'This could be the very minute I'm aware I'm alive...'

If it's one thing I love, it has to be spontaneity! And what could be more spontaneous than deciding to go bike riding with a friend at 1am in the morning after Carols last Saturday night!

Maybe it was the caffeine... maybe it was because I was still glowing after an awesome Carols event... maybe it was because I thought 'what the heck, why not?!'

So off we went, stopping by the Mobil first to pump some air in our tyres. I was a bit wobbly still, having not ridden a bike since I can't really remember when. The air pump hose wasn't attached to the pump so we had to ask the kwik-e-mart guy for the hose. At first he refused, perhaps thinking what? That we were gonna run off with his hose??! Eventually some pleading and begging melted his resolve and soon we were on our way with pumped up tyres!

It was a nice ride under a full moon in warm weather and a cool breeze streaming in our faces. We reached the Centennial Park gates to find the main gates locked but we were able to slip in through the pedestrian gates. Don't know why, but it kinda felt like we weren't supposed to be in there. I mean, who goes bike riding at 1am in the morning in Centennial park?!

Without street lights and with the trees obscuring the moonlight, we had to rely on our makeshift bike headlamp - a camping style headlight strapped to the front of my bike - to guide us.

Then it was without warning that my friend suddenly said "Look! Lights! Ranger's coming! Let's get off the road!" Sure enough a jeep was approaching with flashing siren lights. So we kinda tried to go stealth, switching off our lights and heading over to the pedestrian walkway and the cover of some trees.

It was too late.

We were spotted!

The ranger called us over and we thought we had had it! We were gonna get kicked out of the park. Or maybe even fined!

Actually, the ranger was really nice and just wanted to make sure we were ok. He had spotted a group of 4 youths lingering around near one of the gates and just wanted to warn us to stay away from them.

Somewhat relieved but slightly alarmed as well, we thanked him and headed on our way.

We cycled uphill towards the Woollahra gates and turned right to follow a road towards where they have the moonlight cinema. Then we enjoyed a long downhill run back down to the main circuit! Ah...hadn't done that in a while! And certainly not at what was now 2am in the morning!!!

What can I say...it felt good to be alive! So good, I was ready to do it all over again the very next night... =P