The best hostels in New Zealand.

New Zealand is really well set up for backpackers. There's so many hostels to choose from at each stop it's hard to know which are the best bunk beds in town. Fear not, I've done the research and would recommend checking in to the below...

First, some advice:

Wifi isn't free in a lot of new Zealand's hostels, particularly up north. Many of them use pay-to-use networks which require regular top ups which, although can handily by done via your card, really start to add up. We were paying $4 for 24hr access to the Global Gossip network. You can buy a 7 day pass for $12 which I would recommend because you can keep signing in at your next stop.

Key deposits are popular, ranging from $10-20 per key. You can pay on card for these but it's handy to have cash, and I'd advise only taking as many keys as are necessary - we'd get one between the three of us.

Label your food. People stay for weeks in these hostels and really start to make themselves at home. Make sure your stuff doesn't get lost in the fridge by clearly labelling. This'll also ensure your stuff isn't chucked out during the weekly fridge clean.

Where to stay.

Roturua: Rock Solid.

Rock solid is a huge hostel, ideally located in the centre of town just minutes from the bus stop and round the corner from the main restaurant/bar strip. Set across two floors, it boasts a large kitchen, two lounges, communal bathrooms, a DVD room and free wifi. The lounge overlooks an indoor climbing wall below where you'll receive a 20% discount as guests. This place has loads of potential and is set up to be a great hostel, however the atmosphere fell a little flat when we were there. The main reason for my recommendation? Rock solid had the comfiest beds we slept on in our month in NZ. $26 per night, 4-bed dorm communal bathroom.

Taupo: Taupo urban retreat.

The large 16 bed dorm at the Urban Retreat is located in the roof of the wooden chalet-style building. It's social,  in an excellent location, offers $5 chilli every evening, cheap bike hire, a DVD room and free computers in reception. The bar is the cheapest happy hour in town with pitchers of beer for $12 and g&t's for four. Wifi is extra, $4 for 24hours or $12 for a week's pass on global gossip (see above). The staff were really friendly, there's a large garden area for al fresco dinner and a free phone to check the status of our skydive while you're there. $23 per night, 16 bed dorm communal bathroom.

Wellington: Base.

I didn't want to recommend staying at Base, because it's a chain that is everywhere and it's set up reflects that: packages for weekly stays, meals for $3 every night, tours operated from the hostels, fines for drinking in the room etc.etc. But Base was the cheapest place we could find in Wellington and we actually enjoyed our three night stay. Location wise you can't really beat it, as it sits at the end of Courtney Place. Set across five floors, Base attracts long stayers and our three roommates were all staying in the city and looking for work (Craig had been staying in the same bunk for 7 weeks.) Socially though this was one of the better places we stayed; it was buzzy at most hours of the day/night, the kitchen was packed at meal times, there's a bar downstairs with happy hour from 8-10pm and, despite the squeaky beds, it was comfortable and the showers were hot. $23 per night, 4 bed dorm communal bathroom.

Marahau (Abel Tasman): The Barn.

In the summer The Barn is a huge camping and caravaning site, spreading across a number of fields and overlooking the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. We were there off-season but would still recommend it, despite the slightly inflated pricing. We shared a 4-bed dorm which had recently been renovated. It was clean, warm and comfortable (no bunk beds either!) The large communal area boasts a huge DVD room, a big kitchen and a free phone. Toliets and showers are in outside blocks but were remarkably mosquito-free and the showers were hot. The shop stocks over-priced must-haves for your trip into the park including wine and beers, they also rent camping gear and will help out with booking your trip into the park. There's luggage storage too, for a dollar a day, but the water taxi guys will store this for free so I'd do that... $30 per night, 4 bed dorm communal bathroom.

Nelson: Paradiso.

We were pretty gutted to have only been here for one night. The hostel was probably one of the best we stayed in, and we could have stayed put. The pool and hot tub were definitely part of the attraction, along with free breakfast, free soup at 6pm, free wifi and clean, comfortable rooms. The place had an awesome vibe about it, with spontaneous games of volleyball taking place every now and again and a busy, communal kitchen area. $26 per night, 4 bed dorm en-suite bathroom.

Franz Josef: Chataeu Franz.

We had four nights in Franz Josef and chose Chateau Franz as our temporary home. Sit Cedric's is an independant chain of hostels which are spreading across the South Island. They've got a refreshing approach to hosteling, are fun, affordable and don't have the stingy attitude that the successful, large chains do. Wifi was free, breakfast was also free, soup was served (for free) at 1pm every day accompanied by hot rolls and breads from the bakery. The DVD room is big and busy, the hot tub is open until 9 every day, and over the weekends and during the summer the fire pit is lit and BBQs take place. Benjamin, the manager, has big plans for the place, telling us about climbing walls and extensions. I couldn't really recommend here more. $25 a night, 4 bed en-suite.

