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Please see Bundaberg for other available Bundaberg hostels and accommodations.
Please see Bundaberg for other available Bundaberg hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
East Bundy Backpackers is laid back and friendly. It seems to be mainly aimed at workers staying for longer periods of time -- they organise work and for a small fee transport you to and from work in their own minibuses.
Location
This hostel is located in East Bundaberg (hence the name), which is maybe a twenty-minute walk from the bus station and thirty minutes from the train station. There are a few shops nearby and just down the road is the distillery and the place that produces the local ginger beer and other drinks -- both offer tours for visitors. It seems to be the perfect compromise if you don't mind a short walk into town.
Rooms and Bedrooms
Dorm rooms are fairly clean although not so tidy, as the guests are mainly longer term. Bunk beds are sturdy and do not creak. Showers and toilets are clean and in good condition, and all common areas are cleaned daily. Showers have hooks for clothes and private space to change, however finding space for soap isn't easy.
Common Spaces
There is a large TV room with comfy couches (and a collection of movies), several computers with internet access available at reasonable prices, a large area behind the hostel with benches a swimming pool and space to relax in the sun. There is a large, well equipped kitchen that gets quite busy after the daily complimentary bus to the local supermarket returns in the early evening. Generally it seems to be a very social hostel but it's not the best place to stay if you're looking for somewhere to party through the night.
Summary
All in all it's a great place to stay if you want to work and don't mind not doing much as there is very little to do in Bundaberg. Staff and guests are friendly and helpful.
Location
This hostel is located in East Bundaberg (hence the name), which is maybe a twenty-minute walk from the bus station and thirty minutes from the train station. There are a few shops nearby and just down the road is the distillery and the place that produces the local ginger beer and other drinks -- both offer tours for visitors. It seems to be the perfect compromise if you don't mind a short walk into town.
Rooms and Bedrooms
Dorm rooms are fairly clean although not so tidy, as the guests are mainly longer term. Bunk beds are sturdy and do not creak. Showers and toilets are clean and in good condition, and all common areas are cleaned daily. Showers have hooks for clothes and private space to change, however finding space for soap isn't easy.
Common Spaces
There is a large TV room with comfy couches (and a collection of movies), several computers with internet access available at reasonable prices, a large area behind the hostel with benches a swimming pool and space to relax in the sun. There is a large, well equipped kitchen that gets quite busy after the daily complimentary bus to the local supermarket returns in the early evening. Generally it seems to be a very social hostel but it's not the best place to stay if you're looking for somewhere to party through the night.
Summary
All in all it's a great place to stay if you want to work and don't mind not doing much as there is very little to do in Bundaberg. Staff and guests are friendly and helpful.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
June 2009
Their Description
East Bundy Backpackers Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 22 Princess Street, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia |
| Location | |
| Website | None (if you know the URL of their website, tell us and we'll add it) |
| eastbundy@live.com.au | |
| Telephone | +61 (7) 4154-3700 |
| Fax | +61 (7) 4154-3711 |
How is East Bundy Backpackers rated on other websites?
