The Hostelz.com Review
Cool Bananas in Agnes Water is far and above the best hostel where you may ever stay. It is not that there is anything really flashy or special about this accommodation, but it is that the owner of the hostel has thought of everything a traveller may need. In fact, according to the owner (who was intimately involved in the construction of the hostel), the layout was designed by looking at the best features of existing hostels around Australia.
It is the small details at the hostel that will make your stay very comfortable indeed. For example, there is an abundance of space to conveniently hang-dry laundry so you don't have to pay for the dryer - and lots of clothespins too! And imagine large showers with soap-holders, shampoo bottle racks, hooks and benches! These details may seem trivial to some, but for someone who is tired of being short-changed at every corner by a cheap hostel owner, it really is the small things that make the difference. Furthermore, every Friday night the hostel hosts a free barbecue for its guests. The meal is sensitive to diverse cultures and religious backgrounds, serving 100% all-beef sausages, hamburgers, and offering options for vegetarians (the meat is not Halal or Kosher).
The hostel is located only a 5 minute walk to the excellent breaks at Agnes Water Beach, which is one of the best places in Australia to learn how to surf. It is also a short walk to the grocery store and several places to eat. There is a large indoor common area with a wide-screen TV, DVD Player, and Internet terminals. Also, there is an outdoor patio area with shaded picnic tables. Prices for accommodation, Internet and laundry detergent are all very reasonable. Agnes Water can be accessed by Greyhound/Macafferty's, the Oz Experience bus, and other tour buses such as Premier.
My last comment? Finally someone 'gets' it.
It is the small details at the hostel that will make your stay very comfortable indeed. For example, there is an abundance of space to conveniently hang-dry laundry so you don't have to pay for the dryer - and lots of clothespins too! And imagine large showers with soap-holders, shampoo bottle racks, hooks and benches! These details may seem trivial to some, but for someone who is tired of being short-changed at every corner by a cheap hostel owner, it really is the small things that make the difference. Furthermore, every Friday night the hostel hosts a free barbecue for its guests. The meal is sensitive to diverse cultures and religious backgrounds, serving 100% all-beef sausages, hamburgers, and offering options for vegetarians (the meat is not Halal or Kosher).
The hostel is located only a 5 minute walk to the excellent breaks at Agnes Water Beach, which is one of the best places in Australia to learn how to surf. It is also a short walk to the grocery store and several places to eat. There is a large indoor common area with a wide-screen TV, DVD Player, and Internet terminals. Also, there is an outdoor patio area with shaded picnic tables. Prices for accommodation, Internet and laundry detergent are all very reasonable. Agnes Water can be accessed by Greyhound/Macafferty's, the Oz Experience bus, and other tour buses such as Premier.
My last comment? Finally someone 'gets' it.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
April 2004
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Cool Bananas Backpackers Lodge Details
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Cool Bananas Backpackers Lodge Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
The Best Hostel I've Ever Stayed In! Incredibly relaxing and fun atmosphere, very cool staff which I was proud to count myself a part of for two months, immaculately clean, and overall the number one accommodation in Australia. Obviously individual results may vary, and there's always a new crowd there, but Greg (the manager) keeps a large, happy staff of travelers and the hostel mood follows suit. Stay here for a while if you can! The effect grows with time! I made friends here that I will never forget! — Shirtless Jake , United States (2011-08-10) A quirky, fun home away from home! This is definitely the best hostel I've stayed in whilst exploring this beautiful country and would recommend it to anyone who wanted to stay somewhere friendly, clean and helpful. We were picked up after a long drive on the Greyhound and greeted by an enthusiastic member of staff (also a backpacker) and told a bit about the town of 1770 on the short drive back to the hostel. Our room was spacious and the beds were comfy, the only downside being that there wasn't enough power sockets (seems to be a trend in most hostels!) and no lockers. This didn't really affect us but some people can get a bit funny about security. The kitchen was cleaned 3 times a day, in an almost religious way! Was nice to make food without worrying about catching something! The lounge room is huge and stocked with DVDs and books, but the highlight is the outside area. You can sit around a campfire or just socialise on the benches, where everyone seemed to congregate with their meals from the amazingly clean kitchen! The hostel also hosts bbqs and theme nights so you can get to know fellow travelers easily! All in all, this is an amazing hostel that is the perfect home away from home! — Sam , England (2011-01-31) Best Hostel in Aus Great place, really didn't want to leave. so refreshing to go to a hostel that is spotless and organised. it's a must for anyone on the east coast. Thanks Greg, you're a top bloke. — Sam , England (2009-02-26) Amazing It's the best hotel that i've stayed in. beautiful clean and great location.A must stay. Believe all the hype. — Lisa Palmer , English (2009-01-18) Simply the best! This was the best hostel ever. The rooms was great (eight-bed