Carnarvon Backpackers

Unfortunately for anyone travelling the coast of Western Australia, this is currently the only backpackers in Carnarvon. Carnarvon often has fruit-picking, stationhand, and fishing trawler work available for backpackers, but it's almost worth giving the opportunities there a miss just to avoid this place. It really is perhaps the worst hostel in Australia.

Most of its problems stem from the owner and not the facilities themselves, although they are lacking as well. There aren't enough bathroom facilities, and they would often be completely out of toilet paper. The kitchen is small, the rooms plain and uninspiring, and the social lounge has a non-operational pool table and foosball table that takes money without refund even though they don't work. The lounge closes at ten o'clock promptly, leaving everyone with no option but to cluster around a few small picnic tables outside, because there's no drinking in the main building and strict rules about noise.

The owner is unfriendly, unhelpful, gloomy, and strict. He seems to have completely missed the idea of hostels as welcoming places for backpackers; in fact, he seems to hate backpackers. Everything costs money (deposits for cutlery, deposits for keys, no blankets provided without a deposit, and so on). There are absolutely no refunds whatsoever, no matter what. He's not helpful about looking for work, instead telling those who ask that there's nothing available; he yells at guests for tiny infringements (a misplaced step in a flowerbed with no actual flowers got a guest a tongue-lashing). Up and down the coast of WA the Carnarvon Backpackers has a bad reputation with travellers, and it's a well-deserved one. Don't be fooled by the semi-cheerful aspect of the building from the street; stay at the caravan park if you must stay in Carnarvon.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2005