Summer in Sydney means ... ferries, Cabramatta’s Air Lab and Lavender Bay

What does Sydney mean to you?

It’s now my second home and the greatest adventure. I bought a one-way flight from WA in March, learnt to cook for myself and found my dream job. Somehow, it didn’t take long for Sydney to feel like home.

Earliest/first memory of summer in Sydney?

This is my first summer! I spent the first few days of December in the air-conditioned courtrooms on Phillip Street, then my first weekend bouldering, playing netball and watching the Socceroos at Tumbalong Park.

Summer essentials: a book and souffle pancakes with ice cream in Cabramatta.Credit: Millie Muroi

When the weather gets hot I …

Take refuge in highly air-conditioned spaces.

Find me in the frozen section of your local supermarket or, if I’m feeling adventurous, snorkelling for sea urchins.

First place you take visitors?

The ferry from Circular Quay to anywhere around Sydney. It’s one of the best scenic tours (disguised as a public transport route) in the world.

Favourite cafe?

Cabramatta’s Air Lab is a two-hour return trip for me, but I’ll make the trek, and that’s when you know you’ve found a gem. Ask for their brulee souffle pancakes with black pearls, ice cream and whipped cream — it’s like eating a cloud.

Secret spot you escape to?

It’s not very secret, but I came across it accidentally when I first moved to Sydney, so it feels like a special spot. Walking around Lavender Bay at any time of the day or night is my go-to escape.

Best summer food?

Anything cold, wet and sweet: mangoes, bubble tea, iced chocolate.

I know it’s summer when I smell…

Tiles or floorboards. For a time when I was younger, we didn’t have air conditioning, so I would lay flat, with my dog, on the kitchen floor. My flat here also has no air conditioning, so it’ll be back to relying on natural laws of thermodynamics, with my flatmate instead of my dog.

My favourite summer song is…

“Take me back to the sweet times, the hot nights, everything is gonna be all right in the summertime...” In the Summertime by Thirsty Merc.

Worst thing about summer?

I’ve only known the dry summers of Perth, so I’ve found my energy levels have an inverse relationship with humidity.

My closest bolthole is…

Dark, otherworldly and abundant in (overpriced) snacks. There’s nothing like being transported to another life at the cinema.

Guilty pleasure?

Purchasing more books than I can read, then using the purchases as an excuse to take myself to a cafe where I can read, refuel and disconnect from online distractions (another guilty habit).

What aspect of Sydney would you change – and what should stay the same?

Sydney trains. Getting stuck in the tunnel from Milsons Point to Wynyard for half an hour with no reception was the closest I’ve felt to being claustrophobic. But, there’s little that bonds Sydneysiders like the shared vexation in those trying times.

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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