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
If you're going to Bundy - Go here - Good work & Great Atmosphere!! Had an amazing time at this hostel!! I got really good work, paid just under $20 an hour and worked loads so saved loads of money while staying here for my second working holdiay. I stayed in another hostel in Bundy which was terrible and thankfully moved to East Bundy after a week which made my 4 months there fly by!! Met some awesome people there including the farmer I worked for who was great....let us have tomato and water fights as we worked!! The hostel has a great family atmoshere created by new owners Christine, Brian and Jodie!! Their first night at the hostel had free beers and live music!! They were so awesome, convinced me to stay there over xmas which was a great choice!! Def going back for a visit soon and would have no problem to stay for another 4 months!! If you're going to Bundaberg for any reason stay at this hostel ... trust me you wont regret it!!! — Shane , Ireland (2012-02-10) Alcoholic minds at work east bundy is not properly an hostel. East bundy is just a money machine where lazy people (aka Jimmy "Fat guy") try to go through their poor life. The owner, Jimmy, is an arrogant, violent, fat bully that many times loves to make racist jokes about italians, asiatics and japanese guys. he is always very aggressive, and probably he suffers of some kind of paranoia, for which is NOT allowed to speak nor to walk in he hostel after midnight during the week ends. James, the guy at the reception, is almost alright; the problem is when he gets drunk (often): he becomes rude and aggressive. Many people like me, is stocked in this place from a long time just 'cause in Bundaberg, if you want to work, you have to pay an hostel. There's an agreement between hostels and farms for which you can't work if you're not in a local hostel. Many times, farms or contractors like CKY, AJ, Contract Link and CNG don't pay people for long, long amount of time. If you want to spend a terrible time in a terrible place (Bundaberg is the only place in Australia for which I'll have a bad memory: junky, noisy and alcoholic people by night everywhere; and many, many, many racist aggressions against backpackers), come to East Bundy!!!! — Angry guest , Nowhere and Everywhere (2011-08-05) Disappointing. Came under false promises such as wages of 1400 dollars. James is alright but he lies a lot more than is necessary. Some work was contract and ended up being paid a farcical amount. Left a week ago and still have month outstanding wages to be paid. also It is an alcohol free hostel in an alcohol free area. And its a long walk to the CBD, and the local bar to the hostel is poor. So the location isn't great and neither is the rent. On the plus side, the owners are largely nice, and despite the constant lies I have decided the hostel is alright. dont come here EXPECTING to make lots of money. — Tom (2011-05-07) Scam If this hostel had a better manager or front man maybe, but the most arrogant self centred and clueless man l have ever met. Up to now, 7 weeks after working for a Rob Grima through East Bundaberg Backpackers we have left and not been paid. Follow-up has been met with physical threats hence Ombudsman following up on the case as of now. Place to stay away from unless you suck-up and get treated like crap for your hard earned cash. — Ripped off , Aussie (2011-01-14) Still the same lousy place after 15 years I stayed here in january 1995, I got curious if it still existed. I read the same experiences I had there: at this place, people just care about the money you can make. Advance payments and minimum stays, promising work that ends after a day or two, crappy. It's probably owned by farmers that exploit you wherever & whenever they can. Avoid it and try somewhere else. — Rik , Netherlands (2010-10-13) It was awful!! We got told to leave the hostel without any notice, and were put on the street with no where to go, as all the other hostels were booked, I went to work on one of the farms, and I went back to the truck to grab my water bottle after working for 2.5 hours in the rain , I was thirsty, and was walking back to the field without a break! The farmer drove over right away yelling at me to get back to work and stop f***ing wasting his time, before I could explain I had just gone to get some water he said he was calling the hostel to pick me up. When I arrived back at the hostel Sam told me I had to leave the hostel. There was another day my partner and I were working at the Tomato farm and the employees would shout at you "slave" work faster and yell profanities at you all day, we lasted 4 hours then quit! I dont wish anyone this misery we had experienced here, this was suppose to be a vacation -- lol, yea right — Angry Backpackers , Canada (2010-01-21) Wow, a brilliant place, had the best time ever When i first checked i was greeted by a women name maria, she was so helpful/was lovely. i had a great paying job to start next day. The people who own the hostel own a farm that works all year round -- there were days that i worked twelve hours and days where i worked only three. i will never forget my new friends i made there, will return soon to see them all again. This is the hostel for you if you want to make plenty of money and enjoy the pleasures of the pub being only two minutes' walk away. — sammi , irish (2009-12-05) Avoid -- these people are rip off merchants that don't pay you wages I made the mistake of visiting east bundy with the hope of saving some money and getting three months primary industry experience to extend my working holiday visa. I arrived and they demanded $250 upfront before I commenced work and said that the minimum stay was one week. Two days later i started work on SPs tomato plantation and got screeched at by a psychotic farmer who belittled me and everybody else and said I wasnt fast enough and would be walking fifty