Summer in Sydney means ... mangoes, frizzy hair and the city to myself

What does Sydney summer mean to you?

No traffic, mangoes and frizzy hair. For me, summer feels like it officially kicks off in Sydney when the private schools finish and the roads are magically flowing. I love staying in Sydney in the glorious period between Christmas and New Year when everyone else seems to flee and those of us left behind can beach hop and actually get a park. My husband, ever the romantic, buys me an obligatory tray of mangoes and I spend my days swimming and then moaning about the humidity that leaves my hair a hot mess.

Drinks on the fly: The Opera Bar is an easy win for visiting tourists. Just watch out for the seagulls.Credit: Rhett Wyman

Earliest memory of summer in Sydney?

El Caballo Blanco. I didn’t grow up in Sydney but visited my cousins on the northern beaches every summer. As well as spending hours in their pool, we would take trips to theme parks. One year, after watching the ads with the catchy tune on Newcastle TV (“El Caballo Blanco, discover the new world of fun”), a very young me convinced everyone to take a trip to see the Spanish dancing horses. It was stinking hot that day in south-western Sydney.

First place you take visitors?

Straight to the Opera Bar. It’s crowded, expensive and the worst place for sunburn, but is there anything better than sitting by the harbour, with the bridge to one side and the Opera House to the other, enjoying a glass of sparkling wine? I think not. My British relatives always request a ferry trip to Manly when they visit too. Ferries never grow old.

Favourite cafe?

Hands down, Barzura at Coogee. Not only is the location amazing, its signature dish – nasi goreng – is to die for and I love that it is on their all-day menu. A perfect breakfast.

Secret spot you escape to?

McIvers Ladies Baths in Coogee. I know kids are technically allowed but I don’t let mine in on that secret. I love that it is somewhere I can swim in peace and without having to carry all sorts of beach paraphernalia on behalf of little people. The water is crystal clear and I love the sense of calm there.

McIvers Ladies Baths in Coogee. Credit: Kate Geraghty

The best summer food is …

Mangoes, with prawns and oysters a very close second. Cherries third.

I know it’s summer when I smell …

Sunscreen and mosquito repellant. Unfortunately for me, I burn and attract mozzies, so I need both close by at all times.

My favourite summer song is …

Nightswimming by REM. Not because I go skinny-dipping but because it was released when I was a very young teen and always reminds me of a really happy care-free time of my life which is how I think of summer.

The worst thing about summer is …

The humidity. The humidity. The humidity. And the mozzies.

My closest bolthole is …

McIvers Ladies Baths.

Guilty pleasure?

Snacking on 10-day-old Christmas ham. In fact, snacking in general. It is the one time of the year than I cannot tell my kids to stop opening the fridge every two minutes because I do it myself.

What aspect of life would you change, and what should stay the same?

I’m not sure who to ask about switching off the humidity but that would be the No.1 change I would make. I would also encourage as many people as possible to book holidays outside Sydney between Christmas and New Year so I can continue to have the city to myself.

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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