Depending on their inclination: the ferry to Manly and lunch at the Boathouse at Shelly Beach. A swim at Jellybean Pools on the way to the Blue Mountains. Or, on a cloudier day, a bike ride through Bicentennial Park stopping at the Armory Wharf Cafe in Newington.

Favourite café?

One of Sydney’s best coffees, an Uber driver and I once agreed, is from the Campos café in Camperdown. And a hat tip to the unassuming but colourful Rustic Pearl in Surry Hills, which still serves a quality double-shot coffee for $4.

Secret spot you escape to?

My most frequented for years was the private staff rooftop car park at Westfield Burwood. For 30 minutes in an eight-hour shift during five weeks of chaotic Christmas trade, that cement slab was a sun-drenched sanctuary.

The best summer food is …

Prawns. And the Christmas ham.

I know it’s summer when I smell …

Pine Christmas trees.

My favourite summer song is …

Missy Higgins’ cover of Perry Keyes’ NYE. The harbour is humming, punks are drinking long necks in the park, girls are swimming in the fountain... It’s joyous.

The worst thing about summer is …

FOMO when working indoors on a sunny day.

Guilty pleasure?

Sunbaking. I know.

What aspect of summer life would you change?

My heart is set on the prospect of a swimmable Parramatta River and a world where all of my friends ride e-bikes with me. At the risk of sounding like an evangelist, I believe there’s no better end to a day out than absorbing the celebratory summer energy from dozens of people drinking and dining on the streets as you fly past them – particularly as the sun sets.

Summer in Sydney is a series where Herald staff reveal the best – and worst – of our city in the hotter months.

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