1. Hurricanes in Darling Harbour if a favourite amongst locals for delicious steaks. If you are craving a Fred Flintstone size dino steak then this is the place to come! The menu contains steaks from small to gigantic, mixed with chicken and ribs. For a big appetite why not try the half rack of ribs with a steak? You won’t need to eat for a day or two after coming here! The atmosphere is buzzing and the constant queues outside for tables lets you know the food is good. Bookings are essential if you don’t want to wait until 9 p.m. to eat. A meal is approximately $30-$35 for a main.
2. Want something a little more formal? Then head to Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse which is a great restaurant with wonderful views of the harbour. Here you can enjoy the finest cuts from rib eye to New York strip and if money is no object you can send your tastebuds to heaven with the Wagyu rib on the bone. For those that don’t like steak, these guys are the crab masters serving up Alaskan, king and mud crab as well.
3. For some good old Australian pub steak head to the Hotel Mosman which has been serving up its famous porterhouse steak with mash for years at a great price. You can choose from a range of sauces but the indulgent bearnaise sauce which goes great with the smooth creamy mash.
4. The Buena Vista Hotel also in Mosman, has great steak choices usually between $25-$30. If you’re picky about how your steak is done, you can cook it yourself or get the chefs to do it for you. The portions are large and the steak is tender, what more could you ask for?
5. The iconic hotel, The Oaks, in Neutral Bay has its own steakhouse. You can choose your own steak (they even serve up kangaroo steaks) and cook it on the BBQs with a beer in hand like a true Aussie. This place gets busy on a Friday night and even busier in summer so get in early if you want a table! Steak meals start at about $25.

Part of the fun is seeking out the restaurant or pub to find the best steak.The best thing about staying at Furnished Property furnished apartments in Sydney is that you’ll always be close enough to explore Sydney’s best steak restaurants and pubs.

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Well, you don’t need to sacrifice too much as most hotels and bars have great deals during the week if you hunt them out. Don’t worry either, it doesn’t mean your big night out needs to be on a Monday! Friday night is big on the Sydney social scene, particularly with the after-work crowd and tourists in the city; so many establishments are looking to bring in the most customers with some great deals.

Here are just five pubs in and around Sydney offering some great deals on eating and drinking!

1. The Crows Nest Hotel – 1 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest – or “The Crowie” is an icon of the North Shore and Friday nights are jumping with live bands and dance music. It’s a relaxed, unpretentious pub where you can relax and have a great night. Fridays offer $5 Sol beers from 5pm until 8pm and Wednesday night is student night with $10 beer jugs and monthly themed nights.
   
2. P.J. O’Brien’s – 57 King St, Sydney – in the city is the place to go if you’re missing the Emerald Isle and in need of a Guinness and traditional roast dinner. On Friday nights, beers and spirits are $5 and if you get there early enough you can score some complimentary free nibbles before they run out.
3. The Cheers Bar – 561 George St, Sydney – on George Street is a non-pretentious pub and a great place to catch up on some sport on the TV screens.  RnB and dance music is the go on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with $3.50 drink specials.
4. Jacksons on George – 176 George St, Sydney – on The Rocks end of George Street has several bars so you will be sure to find one to suit your tastes. There is happy hour every day between 5pm and 7pm where you can get a cocktail jug for $10 and beer jugs for $9.50. Sundays offer $4 giant pints and you can play a game of pool for $1.
5. The Kirribilli Hotel - 37 Broughton St, Milsons Point – is a popular after work pub which serves great food to boot. Every Friday “The Billi” offers $5 selected beers and wines and you can enter to win a $50 bar tab which should see you through a couple of rounds!

These are just a few of the deals on offer near Furnished Property’s great locations across Sydney. When you stay at Furnished Property’s furnished apartments, you’ll have plenty of dollars at the end of the week to have a great night out that won’t leave your wallet empty the morning after!

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WARNING: This article is super-long, but chock-full of great tips. Stay with us!

WHY MELBOURNE?
Whilst Sydney is the largest city in Australia, Melbourne is considered the cultural hub of the nation. No matter what your tastes, there’s something in Melbourne for you. From secret clubs hidden down city laneways to shopping in the biggest designer stores in the Southern Hemisphere, we guarantee that you’ll love Melbourne.

GETTING THERE:
The two most common ways to get to Melbourne are driving and flying. The drive down to Melbourne is a beautiful, scenic coastal route, so if you’re after a road trip then this is the way to go. However this will take you at least two days, if not longer, so it’s faster, safer and cheaper to fly. Both Jetstar and Virgin Blue have flights leaving to Melbourne at multiple times each day.

