悉尼最好的工作 - 水上咖啡师
20年来,咖啡师(barista)Garry White一直在悉尼Middle Harbour的船上给船员、游泳者、皮划艇爱好者、海滩游客和天体爱好者们售卖咖啡。
大伙经常告诉他说,他拥有悉尼最好的工作。
White先生表示:“很多人都这么对我说,我通常的回答是,你在你的日常工作中会赚远远更多的钱 - 因为他们正坐在一艘价值50万美元的船或其他东西上。”
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
他为每个人服务,从小铁皮艇的主人到大型游轮的船东,这些年来,他已经非常了解他的常客 - 或者至少了解他们的咖啡因习惯。
他说:“有些女士会转而喝无咖啡因咖啡(decaf),这是怀孕的第一个迹象。”
White先生会在周末、公共假日和整个夏天从Forestville’s Davidson Park驾驶他的小船出发,煮咖啡、蒸汽打牛奶泡,制作cappuccinos、macchiatos和piccolos。
像悉尼北部的许多其他生意业主一样,White先生度过了艰难的一个月。
北部海滩区(Northern Beaches)的新冠疫情和与拉尼娜现象(La Nina)有关的恶劣天气让他这个季节收入大幅减少,通常这是一年中最忙最好收入的时光。
White starting his day at 7.30am at Flat Rock Beach in Killarney. CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
现年70岁的White先生通常会在早上7点半开船出去,为船员、游泳者和在Middle Harbour的各海湾和海滩钓鱼的人们煮咖啡。
下午4点,他回到了陆地上。他说:“这时大家都不会喝咖啡了,因为喝红酒和啤酒的时间到了。”
White先生曾是一名农业经济学家和政治顾问,退休后,他去参加了咖啡师的培训。
他的客户中包括各种企业掌门人和前总理保罗·基廷(Paul Keating)。
裸体海滩,如位于Balmoral附近的Cobblers Beach,也是大量咖啡顾客的来源地。
White先生说:“我总是穿着完整的衣服 - 这主要是为了职业健康和安全,我有一台咖啡机,我要处理(滚烫)蒸汽。”
20年来,White先生已经击败了许多竞争对手,并在他的船意外沉没的事故中幸存下来。
这次事故由一位客户造成,导致两家保险公司之间的纠纷。
Serving boats big and small in Middle Harbour. CREDIT:STEVEN
在新冠疫情初期,他就停止了卖咖啡生意,但事实证明,冬天是有利可图的,因为许多老顾客由于州境关闭被迫取消了在欧洲或北美的假期,在冬天的几个月里玩船航行。
White先生还说,船员们都选择在船上过夜,而且大多是夫妻或一家人。
他说:“以前,会有很多家庭在同一艘大船上,人们似乎把船视为一种与世隔绝的方式。”
下面的地图的四个地方是White先生的私人评价(从上到下)
Bantry Bay
A favorite overnight anchorage spot for people staying on their boats or looking for calmer water to drop anchor and have their lunch.
Sugarloaf Bay
One of the best shelter s from southerly winds for people staying overnight on their yacht or motor cruisers.
Castle Rock Beach
It's the best sheltered anchorage and swimming spot in a Nor'easter, with a nice sandy bottom. Great spot for kids' swimming.
Cobblers Beach
It's a nudist beach that has got used to me coming in regularly. they're very good at lining up in an orderly manner for their coffee and ice cream.
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.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
Garry White 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.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
After a difficult month things are looking up at last, with the upper end of the northern beaches to be freed from lockdown and the sun shining upon Sydney Harbour once again.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
Mr White trained as a barista after retiring from his job as an agricultural economist and political consultant.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
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."CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
The boatman of Middle Harbour - Garry White has been serving coffees, drinks and snacks to the communities on the water for decades.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
By 4pm he is back on dry land. "That's when coffee time stops and the wine and beer starts to flow," he says.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
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.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
He counts captains of industry and former prime ministers including Paul Keating among his customers.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
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.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
Mr White said sailors were choosing to stay out on boats overnight and tended to be couples or families.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
Some say Garry has Sydney's best job.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT
The boatman of Middle Harbour - Garry White has been serving coffees, drinks and snacks to the communities on the water for decades.CREDIT:STEVEN SIEWERT