my favourite hostels

[lotr fan]

We are stilll here till may but upto now our faves

tailor made in lake tekapo - cool owners really friendly, nice hostel all around.
hippo lodge - qtn - friendly staff, fab view from the lounge over the lake, free pancakes in the mornings, nice rooms.

we also stayed in

hogwartz-dunedin
coachman-chch
empire hotel-oamaru
jolly poacher-dunedin
seqouia lodge-picton
the bug-nelson
annies nirvana lodge-golden bay
new excelsior-chch(avoid this one, noisy at night, dirty sheets)

they were ok but some not worthy of the high percentage.(overrated)

we found the beds too hard in hogwartz, unfriendly owner and smallkitchen in coachman, no storage space in rooms in empre hotel, not enough kitchen utensils in jolly poacher.

Hope I helped somewhat

[stuart.jm]

Woodlands in Kerikeri is great, very clean, quiet, large pool, two mins flat walk to town. Internet,sype, only private rooms, no dorms, but if your travelling with others, its worth a look.

[Andrea_85]

Uhm, I dont think there is a Woodlands backpacker in Kerikeri...by the way if you come in this area go and stay at Farm Hostel Backpacker, its a beautiful house surrounded by a citrus orchard; the place is clean and both owner and manager are nice and funny people.
I cannot try the swimming pool coz its quite cold at the time

Avoid Hone Heke Lodge; the place is not that bad but for me and a lot of people who were there has been a really unfriendly place. I am talking about the manager of the business. the travellers were great people tough :)

safe travel to everybody

[msrach]

okay, ive been here for 4ish months now and here are some of my faves.

christchurch - fraurenheius women's hostel. totally spotless, lotsa herbs/seasoning/tea/coffee/hot chocolate. awesome bathroom - seems more like a dressing room for ladies with all the mirrors and hair dryers! laundry was free as well. in winter, i only paid $17 each night in a 4-share dorm and it came complete with linen, duvet and a towel! what more can you ask for?!

kaikoura - sunrise lodge. if you're looking for a small family-run backpackers as opposed to a large party one, sunrise lodge is the place to be. i think there are only 6 or 7 rooms, no tv, clean kitchen and the hosts are friendly.

picton - tombstone's is a purpose-built backpackers, clean, spotless and the beds are comfy (: i especially liked the huge tv, pool table and the gym!

picton - the villa. it''s an old but clean villa, with lots of herbs and stuff for guests.

greymouth - neptunes. i didnt like greymouth but neptunes was great. the bakery next door delivers the leftovers (think sandwiches, burgers, pies etc) at 4pm to the hostel and it's free for everyone. no bunks, which is always a plus, towel and bubble bath! kitchen was a little small though. oh yes, free breakfast as well (:

wanaka - purple cow. no need to say anymore given all the earlier raves.

oamaru - empire hotel. love this place! free internet, comfy beds, lots of lounges to have a chat with people. met lots of lovely people here.

omarama - buscot station. this is almost like a farmstay but minus all the unpleasantless! you get to stay in the HOME of the owner of the farm. tony is such a delightful man. it's a chilled out atmosphere, very few people, and a good place to catch your breathe.

lake tekapo - tailor-made backpackers. again no tv, but a nice warm lounge to hang out, clean kitchen to cook, and nice rooms. bed and no bunks, and very warm blankets/duvets.

wellington - YHA. this is possibly the most well-managed hostel ive ever been to. there are two large kitchens, millions of stoves and cooking equipment, large dining areas/lounges. the tv room uses a projector. the rooms are clean and large, with ensuite facilities. would def recommend!

taupo - tiki lodge. im staying here right now and i love it! there's ample dining space, clean kitchen and a nice warm lounge. the whole place is decorated with maori stuff which is cool, but is modern as well. absolutely spotless and the hosts are so helpful. there's a spa which i have yet to try. haha.. the view from the kitchen/diining area is gorgeous. you can see the snow-capped mountains!

[mew]

Some of my faves so far...

Crash Palace in Rotorua. Lee at the desk is very friendly and told us about a ton of free places to check out. It's laid back and the beds are really comfy.

Bay Adventurer in Paihia. It's relatively new so it's really clean. $1 towels. And it's right on Kings Rd so you have access to all the night spots while still being able to go home to a small, quiet room. :)

And to Yoz, thanks for the heads up about Cairns. Will check out JJs while I'm there next week.