dorm) and the kitchen big and clean! The staff were so nice. Very good atmosphere! — Sofie , Denmark (2008-12-28) This hostel is Australia I stayed here in 2006. I loved the place instantly. Jumped off the bus and headed straight to the fish shop which was brilliant, then took it back to the hostel with some VBs and spent the evening chatting and listening to some guy play the guitar. As if that wasn't enough, I went surfing and got concussed. Was in pretty bad shape and the hostel guys looked after me so well. They arranged an appointment and took me to the docs. I can't thank them enough. I'll never forget this place. — Jules , England (2008-07-18) How hostels should be run! I remember the long journey, the very long journey on the coach to get to 1770, and feeling less than enthusiastic about all the strife that always ensues after getting dumped in a car park and waiting for the pick up to get to the hostel. This was back in February 2005. But Greg turned up, and the stress faded instantly. The man is a supremo in hostel courtesy, efficiency, and is an all round good bloke! The hostel is clean, spacious, and situated in a quiet area (I don't know if 1770 has any "loud" areas actually?) but not that far from the shops or the beach. I was with two friends who are quite picky about the conditions of hostels (we were all seasoned backpackers by then) and they had no complaints at all. The dorm was clean and very spacious compared to some previous dorms in Noosa and Byron. The layout of the garden area is novel, and the outside seating area is perfect for just sitting around and chatting on a warm lazy night. We had a tour of Agnes Water in a open sided covered ute, with the option to follow this up with some sea kayaking (which our budget didn't stretch to). Greg is the consummate Aussie nutter. Always loud, always funny, but most importantly full of helpful info on the town and activities available. A bit of a salesman, he had us tempted to hire the surf boards, eat the pizza, and swim in the "last place it's safe to swim before you hit stinger territory." The experience was made all the more memorable as I had my first glimpse of a huntsman spider up close and personal, when one of his mates brought one to show around the hostel in a large cardboard box. Apparently it had been found in a baby's pram! I would recommend Cool Bananas to anyone thinking of traveling up to, or down to 1770. — Tom Scally , England (2008-03-11) The best! By far the best hostel in Australia. I stayed for three nights and could've stayed two weeks, its a little town but there is so much to do. The staff do a great job keeping it clean, tidy, fun, friendly, and chilled. The bonfire and scattered tealights around the sitting area are a great touch! Huge fully stocked kitchen, so bright and clean, free bodyboards, comfy TV lounge, a nice ten-minute walk to the beach (closest hostel to the beach). Thanks Cool Bananas! — Claire , British (2007-12-01) Best Place bar none Has to be the best place with the best people and the best staff in Oz. Greg actually remembers your name! Now would that happen anywhere else? Cracking place to stay, great tours of the local reefs, get your ass on the ScooterRoo tour too and have a blast on a scooter courtesy of Rod the bloke across the road. Everything is clean, kitchen is very well equipped, relaxed and easy-going atmosphere. stayed in 2005, hope this place lasts many a great year more. — Adrian , UK (2007-07-16) this was possibly the worst and least friendly place i have ever stayed -- my friends and i were thrown out after half an hour for daring to have lunch with our two travel mates who were staying at a different hostel. it's simple, if he doesn't want guests to eat with their friends then a simple sign is all it takes. instead the owner went off his head swearing and attempting physical violence. anyone this angry and violent is not suited to running a hostel in an otherwise chilled out surf community -- it was unbelievable. the owner gives this hostel and town a bad name. — longtermtraveller , uk (2007-04-24) Best hostel I stayed in on the East coast by far. Very clean, very cosy, fantastically helpful staff. All the simple things had been thought of, it makes such a difference. I've told everyone I know to stay there when/if they visit 1770! — TuesdayGirl , UK (2007-04-08) The best hostel I stayed in while I was in Australia! I loved it. The hostel was nice and relaxing. They have free tea and coffee and lovely hammocks to relax in. The facilities were clean and nice. It was great to be a guest here! — Meredith (2007-03-19) This hostel was clean and rooms spacious, lovely lounge area, and agnes water a good place to visit. One down point is greg the owner, he is so controlling and sometimes we couldn't relax when he was around. Otherwise it's worth a visit. — bob (2007-01-14) I really liked my stay at cool bananas. The bar is small but they have enough beer too get us all drunk as long as we don't disturb the neighbors which is fair. I love the gardens but just be careful what you wear when sunbathing because Greg likes to perv whilst pretending to read the paper. I have no problem with gay people but for some reason he likes to make a point of it. TV room is huge, fires at night are great and the Ozzy staff are hot. The kitchen is clean but that's only because they have someone patrolling until the kitchen closes. All the tours are awesome to and the best is the surfing lessons and scooteroo. Come here and have fun but be open minded. — Stefan (2006-11-27) What a stay! Miss sitting round the fire talking to new people every night and to this day I havent found a place quite like it. We learned to dive there too, thanks Don! Just one of the reasons our one-night stay extended to two weeks! — niall heylin (2006-09-30)