A Bike Ride

Today's activity consisted of a bicycle ride to the summit of North Head, the promintory that guards the opening of Port Jackson and the Sydney Harbor. Armed with special discount coupons kindly provided by Ronald and Jane, Benjamin, Fred and I hied ourselves to the Manly Cycle shop where we rented three rather sophisticated multispeed contraptions for an exploration of areas far beyond our ability to walk. We set out first down the strand that runs along the beach and stopped at the apartment so Ben could get his sunglasses. Then it was off on a grueling hill climb, made by sticking to the sidewalks to avoid the insane traffic here. The fellow who rented the bikes told us about the route, pointing out that our proposed route would pass the hospital "in case we needed it." His prediction proved accurate, because it was the terrible climb played havoc with my lungs and Fred's legs. (Benjamin's legs and lungs are in great shape, so he obligingly waited for us periodically as we struggled along. Once at the top, we passed through the Artillery Fort, which was actually a training barracks that has since turned into a museum. Then it was on through a bizarre scrub forest to attempt to find the overlook. Some of the paths were blocked by swamp conditions that had closed the way for pedestrians. We did, however, find an old abandoned bunker that had served as an observation post duing World War II and had an exellent view of the opening of Port Jackson. We saw ships out on the horizon and enjoyed a breath of air before we turned out machines downhill. That part of the trip was a real pleasure. Once we arrived back at the apartment, Fred traded off with Jayne and together we proceeded up the beach along some really nice bike trails that run along the Manly Lagoon.