The Gong Ride

Today was the annual Sydney to Wollongong bike ride. It is the major fundraiser for MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Australia. The ride has been restricted by the police to 10,000 riders. The ride has already raised $3 million this year. The target is $4.5 million.

The ride starts at Sydney Park (St Peters) and travels down the highway to link up and head along the shores of Botany Bay where it enters The Shire over Captain Cook Bridge. (The Shire is seen as a foreign country by some Sydneysiders.) Loftus Oval then provides a place for the muffin break.
After the break we ride up to Waterfall where we enter the Royal National Park and travel to Stanwell Tops. This is my favourite part of the ride, the sounds of the birds and the smell of the bush is magic. The hills also make life interesting.

Heading down the steep hill at Stanwell Tops we the travel along the coast, passed the many beaches, to the Gong. During this section we traverse the new Sea Cliff bridge where I took this photo.

I really enjoy the Gong ride - today was my 21st. It was quite hot towards the finish but we had some assistance from the wind. If you can ride a bike then you should at least do the ride twice. The first year can be a little confronting but the second is for your enjoyment!