The Hostelz.com Review
Tuatara Lodge is a YHA-associate hostel with extremely high standards. It is situated in the middle of the city, with the shops and other amenities a very short distance away. The reception area houses an internet cafe open to the public, which as well as offering low-cost internet access, serves food and drink from breakfast to dinner.
The dorms are spacious and tidy. Each floor of the hostel has its own kitchen, dining area, lounge and bathroom. There is also 24-hour internet access and security lockers, a laundry, and a larger TV room for use by all guests. The kitchens are very well equipped with a good range of utensils, pots and pans etc. and plenty of fridge space. There are also two full ovens in each kitchen.
The atmosphere here is very relaxed and friendly. This hostel seems to appeal to a wide age-range, from babies to senior citizens. It has a 'family' feel about it. Many guests are using this as a stopover point en route to, or from, Stewart Island. The staff are very knowledgable and will offer advice about walking tracks on the island etc., and other backpackers are keen to share their experiences. It is also possible to store gear here while you are away -- useful even for non-trampers as the airline has a very strict luggage allowance.
Getting to the hostel is fairly easy. For people arriving by car, there is a small car-park at the rear. Arrive early! If arriving by Intercity bus, the drop-off point is at the tourist info centre -- a 20-minute walk. Taxis and a few locals buses will get you right outside the hostel.
The dorms are spacious and tidy. Each floor of the hostel has its own kitchen, dining area, lounge and bathroom. There is also 24-hour internet access and security lockers, a laundry, and a larger TV room for use by all guests. The kitchens are very well equipped with a good range of utensils, pots and pans etc. and plenty of fridge space. There are also two full ovens in each kitchen.
The atmosphere here is very relaxed and friendly. This hostel seems to appeal to a wide age-range, from babies to senior citizens. It has a 'family' feel about it. Many guests are using this as a stopover point en route to, or from, Stewart Island. The staff are very knowledgable and will offer advice about walking tracks on the island etc., and other backpackers are keen to share their experiences. It is also possible to store gear here while you are away -- useful even for non-trampers as the airline has a very strict luggage allowance.
Getting to the hostel is fairly easy. For people arriving by car, there is a small car-park at the rear. Arrive early! If arriving by Intercity bus, the drop-off point is at the tourist info centre -- a 20-minute walk. Taxis and a few locals buses will get you right outside the hostel.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2004
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Tuatara Lodge Hostel Details
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Best place to stay in Invercargill I and my family stayed here one night during our seven-week odyssey Down Under late Spring and Summer 2006. Unfortunately, it was just one night. My inspiration for coming here in the first place was to possibly see the Southern Lights and home of "The World's Fastest Indian." We didn't see either, the actual though we did go to the observatory and visited with the shuttle bus driver who lives quite close to the home. The hostel itself was downtown, an excellent location, very comfy, and just right for the three of us. I recommend it to anybody staying in Invercargill. — Juanito Hayburg , USA (2007-11-13) Visited in April 2005 and my goodness it's smelly. Rooms are actually OK and clean enough but the smell in the corridors is horrible. It's a bit of a depressing hostel although the reception staff were pleasant enough - to be honest Invercargill really is an awful place - a town that feels like it's dying on its feet and really is at the end of the universe - I found it very depressing here. But the hostel is OK for a night or two - and the manager had a beautiful pet lorikeet who was the cutest bird ever - worth staying here just to meet him!!!! Hope he's still there. — Miss Travel (2005-12-23) I stayed there in November 2001, and I think it was quite new then. The place looked nice enough, although you get some industrial vibe about it. However, it was VERY noisy from some bar downstairs. — Nimo (2005-10-27) I stayed there in the quiet season but the place had a really bad vibe about it. I bailed out after one night and couldn't get out quick enough. It seemed to be full of down-and-outs rather than backpackers. Invercargill itself wasn't much better. It's best avoided. — Monkey (2004-12-30) This hostel is great! The kitchen is huge and they have the most lovely sandwich maker (and free tea, etc.). Everything was new and clean (in November 2004). The staff were very helpful and funny. — Maya (2004-12-29) Ewww! Tuatara Lodge is smelly. The staff were rude when I tried to make them aware of the stench in the rooms. The kitchen was small and everything seemed to be falling apart. Tuatara Lodge is as horrible as budget accommodations can get. — Anonymous (2004-06-24) I stayed here in October 2002. They had excellent facilities and enlargements were on the way. Lovely kitchen. — Eric (2004-03-06)