Riding a ‘pushy’ around Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺

Australia to me is maybe the chillest place in the world. To someone in the Western hemisphere, it is about as remote as you can get and still be on this planet, and this distance with its mind-bending time zone change accentuates what you find upon arrival: an unhurried and unworried pace of life lived by people comfortable in their corner of the globe. They speak English, but many of their nouns and verbs are unique, as if a ‘bicycle’ was too clunky but a ‘pushy’ just right for life Down Under.

Dan Winch, who works in training and customer relations for Single O (established in 2003, it is among the earliest specialty coffee shops in the world), describes life in Sydney from the POV of someone who grew up there.

*Dan Winch grew up outside of Sydney. He works at Single O, which was founded in 2003. Photos courtesy of Single O*

Filter: What do you like to do for fun around Sydney?

I’m all about going on adventures during the day and then smashing some cold ones in the evening!

We have so many amazing beaches within a 30 minute drive—a favourite of mine is called La Perouse. I take the motorcycle out for a spin and head there. The moto is a must because the parking can get really bad around any of the Sydney beaches. Once you get to the parking lot, it’s a 10-minute hike through the bush and you arrive at a smaller nudie beach called ‘Little Congwong’… Strip off all your clothes and enjoy the freedom of swimming in clear blue water and then sun baking on the beach.

I also love to do rock climbing. Climbing gyms have gone crazy in the last few years in Sydney, my favourite for an after work climb is Blochaus in Marrickville for bouldering. It’s really clean and spacious in there and the community is really fun and inclusive. If I’m hitting the ropes I’ll go to Saint Peters climbing. It’s a bit grungier there but it’s huge and they are the only close by gym with lead rope climbing available. If you drive an hour north or south there’s heaps of outdoor sport climbing spots to choose from…Berowra [Editor’s Note: access point for climbing is here] up north is a favourite of mine (Ladder of Gloom is a winner!)

Whatever day adventure I choose, it’s always backed up by a cold beer or cider at one of the many great pubs around the Inner West. The balcony at the PHP (Petersham Public House) is the best to smash a cider and a smoke. The Marrickville Bowlo also is a vibe to get the last of the sun and watch some alternative characters playing lawn bowls.

Filter: If a good friend came to visit, where would you be sure to take them?

First up I’d lend them a push bike [Australian slang for bicycle]—by far the best way to go on adventures around the city. The traffic is a bit sketchy with bikes but thankfully there’s more and more bike lanes being built which makes it feel a bit safer.

For a morning adventure I’d take them to Carriageworks in Redfern. It’s an old train maintenance warehouse that’s been converted into an art precinct. They hold music and art events and it’s just an amazing place to walk around in and check out. They also have a farmers market there every Saturday which focuses on artisanal goods and produce. The company I work for, Single O, has had a stall there for years and it’s always a fantastic vibe (and delicious coffee).

Riding through Hyde Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens are a must. It’s stunningly lush with huge trees right in the middle of the city, and the perfect trail to go to the Opera House which is where we’d end up. Hanging out at the Opera Bar is a vibe, you can see the beauty of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House itself all in one view (with a beer in hand). They are definitely two of Sydney’s super touristy attractions which are worth the hype to see. Don’t bother doing the bridge climb is all I’d say, it’s best viewed from the Opera House anyway!

There’s a great walk from Bondi to Coogee (the eastern beaches) which really shows what the beach life is all about in Sydney. It’s better done on a weekday because the weekend foot traffic is just nuts. About halfway there’s a rocky bay called Gordons Bay which is perfect for dipping in and chilling out on the rocks. You don’t get sandy here as well which is a plus if you’re going for a full day adventure followed by dinner! If you take a snorkel you can see heaps of Rays and blue Gropers.

For nightlife I’d recommend Newtown in the Inner West of Sydney. It’s got stacks of amazing food - Bloodwood is an awesome pick, they do local and seasonal produce, constantly re-imagining the menu and is very reasonably priced for the quality. Young Henry’s brewery is also an awesome place to hang out for top quality beers and ciders, they’re local legends. You really get the alternative and grungy feel of the Inner West in there too. You’ll wanna take the pushy [Australian slang for push bike] home from there too because I guarantee you’ll be sinking a few (or maybe continuing to a brewery crawl in Marrickville??)

Filter: What do you like to do to escape the city?

I love going camping/caddy camping in the back of my car. There’s heaps of great camping spots you can book through the national parks website and it’s really cheap. If you drive to the Blue Mountains or Central Coast (both 1.5-2 hours away) you’ll have plenty of wilderness to explore. There’s an awesome area called Bouddi National Park where you can hike down and camp right next to the beach. You’ll wanna book in advance though because a lot of Sydney loves doing the same thing. Make sure you take lots of water!!

Filter: Any other hidden gems we should know about?

