As I was heading south by bus I dropped into the backpacker just after lunch time. That backpacker stands out with its colour so bright and contrasty. Joe greeted me, who is a great guy to talk to with a good sense of humour. The staff has travelled themselves and know what is appropriate and necessary for a good hostel.... More

Stayed here in January during peak season, just drove north from Franz Josef. (about 220km). Beautiful location, wish I got there earlier to enjoy a longer walk and take in the scenery. Staff were well organised and I remember they sold fresh bread and eggs on site (the hostel isn't in a town location). The other guests seemed to be... More

We loved the location, almost on the beach, with large windows in the kitchen/dining room/lounge looking out on the water. Our room was large, with a big window, and everything in the hostel was very clean. The setting on the west coast, not far from the Pancake Rocks National Park, is lovely, with white, sandy beaches and tropical-looking bush covering... More

Hostel is right on the beach and a shortish walk from blowholes and all walking tracks. Most importantly, there is NO general store, supermarket or petrol station for 45 mins in any direction. It's nice to feel isolated BUT make sure you have enough food before arriving!!! Also very sketchy cell reception. Again nice to be away from it but... More

Stayed here only one night but felt like at home. They have 2 buildings. The main building has the office, some dorm rooms and a direct access to the beach. The second building is one street away and the rooms are big and very clean. Kitchen is well equipped and the loung cosy. Good place to rest for some time.

Warm & homely, but kitchen area too small especially including all the campers on site! Wireless available - good value & steps a drag, could do with screens in front of door & windows to keep bugs outside at night

We were originally planning to camp, but when we arrived it was raining and upgraded to a room for an extra 20 NZD. This turned out to be a great call, since the room was very comfortable (and the tent sites we saw weren't particularly impressive). The owner was very friendly and threw in towel service for free. Later when... More

The punakaiki beach hostel is a nice place to stay for a couple of nights. You can see the amazing sunsets right from the hostels balkony and listen to the sound of the waves while bedingt in bed. The hostel was clean and tidy. Unfortunately Internet/WiFi was 10 (!) Nzd per day! They should increase the price per night by... More

The hostel is on the beach as the name suggests. We arrived without a booking and the friendly owner said go and have a look at a few rooms and let me know which one you'd like! We chose room 2 as we could see the sea from it. The room had a big, solid, comfortable bed. The room was... More