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Hostels Guide > Australia & Oceania > Australia > Queensland > Agnes Water Hostels > Cool Bananas Backpackers Lodge

Cool Bananas Backpackers Lodge

Agnes Water, Queensland, Australia

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Hostels in Agnes Water

Address	2 Springs Road, Agnes Water Map
Price	$24 High season $24 low season

Location/Contact

Details

Their Description

Features

Kitchen
Lounge / Common space
BBQ
TV
Washing Machine (laundry)
Travel information provided
Free City Tours
24 Hour Free Hot Showers
Phones (public or in room)

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.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review

Your Comments

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Comment by Jules, England

July 2008

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.

Comment by Tom Scally, England

March 2008

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.

Comment by Claire, British

December 2007

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!

Comment by Adrian, UK

July 2007

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.

Comment by longtermtraveller, uk

April 2007

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.

Comment by TuesdayGirl, UK

April 2007

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!

Comment by Meredith

March 2007

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!

Comment by bob

January 2007

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.

Comment by Stefan

November 2006

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.

Comment by niall heylin

September 2006

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!

Comment by Will

August 2006

1770 is one of my fondest memories of Oz, and it's mainly down to Cool Bananas. Greg's enthusiasm for the area is contagious, and he runs a great hostel, as well as being a generous and top notch bloke. I'd like to think 1770 never became any more popular, as it was great to get away from the rest of the backpacker rat-race. This was two years ago though, I imagine it's changed a lot already. I still hope to visit again one day, and this will definitely be the hostel I stop in.

Comment by Great place

August 2006

Was the best hostel ever! Loved it, ended up booking for extra once I got there. So clean and although theres not alot to do in 1770 it doesn't matter cause you just want to hang at the hostel anyway. Awsome lounge -- board games, books, and up to date magazines. Tidy and well equipped kitchen (cleaned twice daily). The five dollar meals are awsome and an absolute bargain, loved the cook.

Comment by Mirjam

June 2006

I stayed at Cool Bananas about three weeks ago and it is a great hostel. It's clean, there are many outside sitting areas and a nice living room for rainy days with DVD. You get to meet people easily because of the setup of the communal areas. The owner is a bit fussy when it comes to cleanliness. I wasn't allowed to bring my wet umbrella into the living room. The rooms are quite big so you're not cramped in with your luggage.

Comment by hayley

April 2006

Nice and clean backpackers but two things -- very, very quiet resort, no backpackers bar and the thing they try to disguise is the bed bug epidemic. You have been warned!

Comment by pk

April 2006

Very very clean and comfortable. Good music, biggish kitchen. Owner can be a bit controlling though -- shouts quite as bit (he's a bossy man).

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Hostels in Agnes Water

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