I’ve already mentioned a bunch, although another hidden gem is called The Needles in Engadine. It’s about 50 minutes south of Sydney, a big river area which is super gorgeous surrounded by Aussie bush and I swear there’s NEVER anyone there. Even on the hottest days I’ve only ever seen 4 other families hanging out. You can hang out on the rocks and go dipping in the river which is really clean. It’s magic. My partner and I have definitely swam up river for some secluded lovemaking there, can recommend ;)

Filter: What's one other coffee shop around there that you really admire, and what about them stands out to you?

There’s a small roaster/cafe in Stanmore called Brighter Coffee. They have their roaster in the shop. Ben, one of the owners, does the designs on their coffee bags and they focus on telling the story about the producers. Plus they roast exceptionally delicious coffee. I love how much pride they take in their work. I remember Ben telling me how they just really want to ‘have a crack’...I really like that.

They also host a bunch of cuppings for importers and really engage the local community with what they are doing. Definitely worth checking out!

Filter: What makes Sydney feel most like home to you?

I love just hanging out with my friends and loved ones. Sometimes it’s at the beach or the many crazy pubs around Sydney, but I also just love having people around at my house, cooking up beautiful produce on the fire and sharing each other's company. Last night we all dressed up as Christmas elves and ate a 6-hour slow-cooked lamb with veggies that we get in our veggie box every fortnight. To me that’s what makes Sydney feel like home, having great company around me.

Filter: How was growing up in Sydney, and how have you seen the city change?

I grew up on the fringes of Sydney, about an hour outside of the central hub so didn’t spend heaps of time in the main parts of the city until I was much older. It was the area that borderlines where the farming areas were which was really grounding. I was connected to nature being so close to the blue mountains and farming lands, but still close enough to the city that you get the culture and diversity that cities bring. I didn’t get stuck in a bubble (too much) which is a good thing.

Sydney has grown like crazy since I was born (I’m 33 now). I remember heading into the city and there would be farms everywhere on the drive in…now it’s 3-lane roads and housing development everywhere.

Filter: What’s your role at Single O?

I’m currently in the training/account managing team—we help support cafes that use our coffee to do it as best as possible :). I’ve been lucky with Single O to try a million different roles over the 7.5 years I’ve been there. I started as a pretty green barista to being head barista, managing our flagship cafe, managing a crazy market stall at the Carriageworks markets (we would do 600-700 coffees consistently in a 5 hour window which is absolutely crazy chaos, but so much fun). I’ve been grateful to be supported in so many different roles by them, whenever I’ve asked to try something new they always found a spot in the direction I wanted.

What I most love about my work Is giving a great service. I’ve always loved making an awesome vibe for customers at the cafe and more recently for the cafes that use our coffee. Connecting with people and sharing a great experience has been my number one joy in my work.

Filter: If you could move to any place in the world just for the coffee scene, where would you move, and what shop would be the biggest reason?

I think I would opt for a 3-month tour over a move, main reason being that there’s a couple of roasters that I admire but don’t know too much about the wider coffee scene in those places.

First month would be in California to hang out at all the Cat & Cloud spaces. I’ve loved their podcast and Chris Baca makes awesome videos just sharing what they do in the business. They have great ideas around service and company culture that I’ve really loved to be on the journey with.

Second month would be checking out Scott Rao’s roastery in Colorado… I’ve followed his work for years and love reading his stuff ( and his dry sense of humour) so it would be a pleasure to soak it in from the source.

Third month would be to hang out at the 3fe shops in Ireland... Absolutely loved the down to earth and simplicity of Colin Harmon’s book when I read it, I’d flick through the pages again there sipping on their brews before getting into a Guinness in the afternoon ;)

Filter: How has Sydney changed as the coffee culture has become so well established?

Variety and personality. Since specialty really boomed in the last 10 years, there’s been heaps of micro roasters, a great communal roaster community and shitloads of coffee shops. The communal roaster (used to be called CRS, now Ecre) meant that access became affordable for lots of micro roasters to do their thing, and you see heaps of different personalities able to give you their take on specialty. If you explore the Inner West area of Sydney you’ll find the biggest density of this!

Filter: Is there anything you'd like to add about what you love about Sydney?

Just like the specialty coffee boom here, there was a huge boom of micro beer breweries. What’s the best remedy to balance you out after your 17th espresso? Smashing a cold one from an always rotating tap of micro goodies.

Just like the variety and personality of coffee in Sydney, the beer scene is awesome here too. No shortage of crazy sours to insanely strong IPA’s to choose from. I personally like my beers light bodied and fruity, just like my coffee ;)

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Single O operates cafes and roasteries throughout Australia and Japan.

Food & Beverage

Petersham Public House

Venues & Entertainment

Marrickville Bowlo

Carriageworks

Rock Climbing