Big Bird Backpackers

The manager was the worst part for me. He spoke to me as if I were stupid, even when I was being polite, and his smile felt fake. My English doesn’t have to be perfect, and he’s the one who seems to have a problem with that. The place itself was dirty and old, with ants everywhere, noisy beds, dirty toilets, and no toilet paper. Don’t leave food or medicine in the room. Reception isn’t open 24 hours, so arriving after hours or having a problem at night is bad luck. They also ask for a $10 deposit for dishes, even if you only want a knife, and you might get the change back in coins.

I wanted to leave after a few days because the hostel was so bad, and I also had an emergency. I’d paid for four weeks, but they wouldn’t refund anything, even though I’d only stayed two days. There are definitely better or cheaper places in Brisbane. The 50 bed dorm was untidy, and the light stayed on all the time, so sleeping was hard. They call it brand new, but I thought it was terrible. There were just two dirty, disgusting showers for 100 people, and the toilets were much the same. The kitchen had enough dishes for maybe five or six people, so you had to wait, and they were plastic plates. There is a laundry, but clothes had to be dried in the parking lot and smelled. For WiFi, you had to go to the neighboring hostel to ask for a code because they wouldn’t provide the service themselves. The receptionist spoke to me like I was a dummy, even though I tried to stay polite while angry. Don’t make the wrong choice.

The only good thing was that we had no desire to spend any longer there than necessary. We spent the day in Brisbane from 6am to 9pm just to avoid going back to what felt like a prison. It seemed clean when we checked in next door, but the actual hostel was a concrete building with concrete floors and walls, and broken windows covered with cardboard. There were cockroaches in the bathroom, and the showers had no hooks or bench, so all our things got soaked. The kitchen had flies everywhere, making it hard to cook. The hostel has no reception, so you have to figure out on your own that check in is next door. You can use that neighboring kitchen, but they charge a $10 deposit for even a spoon, supposedly because people don’t keep it tidy. Maybe if the hostel itself had some standards and was clean, people would keep it that way. I doubt the owners will read this and learn anything. Honestly, it was the most disgusting place I’ve stayed, like what I imagine a crack den would be.

For 17 dollars a night, you get what you pay for. The bedrooms and bathrooms were pretty clean, but the kitchen was really dirty and full of flies. They need to sort that out. The doors should also be locked at night, since it’s so easy for people who don’t live there to steal your food.