Top Ten Things I Will Miss About Sydney

1. The Pyrmont Growers' Market

The sun, the coffee, the catching up with friends and family. It is a supremely idyllic thing to be able to do in this world, wander around among high quality produce, on a beautiful morning, beside a glistening harbour, with a cappucino.

And I'd like to take this opportunity to say pull-along shopping trolleys, coloured purple, are trendy and very cool.


2. The Weather

Compared to Wellington, NZ, lots of places have great weather, and Sydney is one of them. A bit too hot in summer, not quite cold enough in winter, but generally - fantastic. Today: 24 degrees, fine, calm, again.


3. Pasenella Cheese Shop, Haberfield

Haberfield is the 'real' Leichardt. Both Italian suburbs, but Haberfield doesn't have the flashy restaurant spruikers and the lousy parking. This shop sells the best parmesan in Sydney, and the most amazing caramelised semi-dried tomatoes. I take friends there and make them buy them. Oddly, this is where I was when I heard Steve Irwin had died. So the shop will always be included in my list of 'JFK' moments.


4. Rubbish Collection

Apart from some initial problems figuring out what to do and when, I have come to adore the suburban rubbish collection system. Three big bins, no hassles with buying the right bags and all that other nonsense we have back home. One of the bins is for recycling so you still feel like your doing the right thing. Which the council probably isn't once they get your stuff back to the depot - but well, you tried. They also have 'clean out days' a couple of times a year when you just put all your old junk on the roadside and they take it away. Brilliant.


5. The ABC

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation costs about $700 million to run and is almost entirely non-commercial. I've always been a bit conflicted about taxpayer-funded media because it can have a significant financial impact on commercial media, and it's pretty much always been commercial media that pays the bills in my house. However, since there is nothing I can do about it, I figure it's ok just to enjoy it. In fact, as a taxpayer, it's my investment and I should watch to get my return. I don't think Australians have any idea how lucky they are to have this kind of broadcasting - of course it still has flaws - certainly for the indigenous population, but overall it's just a great big rich helping of untainted media every day, the Belgian chocolate mousse of information and entertainment. Which probably makes Television New Zealand a Kit Kat and Radio New Zealand a carob-topped rice biscuit.


6. The David Jones Food Hall

I hardly venture in there anymore because it's so expensive and I don't have a real job anymore to support my DJ's habit. But I still know it's there and I regularly direct visiting folk to the place. I've been in bigger food markets and probably seen more amazing produce in places like France, and even Melbourne, but for Sydney, this is pretty good. Indulgent. Have a coffee and rub shoulders with the old ladies from the Eastern Suburbs. If you want to go really posh, find the tea rooms upstairs dear, by the men's suits.


7. The Lorikeets Outside My Window

Lorikeets are the most gorgeous pretty little green birds, with blue and red cheeks. They are so pretty. So bright and cheerful. A couple of them like to hang out in the tree right outside the window over my desk. They chirp away to each other and hop around in the bush, and they don't give a damn about me. Nature is so, natural.


8. Umbrellas

Not sure whether this is a plus or a minus. I like being able to use an umbrella here .. which you don't really in Wellington. But on the other hand, I always carry one here, which I don't have to do in Wellington. You learn to keep one close at hand most of the time here after you've been caught in a downpour and have to walk through the streets trying not to look like the last-placed entrant in a wet t-shirt competition.


9. Fruit & Veg

Fresh fruit. Cheap in season, sometimes very cheap. All kinds of vegetables, some that are a mystery. Dozens of different kinds of Chinese cabbage. There are so many different kinds of fruit and vegies available here, our last quiz night used to have a regular “what is this vegetable?” question.


10. Juice & Gluten free beer

They don't really go together except I had to stick to ten, not 11. I guess they are both liquid refreshments. The fresh juice in Sydney is brilliant. Most cafes etc make their own juices. Some of them go in for exotic combos, or let you choose your own. My favourite is watermelon and mint. As for the beer, O'Briens. Very special people. I buy their beer in Manly. Will have to import to NZ.