Sunday 21st October – Over the bridge from far away.

Sunday 21^st  October 

The Aussies love threatening and H & S signs. These at the start of the cycle way across the bridge.

My bike on the cycleway up to and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge

I'm over the bridge and approaching strangers to take my photo. I wouldn't have composed the picture like that with the bridge directly over my head but you can't see what they are doing!

My bike with a personal trainer session going on in the background just like the movies.

Having pushed my way through the Invictus Games cycle event to get to the spot this is me and the bile with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge behind and the sailing event between us.

At last a lady photographer with a sense of composition and who told me where to stand.

After a while wandering the streets I find a sign to Bondi Beach.

After my garbage truck escort breaks off I get a photo looking down onto the famous beach.

Me arriving to meet a relieved Mandy who has been parked up for 90 minutes of a two hour slot!

The Pacific Ocean is a little too enthusiastic to wet my wheels to mark the end of the journey. 

My feet got hit too.

And now from the other side.

A Wheeler on Bondi Beach. 

The name is on a wall just above my thumb.

Just one more shot for the album?

No wait I forgot the lift the bike above the head shot.

and maybe a close up to see the Wheelers' jersey.

Oddly the water did not drip on my head.

Now to cover up the lycra and re-enter polite society.

The last day starts very early when the recently repaired front tyre bursts noisily in the middle of the night waking us both up! I leap into action and turn over to go back to sleep to face the problem in the morning! When I take the tube out the cause is simple. The patch of previous a puncture has come unstuck. I put a new tube in and pack a couple of extras in case, as I shall do today’s ride out of reach of the support car. Due to the traffic in Sydney, Mandy is going direct to Bondi Beach for when I arrive, assuming I do.

It is grimly overcast and with a cold headwind when I start so rather like many of the other days really. A bit of a twist though, even on an earlyish Sunday morning the traffic is really busy too. I have a route planned with distances and turns listed on a piece of card as I have no satnav. I reckon I can use Google maps on the phone but it does not work. Luckily it all works out as the signs are not that helpful with all emphasis pushing traffic onto motorways and a tunnel. No mention of the bridge until I can see it.

It is about 60 km to the bridge and the traffic is stop start at almost every traffic lights. It is bad on a bike but even worse in a car. The traffic noise is awful and must be heard inside the houses along the way. Why anyone would ride a bike for pleasure in Sydney, I have no idea. It is quite hilly, the roads are potholed and there are cars parked across the shoulder where there is one. I just grit my teeth one more time and try not to think about the traffic behind me that has to dodge the old Galah on his bike. Cycling here is not for the feint hearted. There were some other cyclists out, presumably on their way to their psychiatrists.

I find my way to the bridge on the Pacific Highway which is nowhere as idyllic as it sounds. It is like cycling on the A4 in London. I only see the bridge as I’m almost upon it. The cycle track is luckily on the same side of the bridge as me. There are anti jumper fences on the bridge. Probably wise as by the time I got there I felt like jumping to end it all.

As I cross the bridge, the famous ferries pass underneath and a De Havilland Beaver seaplane comes towards me. It is getting closer and blimey that was very close, I hope he had permission to do that.

Over the bridge I stop and get some photos taken. Some selfies and some taken by bewildered tourists I’d roped in to help. There is a little bit of sun but still cool.

Next problem is that I don’t really have a plan how to get to Bondi and the roads in the central business district have lots of one way streets and no through roads. The whole town seems populated by groups of people standing waiting for the red man to change to green. Apart from the drivers of cars waiting for their lights to change also. A blacked ot executive minibus comes by with a large motorcycle outrider force. I think it was Prince Harry heading for the Invictus Games which I did not realise were taking place where I wanted to take my pictures of the Opera House. I find myself near there by chance so give it a go. The place is full of spectators watching the cycle racing on the headland and the sailing taking place in the harbor in front of the Opera House. I do get through to my spot with the help of a soldier who escorted me through. More helpful stand in photographers roped in and I’m off again looking for a sign for Bondi which I eventually find. Sun is out now but I run into Bondi Beach behind a smelly garbage truck and only see the beach at the last minute as it pulls over. The beach is quite small and there are not many people on it. So where are all the people from the cars going? It is bedlam here too with people trying to park. Mandy had to drive around for 45 minutes till she found a place. She had 2 hours to use but I was so long it was a bit of a rush to get pictures of me on the beach dipping the wheels in the Pacific as the formal end to the journey before hurry back to the car. After that we escape to the relative calm of a large park with many cyclists cycling round and round. To do a bit of bird watching I change out of or cover up the lycra and it as if the journey had never happened. I’m not overly sad that I won’t be back on the bike tomorrow. The first French running man I met was due to finish today in Perth. I bet he’s glad to stop, too.

75.04 km today in 3 hours 46 minutes – an average of 19.9 kph. With a max of 60.3 that I don’t recall. Total 4205.22 km / 2628.26. That’s it, all done .