Te Anau Central Backpackers

The kitchen was the main drawback. It gets very busy because the hostel is large, and some guests don’t clean up after themselves, though that’s more down to the guests than the hostel. It can also be hard to find a dry dish towel. They’re almost always wet, and the hanging rack doesn’t dry them quickly. A small heater in the kitchen or a drying rack near the living room fireplace might help. Otherwise, the hostel is clean, cosy and well organised, with friendly, helpful staff. The rooms and areas the staff look after, especially the bathrooms and toilets, are extremely clean and well maintained. The living room is cosy, with a fire lit in the evenings, and there’s plenty of parking.

If you’re hiking or tramping, this is a great hostel to stay at. The dry room is handy for wet gear, and Hamish, the owner, knows the area extremely well. He was super friendly and kindly helped me prepare for the Dusky Track. The spacious communal area is clean and makes it easy to chat with other travellers. The kitchen is also roomy, clean and well stocked. One of the best hostels I’ve stayed in. Thanks for everything, and I hope to return someday!

Hamish at the front desk was fantastic. He was very friendly, gave us terrific recommendations and helped us out with our room. Great location, and the kitchen and bathrooms were clean and spacious. I’d definitely stay again.

Hamish was fantastic. He upgraded us to a private room and gave us recommendations for our trip. The location is great, within walking distance of grocery stores and a good starting point for Milford Sound. The kitchen was clean, big and well stocked with storage space.