kilometers home if i didnt speed up. I beared it out and stuck it another day and due to another circumstances I had to leave the east coast. Now a month later I am still owed $200 and lost the $250 I gave the hostel because I left three days early. The receptionist heard this and told me I needed to check out asap as someone else had been booked into my bed -- so they doubled booked my bed and made money from me. In summary this is a scam, the farmer owes or leases the hostel and charges a fortune to stay here, you get money back for working at his far so it is a lose lose situation. Despite my attempts to contact the hostel to receive my wages that i am rightly owed, he makes up excuses saying he will pay me next week or he hasnt got to the bank, or is off sick and not working. So please learn from my mistake and believe me you will find work in much better places in australia that actually care for their staff and pay them for the work they do. — Con , Irish (2009-11-16) Very good it's a good hostel with most of the renovations completed. the beds are comfortable. kitchen is great with food lockers provided, very cool stove with lots of gas elements, fridge is huge. pool great, cleaned regularly. showers clean and nearly all newly renovated. most importantly work is provided and they dropped me there and picked me up. so i was happy to pay 20 bucks a night to get all of that. — david , germany (2009-08-21) A hole but its the people you meet that make it East bundy is a hole, but I met some great people so it made it bearable. There is not much other choice in Bundy though, all the hostels are holes. The work is scarce and there are not enough jobs to go around you have more time off than working. I left with less money than I arrived. — Luke , Britian (2009-08-20) Basic but all you need -- a home away from home I stayed here for just over a month in 2007. As soon as I arrived I got a really good vibe from this place, it has everything you need for a comfortable stay, I met some really great people, and Ian one of the guys who worked there treated us all like his kids, even dropping us off and picking us up from bowling on his night off! The work isn't always great, and there were times when the staff could've been a little more helpful when chasing up pay, but I would still really recommend it. I got my second visa and had a great time! — Danielle , British (2008-02-22) Why did it have to end so quickly! I stayed at East Bundy back in June 2005 when it was still being renovated which meant awe inspiring showers, snug sleeping conditions, general chaos -- and i loved every minute of it! The owners, Robbie and Rohan, were as crazy as they come but were the best fun, regularly coming out drinking with us all. Robbie that crazy old devil would act as if she had a severe case of short term memory loss, acting as if she had forgotten a conversation held twenty minutes ago -- man, she was a hoot! Rohan, a man built on strength and principle, a true leader when you got a bit down in dumps. An inspiration! Also worth a mention is Warren -- dodgy facial hair but generally a great guy (and despite what some said "not" sleazy), Ian -- with his immortal words of "come to my room little girl" every morning at 5 a.m., and of course Marmalade the long-suffering cat at the hands of Warren and Ian! The hostel has a great atmosphere and provides almost constant work which was wicked fun for those who sleep in with hangovers every morning! It's close to the town. Worth noting that just down the road there's an awesome fish and chip shop which does $1.50 chips and has lovely owners -- what more could you want, and the Sugar Reef Bar and Bistro which does wonderful $4 dog food every night. This is a charming, charismatic hostel and the atmosphere is magic and definitely worth visiting for a month or two of work with the family! Two thumbs up guys! — Mathew Stenner , New Zealand (2007-12-11) What a life i spent a few years knocking about here 6 odd years ago and it sounds like nothing has changed. brilliant, what a time i had in bundaberg man. some of the hardest times and the best times. great people and a really good town. meet some locals they aint so bad. it was the prince of wales back then. — giles , england (2007-06-21) Stayed hear from April till June 2004 and had a great time. Needed a bit of renovating which is why it loses a star but on the whole I earned plenty of money and met loads of great people. The work's hard (mainly tomato picking I've done) but if you work hard and integrate with the locals you will get on fine. I've heard it's under new management so not sure what it's like now but I'm sure it's still a good place to stay if you need some cash. I was getting six days a week work most weeks and managed to save plenty of money even with one night out a week (quite cheap nightlife in Bundi and quite good too) with the fellow backpackers. — silas (2007-01-06) I stayed in this hostel for nearly three months so I could earn money and extend my visa. I got work the day after I arrived and it was hard, but what work isn't? I worked six days a week by choice and partied hard on the seventh day. There are some real lazy people that came and went really quick because they expected to pay nothing, go to work and do nothing, and get paid heaps! I earnt enough to party hard and go on a great trip to Frazer island and left with enough money to last til Xmas. The place is clean an the kitchen is huge. They have a big walk in fridge so you can store heaps of food. The pool is great after a hard days work in the sun, and Victor, one of the bus drivers took a lot of us to the beach on our day off and picked us up for nothing! The drivers are cool. They pick you up from the bus station, take you to and from work, do two runs to the shops every day, and will take you to the pubs or beach if they have time. Friday happy hour at the pub up the road is fantastic! — James (2006-10-17)