Picton Lodge is in a handy location close to Cook Strait ferries, buses, the TranzCoastal train to Christchurch, and boat services to places in the Marlborough Sounds including the Queen Charlotte Track and the Captain Cook Trail. Unlike some of the other hostels in Picton, no photo ID is required.
Most of the sleeping accommodations are downstairs, although there are some rooms upstairs. The kitchen and dining area are on a mezzanine level at the back of the hostel. Over the benches there are signs in just about every language reminding people to wash up and put away their dishes.
There is a TV lounge with two internet machines upstairs. Out on the covered balcony you can enjoy the view over the Marlborough Sounds while meeting new friends over drinks and a BBQ. There is a wide range of games you can borrow for a refundable deposit -- Monopoly, chess, Scrabble, rummikub. You can also choose from a wide range of videos and DVDs to watch. You can borrow a mountain bike to explore the Picton area, including the Waikawa mountain bike reserve. If fishing is your thing, the managers can lend you the right gear.
Keys are not given to the dorm rooms -- guests can leave their valuables in coin-operated lockers in the room. If you go out at night, be sure that you are back by 10 p.m. unless you uplift a key from the office for a refundable deposit. Hot showers are rationed to save power -- after eight minutes, the water goes cold.
-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
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