Hostels in NSW
Surfside Backpackers, Coogee
This was my first hostel while in Australia. Fortunately, it was an odd time.
This hostel is small and from the balcony, you can view the beach. Most of
the people staying there were from England, with a few from other European
countries
- There is a fax machine available for use in this hostel
- The staff members are extremely friendly and helpful: they are willing
to make phone calls for you if you need calls made and also willing to help
you find work
- There is free tea and coffee but no milk
- Free cheese and wine nights
- You can hire surfboards and body boards
- The reception closes for 4 hours at lunch
- TV in some dorms
- Crockery, cutlery, pots and pans must be hired
Web www.surfsidebackpackers.com.au
Email surfside@enternet.com.au
Sydney Beachouse YHA, Collaroy
After seeing the advertisement for this hostel in TNT magazine, Kris and
I decided to try this hostel. On arrival, I was pleased to find it very clean:
it's certainly a hostel of high standards. If you want some peace, rest here!
One of its staff members knows sign language in both Ausland and ISL. Another
staff member has a contact with Seven Network and she was able to tell me
when Home and Away were filming at Palm Beach. I was treated like a
VIP there. When I emailed the hostel to ask them to reserve beds, I was asked
do I work with Home and Away as the message about my site appears in
every email I send out. On arrival at the hostel, the hostel manager greeted
me. He offered us a family room, as there was no room, to my surprise. He
reduced the price down but it was still too expensive - more than the dorm.
He brought the price further down again and offered it to us for free. Even
better, we were allowed to stay there for THREE nights for FREE!
- You can ask the staff to make phone calls or use the fax free for local
calls. For overseas faxes, cheap rates in nearby internet cafe
- Fortunately, there is a teletext TV available for the use by hearing impaired
- There is a large kitchen open from 6am to 10pm. There is plenty of crockery.
You do not need to hire them
- You can keep yourself busy while staying there as there is free hire of
bicycles, surfboards, skateboards and body boards
- The staff are very friendly and the reception hours are very good and
long
- Free rides to the supermarket every few days
- Trips to Palm Beach to see where Home and Away is filmed
Web www.sydneybeachouse.com.au
Email mail@sydneybeachouse.com.au
Castle Backpackers, Clovelly
The hostel is popular with the English. There are good offers there such
as free barbecues more than once a week. Learn to surf here with its great
offer of free surf gear!
- The reception hours closed for lunch for 4 hours
- Fax available for a charge including local calls - for overseas faxes,
cheaper fax calls in newsagent across the road
- Small supermarket next door
- Two new kitchens
- A deposit is paid for crockery, which is refundable
- Initially, there was free internet 15 minutes daily but it was later reduced
to 30 minutes a week
- Good offers on some nights, such as free wine and cheese, and barbecues
for guests staying longer than three nights
- Free surf gear
Web www.castlebackpackers.com
Email info@castlebackpackers.com
Glebe Village Backpackers
Improvements were being made during my stay. The staff are very friendly
there and there is a nice relaxing setting. Great for Deaf travellers! The
hostel is close to the city and many sights such as Darling Harbour and the
Opera House. There are many cafes in Glebe village
The manager of this hostel says:
With the alarm system it is audio, but our staff members will be checking
the rooms, etc in case of emergency, and if we did have any deaf guests they
would be noted.
We have had many deaf guests over the years. I am fluent in Auslan (Australian
Sign) from that I have been able to talk to many deaf around the world. It
is definitely harder to talk to Americans but people from the UK is no problem.
I have never tried with the Irish, with your one handed sign.
We still have a DVD player, so if we have anybody that wants subtitles
they are available on them. I do not believe our TV has Teletext, it's not
a big thing in Australia.
My sign is a bit rusty, but comes up to speed when I use it. My ex was deaf
and I have had many deaf friends over the years, so my sign is a bit more
on the slang side rather than correctly spoken. I have confused many a deaf
person in the past that thought that I was deaf."
You would be very welcome at this hostel - I have enjoyed my stay there,
staying there twice. Give this hostel a try!
- Book exchange available
- The staff members are quite friendly and are willing to help, even with
phone calls and faxes (charge for faxes).
- Crockery and cutlery hired for $1 apiece, however, pots and pans are available
in the kitchen
- For the deaf, the hostel manager would be willing to look for DVDs containing
subtitles for the hearing impaired (please ask the manager in advance);
the DVDs are shown twice daily; three times a day on Sundays with last showing
with free popcorn.
