new request had been made for a 'Beaches Run'. The problem with a 'Beaches Run' for me is, it ends up a real estate viewing as I battle my way through the Rabbit Warren like roads of the Sydney Eastern Suburbs but the customer knows best and so it was off to hopefully not get lost on tour.

As John was sharing Joan's Bucket List and the both could not fit on the one Harley, Steve had enlisted the services of Alan and so I got to met Alan at the pick up point.

I am not one to share a secret BUT Joan's family had bought her this trip for her noughty birthday and as mention it was a Bucket List item, the next is to depart from a fully operational aircraft and fall to earth at 9.8 metres per second and along the way decelerate to be gently delivered to earth by a parachute. Having worked for airlines, I have never understood this activity.

When Alan and I pulled in front of Joan and John's garage, all the neighbours were out with cameras to capture the event or was it they were worried we were kidnapping Joan and John for ransom and needed photos of us to give the police. Alan and I were a little early but Joan and John were soon ready to be geared up with helmets, jackets and gloves. Joan had even packed water in case they needed it when we stopped along the journey.

Whilst we geared up, John advised he had lived in Clovelly and Kirribilly which was good news as we would be travelling through both but if I got lost, he would know straight away. That event would be something for the trip to reveal.

The Harleys' engines thundered to life and we were underway, I was leading with Joan riding pillion. Our first beach was Cronulla and we travelled north past North Cronulla and on towards Wanda Beach. We then journeyed to Taren Point to cross Captain Cook Bridge, along the shore line of Botany Bay and our first stop at La Perouse. Joan and John had been here many times before when they had bought their boat here. John told us of the hazardous Bombora (Bombora is an indigenous Australian term for an area of large sea waves breaking over a shallow area) just to the seaside of Bare Island and how pleasure craft are lost to it.

La Perouse with Bare Island in the Background and Kurnell beyond.

Joan is ready to take control

"Come on John, jump on the back and we'll leave the boys behind."

John decides it's safer standing next to the bike.

Having stretched our legs, it's time to stretch the Harleys' conrods and so back astride the motorcycles and my to my hazard awaits, the Rabbit Warrens of the Eastern Suburbs. We travelled pass Maroubra Beach with Coogee next, Clovelly an easy find and then it all went wrong as I then lose Bronte and then Tamarama Beaches, even with its well painted surf club. Unfazed I found the way Bondi Beach and we travelled pass the Pavillion on the beach side and headed north for Watson's Bay.

No time to stop and we headed for Rose Bay, Double Bay to our next stop, Mrs Macqaurie's Chair.
The Sydney Opera Company will be performing Aida in Farm Cove during March and April 2015 https://opera.org.au/whatson/events/aida-sydney I am looking forward  to seeing this.

During our stop, John informed of where I missed to turn to Bronte and Tamarama but it was not a problem just something to remember next time.

The people behind the visors, John and Joan.

Alan tries to stay out of the shot.

"Come on Alan, join in."

The picture had to be taken.

Time waits for no man or woman and so Joan and John remounted for our the last viewing point across the Sydney Harbour Bridge at Blues Point. We did not have time to stop but we did have time to go down pass Kirribilli wharf and under the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the fabulous view back across the harbour to Sydney Cove.

We then climbed the hill in front of Luna Park and headed back for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the tunnels of the Eastern Distributor as opposed tot he Rabbit Warrens further to our east. Back along the shoreline of Botany Bay and returned to the Sutherland Shire to Joan and John's home.

When we arrived, the neighbours were not to be seen, maybe they were having an afternoon nap.

Joan was so happy she gave Alan and I a hug in appreciation.

Alan and I packed the Harleys and rode off into the West.

And so Joan got to Ride with DBR for her Bucket List.