1 Nelly Bay Road, Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island Tel (07) 4778 5777 or 1800 24 BASE Websitewww.stayatbase.com
BUG review
This is a great hostel with a beautiful waterfront location. The dorms are set in cabins fronted by wide wooden balconies; some are A-frames, which are too small but have comfortable beds and air conditioning. Girls can opt for a Sanctuary dorm, which is more spacious and comes with towels, a spa kit, and a free drink (worth the extra $4). The double rooms are gorgeous A-frame cabins on the water with great views. The bathrooms are clean, but the shower fittings need replacement, and some of the rooms are quite far away from the shared facilities. There is a very small and dirty "tent kitchen" with a canvas roof and old appliances. There is a dive school on-site with cheap courses. There is also a bar, a beachfront swimming pool, an open common room with pool tables, and an internet café ($6 per hour). Full moon parties are held almost every month and are extremely popular, so book ahead.
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Price Dorm bed $26-30 Bed in a canvas tent $20 Double room $95-110 Camping $12 per person Prices are in Australian dollars and are inclusive of all taxes.
Pros:
The cheap dive course
Cons:
The tiny tiny dorms
Angel76
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 12624)
My sister and I stayed here for a week because we did the dive course. The course was excellent, totally worth the money, and the instructor was lovely.
On our first night there we stayed in an 8 bed dorm. You could fit the beds in, but not much else. It was very cramped, very hot and people were constantly coming in and out.
For the rest of the stay we stayed in one of their tents, which is like a little room with 2 beds and a fan in it, and then has the canvas walls which you zip up. I loved these. There was enough room for 2 people, they were cool and you didn't have loads of people coming in and out.
The rest of the hostel is good. The kitchen was small, but clean and had everything you needed. The bar sold cheap drinks, and the outside area has hammocks so you can just sit around and chill.
Pros:
the full moon party
Cons:
the bathrooms, kitchen, attitude of the staff, location
jen25678
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 7485)
I booked a steal deal $99 for 3 nights with other stuff included like a breakfast and an hour's internet, it really wasn't worth the money! The rooms look pretty staying in little cabins but they are tiny, dirty and hot. there were big cockroaches in my room and neither the air con or the fan worked. The location is rubbish it's miles away from anywhere, unless you have a car you're stuck waiting for the bus which is only 2 dollars but this can be expensive if you want to get to the shops and back or to the beaches and back! The full moon party is ok, not as good as the hype. it's really awful music, the drinks are stupidly expensive and limited. The staff were really rude as well.Make sure you have enough money to eat out the kitchen is horrible, everything was covered in flies when i went, it was hot and dirty.
Getting rather dated, this place is ok if you are just up for a one night party 15 December 2007
Pros:
Great for a noisy rap party
Cons:
Very noisy, very isolated
lorkers
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(4)
(Review ID: 7440)
Base at Magnetic was Base's first "Flashpacker" hostel, and it's now getting a little tired around the edges. Worst are the budget doubles - $70 may be cheap in the scheme of things, but they are very basic, and with only a tiny portable fan. The flashier doubles come with TVs and Aircon, and are probably worth it just for that. The dorms are VERY cramped, and get amazingly hot in summer with the sun beating down on the tin roof.The pool is OK, but filled with seawater (so it does look a bit cloudy / mucky) but at least you can go in it - unlike the sea which for half the year is out of bounds thanks to the stingers. Also, dive schools take over the pool in the mid morning and mid afternoon - you'll be herded out of the pool area when this happens.I walked to supermarket in Nelly Bay - that took about half an hour. You can do it, or take the $2 bus. There is nothing closer - the hostel is literally on an isolated bend in the road.The bar is enormous - but with very strict security at the infamous full moon parties, with different coloured sets of wristbands so guests can get to their rooms / the bathrooms but not order a drink at the bar unless they buy a separate $20 full moon ticket. The parties go on to 5am, and are amazing loud so don't stay here unless you are up for it. The bar uses the same sound system to play music at deafening volume from the start of the afternoon too. Sadly the bar manager is heavily into gangster Rap, so you have the strange sight of most people cowering in the furthest green patch to get away from the noise.In short, it's fine, but only if you are up for a very big, noisy, party.
This hostel in a disgrace to the BASE name! 3 July 2006
Pros:
Ferral cat family provided some ammusement.
Cons:
Kitchen was beyond belief - worst ever!
TheBazatron
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
(Review ID: 560)
Having stayed in several nice BASE hostels in NZ, and the fact that one of their full moon (not on a full moon) parties was on, we decided to stay here in April. Big mistake!
Our room had no air-con which I was amazed about considering how much we were paying a night, but what realy pissed me off was when we found out that other rooms (shacks) that were paying the same price, did have air-con. What a con! The worst thing about this hostel was the kitchen. It was the dirtiest kitchen I saw all trip, hygene standards werent aided by the family of ferral cats, several collanies of ants, and millions of flies. There was no cutlary, pots or pans and the they might aswell not have had a fridge for all the good it did.