STAYING THERE – ACCOMODATION:
There are plenty of good quality hostels and guesthouses in Melbourne. Some that we looked at included The Greenhouse Backpacker, the Melbourne Central YHA, or the St. Arnaud guesthouse. However we ended up not taking any of these options, instead finding an excellent deal on a site called lastminute.com. Hotels with rooms available will advertise their rooms secretly on this website at a greatly reduced price. It worked a treat for us, but if you’re not too keen on the secret bit, then the website also has publicly advertised hotels at reduced rates.

WHAT TO DO:

The Markets: Queen Victoria Markets

These markets are so vibrant, fresh and cheap, you’ll never want to eat anywhere else ever again! From fruit and vegetable stalls to bakeries, butchers, delis, cafés and even the occasional chocolate or alcohol retailer, you know you’re getting the freshest food around. I recommend going for breakfast or lunch, buying yourself a bread roll and some cold meats, sitting out in the laneway on the seats provided and taking in the atmosphere.

http://www.qvm.com.au/

The Café: That place

This place is so great that we hardly went to another café the whole time we were there. Located in the heart of the city, this place – which is actually called “That Place” – has basically everything you could ask for, and all at a reasonable price. The coffee is superb, and the milkshakes and iced coffees are among the best I’ve ever tasted. They also offer light snacks, as well as a great range of larger meals – and almost all of these are under $10! That Place is highly recommended. That having been said, there are more amazing cafés in this city than you could poke a stick at, so be adventurous – it’s unlikely you’ll be disappointed.

http://www.beanhunter.com/cafes/review/that-place-cafe

The Diner: Bimbo Deluxe

Perhaps the name isn’t too appealing, but you’ll change your mind once you’ve stepped inside and tasted their pizzas. Priced at $4 on Sunday – Thursday from 7-11pm, weekdays 12-4pm, and Saturday 7-9pm, you’d be pretty hard pressed to find a better value pizza anywhere. And the price is no indication of the quality – these pizzas are 100% gourmet. There are also a range of dessert pizzas, multiple drinks on tap (including some boutique beers and ciders), and generally an excellent vibe. And, the cherry on top – it’s located in Melbourne’s chic Brunswick st shopping precinct. A winner all round!

http://www.bimbodeluxe.com.au/

The Shops: Brunswick and Smith sts

If you’re into alternative stores, op-shops and boutiques, look no further than Fitroy strip malls Brunswick st and Smith st. Here you’ll find one off, small chain and exclusive to Melbourne designer boutiques nestled in amongst cheap as chips op shops. Smith st is the cheaper of the two, but has less of the designer stores. For the ladies, I would recommend Kinky Gerlinky and Lion in Love, both on Brunswick st.

Check this out – the streets have their own websites, complete with full, high-res interactive street view!
http://www.brunswickstreet.com.au/
http://www.smithstreet.net.au/

The Culture: Laneways

The city of Melbourne is famous for its laneway culture. The laneways are a series of alleyways and side-streets throughout the city centre which are host to a feast of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and street art. We won’t recommend any specific laneways to you, because it’s so much fun to discover them for yourselves.

If you want more information though, go here: included is a full list of Melbourne’s laneways:
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=9408

The attraction: Tim Burton exhibition

Running until October 10th, this prolific exhibition celebrates the macabre world of Tim Burton’s creations. Included in the gallery exhibition are costumes, set pieces and props from some of his films; as well as storyboards, incidental sketches and even letters and stories he wrote in his youth. If you go at the right times, you can also catch a screening of one of his films, other films which inspired him, or documentaries and other examinations of Burton’s work.

http://www.acmi.net.au/timburton.aspx

The secret club: The Croft Institute

We found this club by accident, and it was a terrifically fun adventure. You’ll almost certainly need to google it in order to find it. To get there, you have to go down a graffiti-covered alley that twists and turns around until you’re hardly sure which direction you came from. Down this rabbit hole you’ll find a venue that is the perfect mix of cool and simple. There is a downstairs area which is a bit more chilled, usually host to some cracking hip-hop beats, and an upstairs area open on weekends, playing host to some fresh house, electro and dance DJs. This blurb doesn’t do the place justice, so check out the website to get a better idea of the vibe!