Queenstown: Southern Laughter 

We stayed here, and I can't not recommend it because it was perfect for us: great location, affordable, free soup, free wifi, hot showers etc. Having stayed at the other Sir Cedric's hostel in Franz Josef, we were able to secure a good rate for our five night stint. Beds were comfy, kitchen was big and tea was free. There's a great roof terrace which gets sun most of the day too. The only downside is that it's not Nomads and I fear it won't ever be.

$23 per night, 3 bed communal bathroom. 

Queenstown: Nomads

We didn't stay here because it was expensive, and it really is compared to other hostels in town. Thing is, these guys get away with the inflated pricing because it is the best place to stay if you want to see the best of Queenstown. It's based in the centre of town in a modem multi-storey building, and it's where people go and end up extending because they're not ready to leave. 

$30+ per night 

Wellington, North Island, New Zealand.

I loved windy Wellington. The little city had such a cool and quirky vibe to it. It was sort of a cross between Brighton, Shoreditch and Malibu; all kitsch cafés and cocktail bars, hillside residences, stunning beaches with people paddle boarding offshore, live music and hipsters. 

Here's how we spent our few days:

Day 1

We headed to Wellington for Labour Weekend, which is a bank holiday in New Zealand. Accommodation prices were up and buses were booking fast, so we were sure to book ahead. We booked our accommodation through nakedbus because it was the cheapest we could find. At $23 per night we found ourselves in a 6 bed dorm at Base hostel, which is located at the end of Courtney Place (one of main party strips in town.) The hostel was huge, the beds were squeaky, the showers communal and the residents long-term. People come to Wellington and stay in Wellington, and it's not hard to see why. The three other travellers in our dorm were long-stays, with Craig entering his 7th week in the same bunk bed. The huge communal kitchen and eating area were a bit of a draw, along with the happy hour prices in the downstairs bar, which put g&t's at $4 from 8-10pm. 

Nights out in Wellington start late. We headed out at 10ish and weren't pissed enough for the local Friday night crowd. We were also really under dressed in our vans and hoodies, but our choice was pretty minimal considering the sub-zero conditions. Nonetheless we headed to Mishmosh, ordered the $10 cocktails and danced on the coldest dance floor in the history of the world. It was a cool bar, and is definitely one of the busiest on the Courtney Place strip. We found ourselves in a strange club until 2ish (I was carried there by a Kiwi), and stumbled home in time to wake the whole dorm up with my mini torch and our incessant giggles. 

Day 2

Walk along the promenade and through Oriental bay. It's beautiful and will remind you of Malibu or California or somewhere really warm.

It's worth doing the hike up to Mount Victoria. The sun was shining for us and the 30minute walk to the top, (there's a small chance we took a wrong turning) caused Lou to get a SULA and us all to be pretty pleased we'd opted to be scandily clad tourists for the day. The view is bloody great. 

We headed to Cuba Street for lunch, to Southern Cross, a highly recommended pub the far end of the hipster hangout. 

Southern Cross

It had one of the best beer gardens I've been in and decor that wouldn't have been out of place in Brixton. A huge jug of coffee cost just $3 and we got toasted wraps for $8 each. With live music at the weekends, free BBQs on Fridays and Saturdays and an array of other events running throughout the week, Southern Cross is my top recommendation for this city. 

Lunch!

Take your time to stroll down Cuba street and visit some of it's awesome vintage shops, as well as it's arty boutiques and craft stores. If you've an eye for a bargain you won't be disappointed. 

We ate dinner at The Laundry for $20 a head. Try the gumbo if you ever visit; the African style fish rice stew was amazing. 

For cocktails we headed to Good Luck bar, where the cocktails were BOGOF so we got 6 between us for £7 each - not bad though the place lacked atmosphere and you might be better off paying more and going to the famous Matterhorn which is two doors down. 

Live music at Southern Cross topped off our night, though you could party til the early hours on this town if you're pockets were full and you were fully tanked before heading out.

Day 3

The Sunday market is a definite must do, mainly for the cheap fresh fruit and veg on offer but also for the whitebait fritters, great coffee and the best dumplings I've ever eaten. Head inside for the House of Dumplings stand and follow the crowd for the $2-a-parcel gourmet parcels of gorgeousness. 

If you have time, visit the Te Papa museum. We didn't and we should've done because everyone raved about it. 

For brunch, head to Sweet Mothers Place on Courtney Place. The small cafe with outside seating was constantly busy and served up a great South American inspired menu complete with thick milkshakes, black bean nachos and huge toasted wraps. 

Moving on... If you're staying at Base or YHA, there is a shuttle bus that runs from outside the latter to the ferry terminal for just $3. Get on it, because the walk is so much longer than you think.

We're crossing the channel on the interislander ($52 pp), so next you hear from us we'll be in the South Island! 

Hello hangover.

L, L & A. X