Having slated this hostel, it wasn't all bad, a the pool area, bar area and the quality of food served were all good. But its not a patch on the other BASE hostels we stayed in and it is far too expensive.
This is a good hostel and I had a great time lots to do and the wether was great. Loved Magnetic iland awsome the full moon party felt a bit the next day overall great placeThanksTony W.
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Jo
London, UK
Beautiful view, shame about the facilities 18 January 2006
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Jo
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 10702)
I normally shy away from 'chain hostels' but was told Base Magnetic was the exception to the rule. Yes, it is a beautiful location and the set up is nice, but that's about it. The kitchen is a disgrace, it needs to be cleaned more than once a day for the amount of people who use it, some of the hobs don't work (electric and take ages to heat anything) and there are few utentsils. The washing machines weren't working when I was there due to a storm which is understandable but no effort seemed to be made to fix them. I was told I could go by bus to the next hostel to use their machines but there was no offer to pay my bus fare for the inconvenience. The bar is nice but I recommend taking earplugs if you want to sleep before midnight. I was there for a full moon but no party :( apparently it wasn't busy enough, although I would hate to see it when its crowded. The bathrooms were ok but at least 2 toilets were out of order. The dorms were small but do at least have a locker under the bunk which will fit a backpack so you can put it out the way. I must mention the dive school there, I didn't dive with them but when I talked to them they were very helpful and friendly and went out of their way to help me. From what I saw of the training it seemed very thorough.
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12 people found this review helpful
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A Gusti
BC-CANADA
Beautiful Place 29 November 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
A Gusti
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 10703)
Overall the place is amazing, absolutely beautiful. However the facilities aren't so great. The dorm rooms can be really far from the bathroom depending on which dorm room number you get, and there were a few creepy crawlies, but not harmful. The Kitchen is alright, if there's less than 5 people in it. The pool is small but if you want to just relax its a nice spot to just lay in the sun by the pool. Its right on the beach but no one goes on it or swims in it because its not a nice beach. You can have a free tour of the island which is nice, but its just a drive around it. Theres a bus that goes to the different beaches as well. The nightlife sucks if youre up for partying Djs come, but theyre not good. You can go to the other side of the island to some drinking places, but when you try to taxi back theres only one taxi on the island at night and it took me 1hr to get a taxi. If youre travelling alone I wouldnt recommend it because its a big place and not social at all... kind of boring, but if youre looking to visit maggie isl, and just relax, this is the place to go. Depending on what you look for, and if youre with people, this can be a great place, but it can also not be.
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12 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
UK
great location, but .. 17 August 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 10704)
this place really does have a fantastic location, the first room we stayed in opened out onto the beach. But the kitchen is a major letdown, it is tiny for the amount of people, and as the food is quite expensive ($8 for stirfry and no lunch available), you need to cook. I waited 40 mins for a pan one evening, and it was usually packed. The bar was good, we stayed for the full moon party 22nd july, which was v expensive - $4.50 a can of tooheys, and they patrolled and searched everywhere for BYO alcohol, a little excessive. There isnt much to do if it rains as it did for 3 of the days i was there, it lacks a nice tv or quiet room. they installed lockers under the beds one day, so security isnt bad. The bathrooms are fine, but are a little walk from the furthest huts. I would recommend staying in one of the tipee thingys, whcih were only $15 a night, and were only for 2 ppl, but were huge. Overall, a relatively good hostel, with a gerat bar, although it closed early at 12, but dont stay more than a couple of nights here!
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12 people found this review helpful
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Jordan
England
It's pretty shocking! 30 June 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Jordan
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
(Review ID: 10705)
Okay it's right on the beach but the beach isn't that great. It has a pool which is okay. Apart from that its poor. The rooms are small and crawling with ants. The bathrooms are large but not very clean and the kitchen is an absolute disgrace (but to be honest its the people who stop there that are to blame). Yeah it has a nice bar area but there is no chance of sleeping before it closes! My recommendation, stop elsewhere!
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Smiles!
Planet Earth
Base - the number ONE place on Maggie! 21 June 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Smiles!
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 10706)
Stayed at base Maggie on my north-bound east-coast adventure and - well - WOW! This place is incredible! For starters it is literally "on the beach" - when you walk to the dorm rooms you have sand between your toes! The facilities - brand new - and if not, upon chatting to the staff you quickly learn of their plans of renovation and rejuvanation. And the staff - well you can't find a much friendlier bunch - always willing to help you out (especially Deni on reception and Tim the scooter guy!) Speaking of scooters you can hire them right from the premises - none of the phoning around and making a booking business - it's all right there - along with kayaks and snorkels and bikes - so handy!!! I stayed at 2 other places on Maggie and would definitely recommend base first time everytime. And as for those people who complain - it is important to remember that this place is still a backpackers and if you want room service and a jacuzzi you ought to spend up huge and stay in a hotel. But if it's good times, great adventures and amazing experiences (watch the sunrise!) you're after base is the place for sure!
lots to do and the wether was great. Loved Magnetic iland awsome the full moon party felt a bit 
the next day overall great placeThanksTony W. 