- Free breakfast now introduced to all guests every morning
- Close to Glebe Point - you can walk around the park, view the sea and
the Anzac and Sydney Harbour bridges
- over $20 a night or $140 approx per week
- Broadway Shopping Centre, containing two supermarkets about 20 minutes
walk away
Web www.bakpakgroup.com Email infoglebe@bakpakgroup.com
Nimbin Backpackers/Granny's Farm, Nimbin
Relax in the countryside town, enjoy toasted marshmallows at night or a
few joints! When I asked one staff member about subtitled movies, she rang
the cinema to find out
- $18 per night
- Dorms of varying sizes
- Security: no dorm keys
- Kitchen fully equipped with freezer
- Breakfast in morning
- TV room next to kitchen
- Laundry
- Toilet and shower block- separate
- Large dorm of 16 beds has toilet and shower
- Close to village
- Staff are laid back
- Movie and meal for $13 (no subtitles)
Byron Bay Bunkhouse, Byron Bay
Stay in this brightly colourful hostel. The staff are extremely friendly
and laidback here and very willing to help you
- $20 per night
- Free breakfast consisting of pancakes with toppings of your choice and
unlimited amounts of toppings or pancakes
- TV on Sundays only
- Free hire of bodyboards and surf boards
- Mixed dorms
- Toilet and showers - not mixed
- Reception open all day until around 9:30pm
- Kitchen fully equipped
- Free crockery hire
- 1-min walk to supermarket
- Internet downstairs but free in town with voucher or in Backpackers World
- Security: dorm keys but no lockers: leave valuables in reception
Web www.byronbay-bunkhouse.com.au
Email byronbay@nrg.com.au
Bellingen Backpackers (YHA), Bellingen
The setting is a rainforest setting - relax in the hammocks and breathe
in the forest air!
- Mixed toilet and showers
- Fully equipped kitchen, clean
- Set near forest
- Package - accommodation, breakfast and meal for $31
- $20
- Dorms contain duvets
- Internet in village
- Environmentally friendly - recycling
- Security: no dorm keys
Email belloyha@midcoast.com.au
The Dag Inn, Nundle
You may do farmstay here. Try shearing sheep here!
- 8km from Nundle town for shops
- Dorms are mixed
- Toilets and showers are mixed
- Package - sheep shearing and tour, dinner, accommodation, breakfast $38.50
with free haircut if you need it!
- Security: none
- Duvets provided
- No TV
- Stay on free if you work
- Dag Inn is cleaner and less dusty than Dingo
Katoomba Falls Caravan Park, Katoomba
Owned by Blue Mountains County Council in the main town of the Blue Mountains.
The staff members are friendly and made calls for us, including booking a
taxi and are also informative about the area. The Blue Mountains National
Park is very close being just across the entrance to the caravan park
- $13 per person per night camping
- ½ hour walk to town
- TV
- Kitchen - no stoves, only barbecue
- Toilet and shower block - separate
- Security: key for toilets and showers
- Friendly staff
- Internet in town
- Large supermarket in town
- Across road is National Park for walks with views of Three Sisters
- Floodlit walk across road
- Washing machine $2, clothes line
- No book exchange
Blackheath Caravan Park
Also owned by Blue Mountains County Council, this caravan park is a short
walk from Blackheath village which makes it convenient for your shopping needs
- Friendly staff
- $10.50 pppn for camping
- $66.05 for mobile home per night accommodating up to six people
- TV in mobile home
- Kitchen fully equipped, stove, fridge and freezer
- Security: key for mobile home, toilet and shower block
- Toilet and showers are separate
- No large supermarket - small supermarket expensive in town
- National Park ½ hour walk away at Govetts Leap
- No book exchange
Glebe Lodge, Glebe
This is halfway between a house and hostel containing about 20 rooms. As
this is not a hostel, you cannot rely on staff for enquiries or services
- $90 per week, deposit is 2 weeks plus $50 key deposit refundable on 3-day
notice
- Kitchen limited: lack of sufficient crockery and cutlery
- Kitchen is not clean - share with cockroaches! Crockery and cutlery not
always washed properly
- Fridges and freezers, gas stoves with grill and oven, microwave
- Security: key for room and another one for front door though front door
not always closed
- No air conditioning - may need to open window but risk of break in
- Toilets and showers mixed - showers are good
- Close to Broadway Shopping Centre for supermarkets and shops
- No reception - need to call landlord if he is not around
- 25 min walk to Railway Square for trains
- Bus stop close by
- Cold water machine - laundrette a few minutes walk away
- Sheets provided
- Renovations under way so a lot of dust
- No lounge - dining area is high chairs and table
- Rooms are 2- or 4-share - may contain wardrobe, table, chairs, fridge
- Internet cafe near -$2 per hour but slow
- Dryer/wash $2
- Recyling of paper, glass, plastic, tins and cans
- Not great reputation - referred to as the 'drugs house'
- No book exchange
Broadway Inn, Broadway
This hostel is a new hostel, situated behind the garage and a short walk
from Central Station in Sydney. It is very clean and well maintaned
- Owner operated - reception is not staffed but manager can be called on
request
- Fully equipped and clean kitchen with plenty of crockery
- Gas cookers
- Hot wash and dry $2 each
- Toilet and showers are not mixed on one floor, mixed on another floor,
however you can use either
- $120pw/$20pn
- Close to city - 10 minute walk to Central Station
- TV
- Lounge and dining area
- Close to Broadway Shopping Centre
- Internet cafe less than a minute away or ten minute walk to unlimited
time internet cafes
- No recycling facilities
- No book exchange
- On first arrival, need to use intercom which is not possible if you cannot
hear the other end
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