Australia Opens Three New Low-Cost Hostels

Three key Australian cities--Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns--have new hostels for budget travelers.

In Sydney, it’s not just the youth hostel that’s appealing. One of the city’s charms is that it offers visitors the opportunity to take in city sights and enjoy the beach life as well.

You can start your day in the central city area with a visit to the Australian Museum and a walking tour through the 200-year-old historic district known as “The Rocks.”

Then you can take a 10-minute ferry trip across the harbor to Manly Beach, or grab a bus to the popular surfing suburb of Bondi Beach.

Sydney’s new flagship youth hostel, Hereford Lodge, has a pool, sauna, rooftop recreation area, TV and video lounge, plus a low-cost cafeteria. It’s at 51 Hereford St. in Glebe.

The hostel has 92 rooms. The price per person in a twin room is about $14 U.S.

The Melbourne Cup

If you want to experience the exciting atmosphere of one of Australia’s premier sports events, plan to be in the Melbourne area on the first Tuesday in November. The city comes to a halt as everyone focuses attention on Australia’s most important horse race, the Melbourne Cup.

The Melbourne area is also one of the most popular spots to enjoy another Australian custom--the BYO (bring your own) restaurants. These are establishments that allow you to furnish your own wine or beer to enjoy with your meal. The minimum drinking age in Australia is 18.

Melbourne’s new youth hostel is at 118 Lonsdale St. It can accommodate up to 140 people, who are charged $13 each night.

Cairns, on Australia’s northeastern coast, draws travelers to investigate the Great Barrier Reef. The town has several hostels that compete for business from young visitors. In addition to accommodations, they offer opportunities for economical trips to the rain forest, plus river rafting and sailing adventures.

The new Cairns youth hostel is at 20-24 McLeon St. just opposite the railway station. The single-room rate is $12 a night. A bed in a twin room costs $9, while a bed in a dormitory room is $7.

All three youth hostels are members of a network of 130 Australian hostels affiliated with the International Youth Hostel Federation. If you are not a member of your own national youth hostel association, they may request that you buy a guest membership, or pay a few dollars extra per night. There are no age restrictions.

Australia also has many independent budget-priced hostels. They tend to supply information about each other, so once you start using them you can find out about others.

The youth hostels offer young travelers a good place to exchange information and develop friendships.

On-Site Vans

When several people begin to travel together, the variety of opportunities expand. You can begin to consider new options such as buying a cheap car and making more use of campgrounds, where you’ll discover another Australian novelty, the on-site van.

These are recreational vehicles parked in permanent positions in campgrounds; you can rent them by the night or week.

One free source of information about budget accommodations, including some youth hostels, budget hotels, tourist homes and campgrounds, is a publication called “Destination Australia.”

The guide also covers basic information on what to see and do in key tourism areas, and offers advice on a variety of services such as bus passes and tour operators. Copies are available from the Australian Tourist Commission, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1200, Los Angeles 90067, (213) 552-1988.

If you need to make transportation arrangements after you arrive in Australia, keep in mind that STA Travel (formerly Student Travel Australia) has offices in Hobart, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Townsville and Sydney.

The company specializes in services for all young travelers. They also have a network of offices in other countries, including Indonesia, so they can help with arrangements and information when you want to move on from Australia.