BUG review
This place is full of character. The accommodation is in a row of cute cabins, each with en suite amenities. The main house has a very nice kitchen and a dining area with a huge fireplace in the centre of the room. There is an upstairs common room with a pool table, and the house has open beams and antique décor. It is set on farmland with ponies and other animals and it has a fresh, young buzz and excellent views.
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Price Dorm bed $26-30 ($23-27 BBH) Double/twin room $70 ($64 BBH) Prices are in New Zealand dollars and are inclusive of all taxes.
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Reception open summer 8.30am-8.30pm daily; winter 9am-8pm daily
Pros:
cheap internet
Cons:
run down, filthy, horrible service - middle of nowhere
ninat
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(1)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
(Review ID: 555)
After reading the reviews on this website I thought this place would be great - I was totally wrong!!! We turned up and checked in and the girl behind the counter said that she still needed to clean the room, could we please come back at 1pm. So we went and did a big grocery shop (cause we weren't staying near any shops for the following 2 days) and got back at 1pm. Went to the kitchen to put all our food in the fridge and found there was NO FRIDGE! (we were not informed about this when checking in). I asked the girl about the fridge and she said it broke. So I asked if there was any fridge? she said no. So I asked if there was an esky or anything to put ice in? she said she'd get me a chilly bag. I said great - we'll use a chilly bag.Then we waited around for 20min.... and still no bag. So we asked when could we have the bag? She was sitting using the internet and RUDELY said "I'm in the middle of something - I'll get you the bag when I'm finished!" and went back to her computer. We waited a further 10min, and decided that after being spoken to SO RUDELY we would ask for our money back. We were informed that because we did not give 24hours notice we could not have our money back. We replied saying that we were not given 24 hours notice that there was no fridge! We asked this girl (she looked about 18) if we could speak to the manager - she said no, she runs the place. This girl was NOT the woman I booked the room with, and wouldn't let us speak to anyone else about this situation. We saw an older woman working at the backpackers later in the evening and when we said hello she snapped "what did you say to me!!" at us - I think the girl had informed her about us wanting to leave... We eventually got a chilly bag and had to go to the shops again to get ice (so our meat didn't go off!). When some other backpackers turned up later in the evening, they were asking us where the fridge was. We said there was no fridge and shared our chilly bag with them.Also - the facilities were old and falling apart. I don't think anyone has vacuumed this place in 20 years and there were mice running across the kitchen floor while we were eating dinner!! and the bin stank - no one had emptied it and it was overflowing and stank the kitchen out. The room was CRAP for $60! Spiderwebs on the ceiling, TV that didn't work, broken lamp, grotty shower. We were really unimpressed. COULDN'T WAIT TO LEAVE. This was the only bad place we stayed in New Zealand. Te Anau is beautiful, but if you are going to stay there DON'T STAY HERE!!
Wonderful view. Peaceful and quiet 16 January 2006
Pros:
Amazing View. Own cottage with ensuite bathroom.
Cons:
little away from the town
luv2travel
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(4)
(Review ID: 68)
This backpacker was recommended to us by a friend and I am so glad we stayed here. Set in peaceful and tranquil surroundings, this place was a real good find. We had our own ensuite cottage which was very spacious with an excellent view! Kitchen and dining area were located in the main building. There was also a pool table and laundry facilities available. Yes it is a little away from the town and so you cannot just run out and get grocery etc. But all in all we were very happy with our stay here and would definitely recommend it.
12 of
17 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
US
Our favorite 4 January 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 12464)
We decided to stay longer than planned. Thats how good this place was. HUGE rooms and amazing rooms. The great room is a really nice place to spend the evening. Made our own meals every night and watched the sun set over the mountains from the comfort of a warm common room. Good place to do laundry because you can hang it out overnight. HIGHLY reccommend this place.
9 of
10 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
ENGLAND
The best backpacker in New Zealand 2 April 2004
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 12465)
If you want an amazing view of the Murchison Mountains and a warm log farm to eat dinner in front of then this is the place for you. John and Inge the owners are like family if you stay long enough and this has easy access to Milford / Doubtful Sounds and the Kepler/Milford and Routeburn Track. Absolutely amazing!
7 of
8 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
norwich england
Beautiful, relaxing stunning backpackers 17 December 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 12466)
My boyfriend and i stayed at this hostel for four nights and we really never wanted to leave! The hostel is set in the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen. The hostel offers options of horse treks in the evenings and the family who run this hostel make you feel extremly welcome! Its top of our list!
4 of
13 people found this review helpful
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Kate
(kateyflanigan@hotmail.com)
from Brighton, UK
Brighton, UK
One of our favorite hostels 7 August 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Kate
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 12467)
Me and my boyfriend loved this hostel and it was the one of the best places we stayed. We had a double room which came with a tv and ensuite (which we didn't expect!). The double rooms are in a separate building that sits on the edge of the hill and was huge, comfy and clean opening straight out to the most amazing view. The common areas were really nice with a big log fire and the kitchen was large and well equipped. At reception there was plenty of info about local tours and a discount on some of the popular ones. They also do horse trekking at the hostel and the horses roam the property, we had one stick its head into our room! Its on a deer farm and as you fall asleep you can hear them bellowing at night. I would really recommend this place, especially if you have a double or twin room, which are quite reasonably priced.
18 of
19 people found this review helpful
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Maria
San Francisco, USA
Don't stay in the dorm room 21 June 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Maria
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 12468)
I think this place is hit-or-miss. I personally didn't think it was great, but have met others that totally loved it. The big difference between my experience and theirs was that I stayed in the dorm room (max 6). It was an unpleasant experience. The dorm room had its own bathroom and kitchen area. I'm very particular when it comes to bathrooms and kitchens so I had some gripes about this. The bathroom was not up to par to my level of cleanliness. The toilet and wash basin were alright, but I felt even dirtier coming out of the shower. The shower head annoyingly leaked all night. The kitchen area which isn't separate from the sleeping area was very small. One nice thing about the dorm room though is that it has its own fireplace and TV. All in all, the place isn't that bad. It has a large well-equipped kitchen with several burners and lots of refrigerator and storage space to accomodate the large number of backpackers staying there. The dining area is nice and big also. Barnyard's also has a lounge area with a collection of CD's and another lofted lounge area with sofa/seats and pool table. This provides common meeting areas to meet and talk with other travelers. There is Internet access (expensive though) and a phone. The reception desk has a lot of info. regarding Milford Sound tours and hikes such as the Milford and Routeburn tracks. I would recommend this place. It's nice and relaxing. Just don't stay in the dorms. For the more adventurous, they also have a Teepee that you can stay in. Cheers!
