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Cozy Airbnb Property in Sydney

Looking for a nice, clean and decent apartment in Sydney? Check out this apartment located in Rushcutters Bay just few minutes away from Sydney CBD.

Paolo flew to Sydney in time for our 11th anniversary (goodness that sounded like a long time, LOL). He applied online and it took approximately 30 working days before he got his Australian visa. We'll be posting a separate entry about that but for now let's go back to this lovely Airbnb property in Sydney.

I'm sure you've read from my previous post that I've been hostel hopping in Sydney CBD for the past month since class started. This time around, I decided why not rent a private room through Airbnb? I'm sure you wouldn't want to spend your anniversary with a love one in a mixed sharing hostel room. :p

Original plan was to rent this private room in a trendy apartment in Surry Hills but sadly the owners had to decline. Good thing Airbnb suggested other affordable properties and that's when we found Kathryn's apartment.

Kathryn's property has 3 bedrooms and 2 bath. She decided to put up the room for rent when her daughters moved out.

Our room was small but had all the basic amenities like the comfy queen-sized bed, cable TV, closet, private ensuite and our own mini dining area.

If I'm not mistaken this was supposed to be a laundry room but then the owners converted it to a small dining area. Which is great at least you don't have that awkward moment where you need to eat together with the host. They were kind enough to provide goodies such as fruits, milk and water. Trust me, this property is wayyyyy better than staying in a hotel. ;)

Outside our room was a very spacious private ensuite. Hosts provided towels, soaps, shampoos, etc.

I thought Filipinos were hospitable but I think the Australians beat us to that. This is probably the first Airbnb apartment that provided almost everything you need when renting a home. The hosts were very welcoming too! ;) Moving on, I failed to take photos of the whole property because Kathryn didn't want me to do so and I respected that. Apparently, Airbnb is still illegal in Sydney (the same with other countries) with fines reaching up to $1M AUD!

Isn't that annoying that local governments don't want to legalize all these awesome startups/companies like Airbnb and Uber? It helps the community. And the more you stop us, the more we want to try out their service. We have our own rights too you know!

Moving on, I hope Kathryn doesn't get any trouble for posting this. LOL. As a travel blog I think I have the right to share my experiences, good or bad. Kathryn's apartment is just divine (one of the best!), highly recommended and best part of it all is that it's located approximately 10 minutes away from Sydney's Hyde Park meaning it's pretty much near everything. ;)

P.S. Want additional $25 USD discount on your first booking with Airbnb? Sign up now!

Top 10 Things To Do in Sydney.. FOR FREE!

Sydney Harbour Bridge

I'm about to celebrate my third month here in Sydney and would like to congratulate myself because I am officially done with the digital marketing short course I took up with General Assembly which started back in June. Now you know why I haven't been blogging that much. :)


Moving on, since I've got more time in my hands I've decided to update my blog and share my top 10 list of things to do in Sydney.. for free! Yes, you read that right my friends. This list I'm sharing with you now is for first timers in the land down under. Despite living in one of the most expensive cities in the world there are still things you can actually do or get for free!

1. For number 1, obvious choice would be to visit Circular Quay which is the hub of Sydney Harbour. From here you'll get awesome views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. If you have extra, why not have lunch or dinner in one of the restaurants nearby? Personally, I haven't tried dining it but if money wasn't an option I'd definitely go for it. Who wouldn't want to dine with that view? :)

2. Join the free walking tours! I’m Free tours is an independent locally owned and operated small company made up of young Sydneysiders. I haven't had the chance to join the walk in Sydney but I heard from my backpacker friends that it was fun and informative. :) This photo was taken from the free tours that Paolo and I joined when we went to Melbourne. If you liked the tour so much why not spare a dollar or two for tip? It's still cheaper compared to signing up on a tour with a travel agency.

3. For the artsy ones, you might wanna take the free guided tour in the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). I haven't tried this too but I promise to make time for it this September. For tour schedule click here.

4. Take a stroll on Bondi Beach. Located approximately 9 kms away from Sydney CBD, Bondi is one of Sydney's busiest beach. It is surrounded by bars, cafes, small shops and hotels/accommodations to suit a range of budgets. This photo was taken during winter season that's why the beach looked deserted. But if you do plan to swim there are nearby toilets and bathrooms that you can totally use for free. And if you don't like swimming in salt water then there's the nearby Icebergs swimming pool with an entrance fee of $6.50AUD.

5. While you're at it, why not do the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk? It is a short, spectacular coastal trail along epic sandstone cliffs. From Bronte, it stretches south to the snorkelling havens of Clovelly and Gordons Bay; Coogee filled with families and backpackers and Maroubra with its huge waves.

 
6. From Bondi, you may take bus no. 333 on your way back to Sydney CBD. Hop off at Hyde Park, which is the oldest and most well-known park in Australia. It is home to different monuments just like the Anzac Memorial and Archibald Fountain. Across that park you'll see St. Mary's Cathedral, it is one of Sydney's most treasured historic buildings and one of the finest examples of English-style gothic Catholic churches in the world.

 
7. Hungry? Go ahead and drop by Chinatown! No, they're not giving away free food here (unless you are that desperate, you may wait for the good guys parked around Central station giving away free food to the homeless) but it's one of the areas in Sydney where food isn't as expensive compared to other tourist spots. Tip: Go to foodcourts, rice meals go on sale, around 25-50% off their original price from 4:00PM onwards which is considered their happy hour. For water, locals don't mind drinking tap but I don't want to risk getting an upset stomach so I just get a 1-liter bottle of water from Woolworth's that cost $0.70AUD.

Have you noticed that meals served in Sydney are bigger than usual? LOL. At Least you get your money's worth. 

8. After a hearty meal, time to burn the calories by walking. The CBD has a radius of approximately 5 kms so it's very much possible to just walk around and enjoy the view. From Chinatown you may head over to Darling Harbour where you'll find a few dozen shops, restaurants and other attractions like the Australian Maritime Museum just to name a few.

9. If you're feeling a little tired from walking then why not visit The Star? Photo grabbed from Hotel Management site. The Star is few minutes walk from Darling Harbour and houses the second largest casino in Australia. If you're quite lucky in gambling then this is the place to be. Whenever I'm here, I get fascinated by the high rollers winning and losing some money. I just come here for the drinks like getting a bottled water, coffee or tea.. all for free. No need to be a member or something. Haha.

10. Last but not the least, you don’t have to wait for big occasions like New Year’s Eve to see fireworks in Sydney. If you happen to be in the city on a weekend, go to Darling Harbour for the 10 minute free fireworks display which usually starts at 8:30PM. It's not as grand compared to the Sydney Harbour fireworks but who are we to complain? At least we get to end a day of doing free things in Sydney with a bang! ;)
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