Meet up with some mates in Hervey after staying at Beaches in Airlie Beach and this place rocks! Huge night in the bar, stumbled into a comfy bed, great breakie in the morning and then off to Fraser on an awesome trip which is a definate must do! Keep up the good work guys!
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(Review ID: 10537)
Brilliant, August 25, 2003
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Great hostel, friendly staff who know how to party, good meals in the restaurant and brilliant bar! Fraser Island is the best, we had an amazing trip - thanks, lookin forward to getting to the Whitesundays now and going sailing.
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(Review ID: 10538)
The absolute best!, August 25, 2003
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I'd have to say this comes close to one of the highlights of my trip round Oz! Fraser Island is the most amazing spot - we saw whales off the beach, it was unreal. The crew at the hostel were so cool, very helpful & the girls in reception are gorgeous!!! We're heading north now and will
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(Review ID: 10539)
the shocking truth, August 23, 2003
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Juliet
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Had a disaponting stay and trip with Beaches and of course we got conned just like everyone else. But, having read the previous reviews I asked around the car hire companies in Hervey Bay and was told that, John, the owner of Beaches Hostel also owns "Bay 4x4", and that is why they only use Bay 4x4 for their vehicles. So, no, bonds are not split with Beaches, Beaches gets the lot.Fraser island though was great and we did the trip again with another hire company through Fraser Roving Hostel and used one of their cars. Good car, good hostel and great guys (I should really say gals) to deal with.Travelling North now but will return.
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Hostel Manager's Right of Reply
Similar to a number of hostels in Hervey Bay, Beaches now operates it's own 4WD's in order to maintain control over the standard, safety and quality of the vehicles and the camping equipment. Bay 4WD has built an outstanding reputation in the past 12 months and it is the reviews that were posted on this website in March of 2003 that caused us to reassess the situation and take responsibility of the operation. Over the past 12 months Bay 4WD have replaced 17 of their older vehicles with new, and other vehicles less than 3 years old. Qualified staff maintain the vehicles mechanically and bodily, ensuring that each vehicle is tested on return from hire for any mechanical or safety defaults, and issues addressed. Bay 4WD also employs full time staff to clean and repack all camping equipment, making repairs where necessary and maintaining the gear to the highest standard. The cash bond system has been abolished and, similar to many other vehicle hire operations, the company retain a manual credit card slip for a $750 bond. Vehicles are checked by customers, with any defects, dints and scratches marked down prior to the hire. Where cars are returned in the condition they were hired in, the bond slip is returned to, and destroyed by the customer. Essentially, Bay 4WD now operates in exactly the manor that the majority of car hire companies operate. Beaches Backpackers 4WD Safari now operates a Base Camp on Fraser Island, which provides customers with immediate access to assistance should an issue arise with their vehicle, or any aspect of their trip. The operation of the Base Camp has enabled Beaches to further strengthen the level of customer service, allowing us to address any concerns if and when they arise. Feedback since the implementation of the above has been nothing short of outstanding, and we will certainly be endeavouring to ensure that this continues.
(Review ID: 10540)
Great atmosphere, sensational Bar!!!, June 6, 2003
Reviewer:
Simon Black
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Loved it! Very clean hostel with friendly staff on reception and in the Bar. Room we stayed in had an ensuite & very comfy beds. Beaches Bar is wicked - great place to party, you can dance on the tables, and the Bar doesn't close till you stop drinking!
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4 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 10541)
Fraser Island with Beaches - a rip off!!, March 14, 2003
Reviewer:
Ang
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After hearing such good reviews of 4wd Self Drive trip around Fraser Island from some of my friends, i decided to book my trip as a package deal with Beaches, which wasnt the cheapest but offered the best combination of what i wanted.The hostel itself it quite nice,clean and has good facilities.But i found the staff quite rude and not very helpful!!However, the main problem was the actual 4wd hire compnay that beaches use and the lack of help we received from Beaches when we incurred problems with that company!The truck itself was quite badly damaged when we got it, including the seat in the back which was really uncomfortable for those sitting on it.In the breifing before we went we had to put down a $500 bond as security for the car and was told the only way to lose it was to drive it over a cliff!!Well, after having an ok time on Fraser Island the problems started when we took the 4wd back to the compnay(BAY 4WD), where we were met by some of the staff one of which was completely arrogant to us! He started to inspect the car and started rhyming off random, imaginary things that were wrong with the car!!Including salt water damage which apparently results in an automatic loss of the bond!So after the condisending lecture by the guy whose attitude towards us was riduculous and very hostile he said he was taking our bond off us and no matter what we said he was not for moving!It appeared suspicious to us at the time especially since they asked for it in cash! Afterwards, we later found out that 3 out of the four groups who went out that same day had similar probelms and another group had to pay for a scratch on the bonnet!!This 4wd company Bay 4wd are in my opinion a direct reflection on beaches as they continue to use and promote this company and even although we told a staff member at reception about this no further action was taken by them!!We also found out later that beaches actually get a cut of the $500 bond, which seems to be a bit of scam on both parts but especially Bay 4wd. So be very wary of the Self Drive package offered by them!
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(Review ID: 10542)
Average hostel, March 13, 2003
Reviewer:
scott
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I decided to stay at beaches beacause I had 2 free nights accomodation as part of an east coast package I had booked. My Fraser island self drive trip was also run from beaches. I found the place to be ok in general but compared to other hostels I've stayed at in oz it was below par. Staff were ok but not overly helpful. It's located a fair walk from all the shops also. I had time to check out a few of the other hostels in hervey bay whilst there, of which the best i felt was fraser roving. Better location than beaches, better facilities and genuinely friendly staff.The big disappointment was the 4wd company(bay 4wd) that beaches uses for their fraser trips. Before leaving we were treated like royalty, lots of smiles etc. Upon returning the vehicle, we were immediately confronted with a hostile attitude and a phantom list of faults on the vehicle. Trying to discuss these just made the guy more aggresive and he walked away. The result was a lost $500 bond, which was taken in cash rather than by credit card. This I felt was very suspicious. After returning to beaches I discovered that the same thing had happened to another group the same day, so 2 out of the 4 groups were treated in this way (a nice little earner over the course of a week or month!). I also have since learnt of simliar events from other backpackers, so it wasn't an isolated incident.After informing beaches management of this, the most they were able to offer was to have a "chat" with the guy at bay 4wd. A very bad end to an otherwise enjoyable trip.
