5 quirky Australian youth hostels

At Australian youth hostels pools or spas are the norm and with 24 hour access at all hostels, no age limits, and family rooms and double rooms as well as the traditional dormitory rooms starting at £8 per night hostels do really welcome everyone and are truly affordable.

There is a great choice throughout the country ranging from beach resorts to modern city living to outback ranches. All have great facilities including internet cafes, self catering kitchens, social areas to meet other travellers, barbecue areas and much more. With flights now starting at around £500, a two week holiday in Australia can be less than a European package holiday and there are no single supplements for travelling alone.

Here are 5 quirky hostels to whet your appetite.

MAGNETIC ISLAND - KOALA CRAZY

Ever wanted to snuggle up to a koala? At Bungalow Bay Koala Village YHA on the idyllic Magnetic Island in tropical Queensland you can enjoy a “Sleep with Koala” experience. For the more active there is reef snorkelling, horse riding on the beach and bush trails. The accommodation consists of rustic A-frame bungalows which serve to enhance the away-from-it-all feel of the island. This is a must for adventurers and animal lovers alike!

The hostel, which has won Australia’s Best Backpacker Hostel at the Australian Tourism Awards has an Asian Wok and Curry House, an atmospheric open air bar and hammocks for relaxing around the pool. Nightly rates from £12.

ROBE - TO THE MANOR BORN

Just because you don’t have aristocratic connections doesn’t mean you can’t stay in a palace! Heritage listed, Lakeside Manor YHA is a Grand 1880’s Sandstone Mansion which has been transformed into affordable YHA lodging. Built in 1882 by Sir George Danby, originally an English immigrant from Suffolk, he modeled the house on one of his family’s English properties. The interior is palatial in every sense with a hallway the size of two cricket pitches! The rooms themselves are spacious and bright with high ceilings and large bay windows. Considered one of Australia’s loveliest hostels its location is perfect for exploring the nearby historic seaside village of Robe and its beaches.

For the more adventurous Lakeside manor provides free bikes, surfboards and kayaks. There is also a volleyball court on site. However strolling through the Manor’s magnificent gardens and orchard may just be all the exercise you need before settling down on one of the many comfortable couches in the luxurious Library Room. Nightly rates from £13.

MYELLA FARMSTAY YHA – RAW HIDE!

Ever fancied yourself as a cowhand? Long to throw a lasso? Dream of dinner under the stars around a campfire after a hard day on the ranch? At Myella Farmstay YHA you can experience the true outback way of life on a genuine cattle farm, just 125kms from Rockhampton in Queensland. Here you will get to ride horses and motorbikes to gather the cattle, learn to milk cows and feed the animals as well as having lessons in lassoing and you will also be encouraged to become involved in all aspects of running the farm, this includes mucking out the cowsheds!

This hostel is also known for caring for injured kangaroos and wallabies and guests are welcome to help bottle-feed the young kangas. Packages available, including transfers from Rockhampton, accommodation, all meals and activities. 2 day / 1 night package from £100 per person.

APOLLO BAY – GO GREEN

Eco Beach YHA proves that you can provide stylish décor and guest comfort and still be kind to the environment. Apollo Bay is an essential stop along the Great Ocean Road, nestled between the rainforests of the Otway Ranges and the Apollo Bay surf beach.

Eco Beach YHA is an architecturally designed and visually pleasing hostel which utilises passive solar design and clever zoning techniques to reduce the level of energy consumption, with the aim of using 50% less water and energy than conventional accommodation. At the hostel there are two spacious communal lounges, two fully equipped kitchens, several outdoor balconies and a rooftop deck offering spectacular views across the bay and coast in one direction and the Otways in the other.

It is a stone’s throw from the main street and the beach, with a great range of activities including the rainforest, waterfalls, surfing, kayaking, seal colony, paragliding, horse riding on the beach, the Otway Fly treetop walk and the Great Ocean Walking track. Overnight rates from £14.

RAILWAY SQUARE YHA - SYDNEY

In the heart of Sydney, Railway Square YHA is a purpose built hostel adjacent to the central railway station. Located on the former goods yard for the station, the hostels incorporates a disused railway platform and the railway feel carries on into the bedrooms with some being designed to look like railway carriages. The hostel has a retro warehouse feel and with an outdoor splash pool it is a really ‘cool’ place to hang out on steamy Sydney summer days. Nightly rates £15.

For reservations or other information about planning a trip to Australia visit the award-winning website - yha.com.au.