For two decades, barista Garry White has cruised Middle Harbour on his boat making coffee for sailors, swimmers, kayakers, beachgoers and nudists. He's often told he has Sydney's best job.
"A lot of people say that to me," Mr White says. "My usual reply is you would make far more money in your day job - because they're sitting on a $500,000 boat or something."
The boatman of middle harbour - Garry White has been serving coffees and drinks and snacks to the communities on the water and the hard to reach beachies for decades. Credit:Steven Siewert
He serves everyone, from the owners of tiny tinnies to massive motor yachts, and over the years he's come to know his regulars very well indeed - or at least their caffeine habits.
"There are ladies who change to decaf coffee," he says. "That's the first indication of pregnancy."
Mr White brews coffee and steams milk to make cappuccinos, macchiatos and piccolos aboard a small boat he launches from Forestville's Davidson Park on weekends, public holidays and throughout summer.
Like many other business owners in Sydney's north, Mr White has had a difficult month. The northern beaches COVID outbreak and inclement weather associated with La Nina have slashed revenue during what would normally be his busiest period of the year.
White starting his day at 7.30am at Flat Rock Beach in Killarney. Credit:Steven Siewert
But things are looking up at last, with the upper end of the northern beaches to be freed from lockdown today and the sun shining upon Sydney Harbour once again.
Sunday is forecast to reach a top of 27 degrees today with low humidity and light breezes, while Sydneysiders flocking to the beach can expect gentle surf conditions.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the chance of rain in the next few days is zero to 5 per cent. The perfect summer conditions are due to last until at least Thursday, when clouds and showers are expected to return.
Mr White, 70, is usually on the water by 7.30am making coffee for sailors, swimmers and people on tinnies fishing in the beaches and bays of Middle Harbour. By 4pm he is back on dry land. "That's when coffee time stops and the wine and beer starts to flow," he says.
Mr White trained as a barista after retiring from his job as an agricultural economist and political consultant. He counts captains of industry and former prime ministers including Paul Keating among his customers.
"I was able to tell him he was technically my boss for a little while," he said. "It was good to talk about how Canberra had gone to dogs after each of us left."
Nude bathing areas such as Cobblers Beach, tucked into Middle Head near Balmoral, are also a rich source of customers. "I always remain fully clothed - and that's mainly for occupational health and safety," Mr White said. "I've got a coffee machine and I’m dealing with steam."
In 20 years, Mr White has seen off a number of competitors and survived the accidental sinking of his boat by a customer that led to a stoush between insurance companies.
Serving boats big and small in Middle Harbour. Credit:Steven
He stopped making coffees early in the pandemic but winter proved lucrative as many regular customers sailed during the winter months after being forced to cancel holidays in Europe or North America due to border closures.
Mr White also said sailors were choosing to stay out on boats overnight and tended to be couples or families. "In previous years, we'd have multiple families on the same large boats," he said. "People seem to be regarding boats as a way of keeping isolated."
with Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Andrew Taylor is a Senior Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.
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2021-01-09 08:15:00Z
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