General Info – Stay Sydney

You can have a totally indulgent girls’ weekend away in Sydney and keep to a budget. Here’s how. Sometimes you just need a weekend away with the girls. But with budget restraints you might dismiss the idea before you’ve even began. However, with some careful planning you can have a totally indulgent weekend away without over-stretching your budget. You and the girls can be wined, dined and pampered to your hearts’ content.And doesn’t that sound pretty damned good? Lunch: Glebe Point Diner This is the perfect place for lunch on a sunny day. Sit outside on the comfy couches surrounded by leafy green hedges, which complete the alfresco vibe. If you want to kick the meal off in style, start with some oysters and a glass of bubbly. Or for a really great value lunch that’ll leave you satisfied and within a budget, go for the three-course lunch set for just $55, which also includes a glass of wine. Starters include the likes of pâté, and fried honey bug with aioli and lemon. A particularly noteworthy main is the lamb, which is slow roasted in a rosemary rub until extremely tender and infused with heaps of herby deliciousness. Finish off the meal with a cannolo and dark chocolate truffle, lemon ice cream or yoghurt sorbet with apple granita, granola and caramel. Budget: $55 – for three courses and a glass of wine. Glebe Point Diner: www.glebepointdiner.com.au Pamper: Signature Day Spa Get your swimmers on and hit up this unique luxury spa for an indulgent afternoon of pampering with the girls. Opt for the Spa Circuit to have the whole of the upper floor of this luxuriously fitted spa to yourself and a few glasses of bubbly, fruit and a cheese platter to really make the day an extra special one. Move between top-of-the-range massage beds, which are worlds apart from the standard massage chairs you see knocking about, the detox box, and the magnesium bath to get the benefits of this powerful mineral, which relaxes and softens tight muscles – the pool also glows with a calming light so you get the added benefit of colour therapy. You’ll have access to the spa circuit for two hours and you can choose to add on massages, facials, wraps or other treatments to take the experience to the next level. Budget: $80 – a 2-hour Spa Circuit is a social event for a minimum of five people and costs $80 pp, which includes Champagne and use of the steam room, thermal magnesium pool, detox box and therapeutic massage beds. Signature Day Spa: www.signaturedayspa.com.au Dinner & Wine: Vinery Foods Every neighbourhood should have an awesome wine bar where you can just drop in and have a glass or two of whatever’s being poured. Although to miss out on the food at Vinery Foods would be a real shame. The oysters are an absolute must-try. Enjoy them with one of the great wines that passionate owner and wine lover Joseph Moussa has hand picked and you’re onto a winner. The pork belly spring rolls are far from your average spring rolls – they’re jam packed with about an inch of moist pork filling wrapped in light and crispy spring roll wrappers. If you fancy a bit of pasta but aren’t after a heavy dish, the squid ink fettuccine with Balmain bugs, chilli, capsicum and gremolata is the way to go. And onto some meaty mains: you’ve got duck with crunchy faro, porcini mushrooms, fennel, foie gras and truffle butter. It’s as good as it sounds. The meat is tender and the sauce is full of rich, earthy flavour. If duck’s not your thing, there’s always the wagyu skirt – it’s grass fed and has a marbling score of seven. Save room for dessert here, too, because there are some real tempting treats on offer, including handmade chocolate with vanilla ice cream, Frangelico and espresso. Budget: $59 – an average two-course meal with a glass of wine costs $59. Vinery Foods: www.vineryfoods.com.au. Travel: Jetstar These guys are known for offering seriously low fares, allowing you to have more money to spend at your destination. And the new SMS ticket option means you can save loads of time and hassle, too. All you have to do is check in online and select the SMS option and you’ll get your boarding pass sent to your mobile phone. Then when you get to the airport you can just go straight to the gate (or past the bag drop first if you’ve got check-in luggage). It really couldn’t get any easier. Budget: $110 – flights from Melbourne to Sydney start at $55 (one way). Jetstar: www.jetstar.com/au/en/home. Want some affordable accommodation? Hit up airbnb.