Milford Sound Lodge, New Zealand

As I wrote this, I am reminded of my disappointments again. It was really a bad day as it rained throughout our journey to Milford. When we arrived at Milford Sound Lodge, the drizzle was already getting heavier. The entire mood was so gloomy. It was about 11 am when we arrived and as the check in time was 2pm, the reception does not allow us to check in but allowed us to hang around the hostel and so we did.

We can't go anywhere except to walk around in the hostel, sit around and lie around on the sofas at the lounge, day dreamed, made ourselves a cup of hot chocolate and starred into the rain and sky with a quiet whisper that the rain will stop and the sun will miraculously appear. Well, it didn't.

It happened that our cruise was cancelled due to the bad weather and with our sullen face, we made our way back to the hostel. More bad news .... once back at the hostel, we saw the notice on the board that said heavier rain was expected the next day and the Milford road will be closed. We checked out immediately and left Milford for Queenstown as we did not want to be stucked at Milford. We forfeited our stay as they have a no refund policy for 24 hours cancellation. So what can I say about this hostel? To be fair, I can't say much and do not have any feedback for you as I did not stay there. So let the pictures speak for itself and you decide if this place is worth a night stay on your trip to Milford. Anyway, it seems that this is the only budget accommodation at Milford and no other :-(

Nomad Queenstown Hostel

This is Nomad Backpackers in Queenstown, New Zealand. We stayed here for 4 nights. Location is good and is walking distance to most of the shops. A few doors away is a supermarket and the next few blocks are Queenstown Mall, restaurants, tourist information centers and plenty of shops for tours and activities in and around Queenstown. The waterfront is also a short walk away and it is here that you take the TSS Earnslaw cruise and also the jetboat.





This is taken outside the hostel. Weather was quite bad when we were there early September so you can't really see the mountain at the background. Otherwise it is really a beautiful sight.

There are plenty of car parks outside the hostel but for limited time during the day. If I am not mistaken, parking is allowed for 20 minutes only. After 6pm, it is free till the next morning. It is difficult to find parking also directly outside the hostel as most of the time it is fully occupied. The hostel also has a basement car park for NZ$10 every 24 hours.

Check in is smooth and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. You are given a keycard. After 8pm at night, you can only enter the hostel with the keycard.

The hostel also has a travel desk managed by two staff. There are plenty of brochures and information on Queenstown and nearby attractions. There are also many computer terminals here for use. Internet facility is via the Global Gossip card. If you need to use the internet and does not have a Global Gossip card, another alternative is to go to the Budget Communication Shop which is on the 2nd floor of a nearby mall and is merely a 3 minutes walk away. They are like internet cafes and charge NZ$3 for each hour of internet usage.

After carrying luggage from floor to floor at other hostels, it is really a relieve to see that there is a lift here. This is a 3 storey hostel. There is a cosy fire place corner at reception area.

I was given a 6 bedded female ensuite room. The room is very clean and spacious. The washroom and bathroom are equally clean. My bed is comfortable too and they have sufficient power point for our usage. However my room is above the bar and you can hear loud music from the bar downstairs till late at night so it may be a little disturbing if you are a light sleeper. The bar is not part of the hostel, but opposite the hostel.

I also noticed that among the hostels that I stayed during my two weeks trip in NZ, this is the only hostel that provides room lockers. The lockers are not big enough for your backpacks but is sufficient for you to keep some small expensive items like cameras, laptops and personal belongings. I did not see anyone using the lockers and throughout my stay, I did not loose anything in the room.





This is the washroom and bathroom in my room. Looks neat and clean isn't it? It is!

The left picture was taken just ouside my room. It shows the 3 storeys in the hostel and directly below my room is the dining area. There is also a sauna at the hostel but I did not have the chance to enjoy it.

The lounge is very big and spacious. Free breakfast is served every morning from 7am to 9am. Dining area looks a little like the school canteen to me with the long tables and chairs.

Kitchen is a little messy and untidy though. The area also becomes a little cramp especially during dinner time and breakfast. The staff will close the kitchen every night from 10pm onwards for cleaning. On the wall of the dining hall, you will see the daily activities arranged for hostel guests.

If you like to be among young people, this is the place to be. It is full of young energetic guests. Hostel is clean and comfortable, location is good and staff are friendly and helpful. The hostel is really being managed professionally. I enjoyed my stay here.

YHA Mount Cook, New Zealand

YHA Mount Cook, a real gem in Mount Cook for the budget travellers. It is a short walk away from the famous Hermitage Hotel, about 20 minutes of normal pace.

As you can see from the pictures below, it is right in the center of Mount Cook. Isn't that lovely? When you walked out from the hostel, the first thing that you see is the beautiful mountain. It is quiet and peaceful here. Life can be so serene at this place compared to the chaos and all the traffic jams in big cities. When I arrived, I was greeted by a bubbly and cheerful staff at the reception. I can't remember her name but she is really friendly and helpful. In fact I felt so at home when I stepped into the hostel.

This is my room. I was fortunate to have the two bedded room to myself as the hostel was not full when I visited in Sept 2011. The room is clean and the bed is comfortable. When I woke up in the morning, the first thing that I see from the room's window is Mount Cook :)

There are also sufficient hooks in the room for your clothes. Something that is lacking in most hostels.

The bathrooms and washrooms are also clean and I have no complaints.

This is how the corridor looks like.

The walls along the corridor is full of information on Mount Cook and the hiking paths.

This is the reception area.





The lounge.

The kitchen is big and clean. The kitchen is closed at certain time of the day for the staff to clean the kitchen.

The dining room is quite big and spacious too.