Prime Minister Tony Abbot made an unscheduled stop for coffee in Rylstone on Saturday morning during the annual Pollie Pedal. Although he wasn’t expected to join this year’s ride, he made a late decision to get on board from the Mudgee leg through to Penrith after arriving back in Australia from overseas.
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He said this was the first time he hadn’t done the whole ride in 16 years.
By the time the riders had pedalled their way to the entrance of Rylstone, word had already got around and there was quite a crowd waiting to get a glimpse of him and other MPs.
Mr Abbott said he felt like a coffee and the riders pulled over to Café 47. Much to the surprise of local residents Cecily Ramsey and Bob and Linda Chrismas who were enjoying a cuppa, Mr Abbott asked if he could join them.
“It was a different morning to what I was expecting,” Linda Chrismas said. “We’d gone down town to do some shopping and then called in for a coffee. I really didn’t expect to be having it with the prime minister.”
Mrs Chrismas said he chatted about the bike ride mostly.
“He said this was the first time he hadn’t done the whole ride in 16 years.”