BUG review
This hostel is in an old but well-maintained house. It has a large fully-equipped kitchen and a very cosy lounge with a nice log fireplace and plenty of books. Dorms are spacious and have made-up beds with good quality mattresses. The bathrooms are small but clean. The house is surrounded by forests and herb gardens, and there are “bush baths” – heated bathtubs to relax in down by the river. It has a very quiet, retreat-like atmosphere, but at night there is plenty of socialising among guests. There are laundry facilities, internet access and lots of tours to take in the area. They hire kayaks for $35 a day.
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Price Dorm bed $26 ($23 BBH) Double/twin room $62-80 ($56-74 BBH) Prices are in New Zealand and are inclusive of all taxes.
Credit cards MasterCard, Visa 2.75% credit card surcharge
Very clean, very relaxed place to stay. Be prepared for the long drop and the small shower to guest ratio but that all comes with staying in a laid-back, atmospheric place. This was the most relaxing hostel I stayed at and is truley a place to come and stay at to have a vacation! They had free bike hire and the hot baths by the stream didn't work while I was there but I could imagine in summer they'd be fabulous.
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Jenny and Gerry Edghill
(jennyslake@wn.com.au)
from Walpole, nr Tree Top Walk, Western Australia
Walpole, nr Tree Top Walk, Western Australia
Lovely old house with organic garden. 1 August 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Jenny and Gerry Edghill
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
(Review ID: 12015)
The homestead is in immaculate condition with good quality, comfortable furniture. There is a pine self-contained double chalet in the garden. The emphasis at The Innlet in on the environment, and re-cycling is encouraged. There is a large organic garden.A surprise was the toilet which is a biological earth toilet - no smell or flies, and spotlessly clean. The toilet was the first of its kind in New Zealand.There are wonderful day trips one can take from here - exploring Farewell Spit which is still forming as a result of sand being blown northwards up the coast, and which has abundant bird-life; exploring the Kaihoka Lakes also formed by the sand blowing northwards and blocking the river exits; going along the Anatori Track which passes through the miniscule township of Manganakau and down to the river Anatori. It is an isolated track but well worth the effort. We went by car, but there are buses which call at The Innlet every day.There is a caravan park a couple of kms away on the Spit with a well-stocked shop, if you need to buy food.We loved The Innlet, and strongly recommend it.ps. Don't forget to take a taxi boat to one of the beaches on the Abel Tasman Trail and walk through to the next beach. The boat will pick you up at a specified time. Also visit the Te Waikoropupu (Pupu) Springs and the Ngarau Caves on Marble Mountain. They are unique.If you're in WA, why not call in and see us at Jenny's Lake? Our web page is www.walpole.org.au/jennyslake.html
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Maria
San Francisco, CA
Great cozy place! 7 May 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Maria
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 12016)
The Innlet was a great cozy place which felt like home. The owners are really cool and welcoming. I stayed in the dorms and it worked out great- met a lot of really interesting people. One thing different about this hostel is that it has separate day and night-time toilets. The day time toilet is a few steps away from the house. It is actually a long-drop. If you don't know what that is - think port-o-potty (composting toilet where you add a can of wood-shavings after you're done to aid in the composting process). The night-time toilet is in the actual house. They also have a washer and extra long line for you to do your laundry. The whole atmosphere is very calming and relaxing. They have a beautiful garden and have an awesome hike that starts at the Innlet itself where at the summit, you get awesome views of Golden Bay. The biggest highlight of staying at the Innlet was the opportunity to go clam-digging at the nearby beach. The Innlet posts a map of where to go during low tide to go clam digging. We caught over 80 clams in a matter of minutes (but don't get discouraged if you don't find "the spot" so easily). We certainly didn't feel like backpackers during dinner while feasting on clams. Hope you enjoy magical NZ, cheers!