http://thecroftinstitute.net/

The live music venue: Yah Yah’s

If you’re willing to go for a bit of a risk, Yah Yah’s is the place it’s likely to pay off. Here you’ll find all kinds of live music – the website boasts “rock, soul, garage, surf, exotica, 60s, 70s and more.” All acts are likely to be independent and/or unsigned, but there’s still a huge amount of quality. Drinks are cheap and the vibe is cool. A warning, though – ear plugs are available for sale at $2 a pop at the bar, and you’ll need them!

http://www.yahyahs.com.au/

Phew! What a marathon article! But the fact is that these tips are just the tip of the iceberg. Part of the beauty of Melbourne is that there’s so much to be discovered. So whether you’re going on your own, with friends, or with your partner, you’re guaranteed to have a ball. If you go, let us know what you did and how you found it!

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One thing you may not know yet is that Sydney has great music. Whether you and your flatmates like your music live and loud or soft and sultry, there’s a show out there for you. And usually it’s pretty cheap! Prices for quality live music shows and club nights in Sydney usually start as low as $10. So whip out your diaries – here are the details of some of the best musical nights out on offer in the coming months…

INDIE ROCK: Dappled Cities @ Manning Bar

THE BAND: Dappled Cities are one of Sydney’s best indie-rock exports. They’ve toured Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US extensively, and they’ve helped to make the Sydney indie scene what it is today.

If you haven’t already heard these guys, check out the sound (and their awesome video clip!) here:

THE VENUE: Manning Bar is one of the student bars at the University of Sydney, but luckily you don’t have to be a student to enjoy the great entertainment and cheap food and drink on offer.

THE DETAILS:
- Saturday 5th June, 8pm
- $18 + booking fee
- For more details and bookings:
http://www.manningbar.com/Whats_On/Dappled_Cities.aspx?t=7&d=3716

80s REVIVAL: No Life Til Leather @ Hermann’s Bar

THE SHOW: Feather your mullets and get ready to whip out your tightest pants – Bon Jovi are back! No Life Til Leather is a rock revival club night, and the next show on the line up features remastered editions of some of Bon Jovi’s greatest hits.

THE VENUE: Hermann’s Bar is another great venue at the University of Sydney. It’s also close to King St, Newtown, so when you’re done with the show you can head out to some of Sydney’s best pubs, restaurants and late-night cafes.

THE DETAILS:
- Friday 2nd July, 9pm
- $10 at the door only
- For more details and bookings:
http://www.hermannsbar.com/Whats_On/No_Life_Til_Leather_6.aspx?t=7&d=4022

CLUB/ RAVE: Saturday nights @ The Gaff

THE MUSIC: Yes, we know that “club” and “rave” aren’t the same thing, but if you want madness and mayhem with your music, this is where you want to be.

THE VENUE: The Gaff on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst prides itself on being off-the-chain crazy, and Saturdays are the craziest night of all. You can expect a lineup of Sydney’s freshest DJs, some awesome people, an electric atmosphere and a great time.

THE DETAILS:
- Every Saturday night
- Prices vary – often you’ll get in for free or cheap if you turn up before 9pm, but check the website
- More details: http://www.thegaff.com.au/

FOLK, JAZZ AND BLUES: The Vanguard

THE MUSIC: The Vanguard does not have any regular programs or nights – you’ll get something completely different every time.

Here’s a video of Aussie folk-soul duo Angus and Julia Stone performing at The Vanguard

THE VENUE: The Vanguard was rated by UK newspaper The Independent on Sunday as one of the top 10 venues in the world for live music, along with Madison Square Garden. They market themselves as a live music venue in general, but most days you’ll find some form of folk, jazz, blues, soul or funk. The venue has a 1920s feel, and patrons can eat a wholesome, soulful meal whilst they watch the show.

THE DETAILS:
- Tuesday – Sunday every week, 7pm – Midnight
- Around $18 for general admission, with higher set prices for show & meal.
- For more details and bookings: http://www.thevanguard.com.au/

Hopefully, at least one of these options will have caught your fancy. If not though, don’t despair! This is just the tip of the iceberg of Sydney’s music scene. If you’re looking for music in Sydney – or really anything to do at all, then let me introduce you to your new best friend:

http://www.whatsonsydney.com/

This site will let you know what’s happening on any day of the week in Sydney. From music to food and free events, they’ve got it covered.

Now you’ve got this information, there’s no excuse – get out there and into Sydney’s music scene! And remember – if you find more great music in Sydney, don’t keep it to yourself – comment on the blog and let us know!

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