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Please see Mildura for other available Mildura hostels and accommodations.
Description
Victoria's Borderline Backpackers Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 78-80 Seventh Street, Mildura, Victoria, Australia |
| Website | None (if you know the URL of their website, tell us and we'll add it) |
| Telephone | mobile +61 (4) 2918-1090 landline +61 (3) 5023-0671 |
| Fax | +61 (3) 5023-0671 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Everything has been said but ... Well i stayed there earlier this year from mid may until the end of june i think. If anyone should go there, once your working in Factory your grand. I wasnt that fortunate but thats life like Vicky likes to say. We were thinking of reporting the place to local win media channel but i guess no one wanted to risk that but a good thing is that there is a "black book" somewhere hidden in the backpackers that includes writings of former occupants where there telling their sad stories. The deal was once the book is full, one copy goes to local media and the other copy to Vicky, once this happens its sure the place is going down with Vicky and Russel included, and when i left that place the book was almost full. so no worries. Russel once said that they dont care about backpackers cuz they always have new "victims" coming. I mean this kind of bullsh*t has to end. Everything that has been said is true and think twice before staying there. — Mihkel , Estonia (2011-09-08) Great to see nothings changed. I stayed here for 6 months back in 2004 and while i did get good solid work, i was appalled at the crap Vicky would tell newcomers from other states the great jobs they would walk into upon arriving in mildura. Once there was 8 people in my house section that were out of work and one night i rang Vicky and put on an accent asking for work. I was told if i hurried i would get work paying around 700 a week but get to mildura very quickly.I even told her i was in sydney at the time. She has no class or morals and i cant believe she is still in business. Mildura was a really good place to stay though but i think the jobs are dwindling as the years pass by. — Rexy , Australian (2011-06-01) You couldn't make it up! I stayed in vicky's in 08, she collected us at the bus station at around 2am she drove us straight to the bank machine to take out rent. over to the house on 7th st. she didn't bother getting out of the bus told us to go ahead " Their are loads of beds" Not so! overcrowded would be an understatement. After a few bad days she moved us to 15th st, i think i would have seen less insects if i had slept outside. while this is all going on vicky is still talking crap about work. The police called one day to see somebody once inside demanded vicky came around to explain how she could rent such a house, and told her everyone has to be moved. she obliged by moving everyone to an old folks home! That was it for me. But fortunately i had the money to move on, some run out of money paying vicky rent and not working and she has their passports. A heads up stay away from victoria backpackers hostel. — Fergus , Irish (2011-05-30) BEWARE I haven't been to this place but i was talking to a hostel owner who said stay aware. Vicky use to ring her and say she needed 20 people -- the hostel owner once did this and when the backpackers come back they were angry with her for sending them there because its so awful and you often don't get paid. Vicky is no longer allowed to contact this hostel but she still goes through other hostels and all the comments that i have read fit with what people have told me about her, Stay away. — Louise , England (2011-05-10) Avoid. Scam for sure. Vicky told us that there was work driving the tractor on the vinyards. We take the 12 hour bus and train to Mildura to have her pick us up, take our passports, and then drop us off to sleep on a couch. One bathroom for 12+ people. I ended up showering outside with the hose after work because the queue was so long. Consistent bedbug and redback (venomous) spider infestation. The ONLY positive thing about this hellhole was the great company we endured this with. In the USA this place would be quickly shut down and Vicki would be arrested for labor and health code violations. — Jim , USA (2011-04-18) Hell in Mildura Everything is true about this hostel! Vickey is a money sucking b*tch. We first arrived in Mildura and asked her by phone to pick us up, After she picked us up she was extremely rude and started immediately asking for money for the accommodation which we already payed for. After refusing to pay the money, she told us to get out of her car and so we stood there at 1am on the street. After the entire night wondering around the streets a police officer helped us and said vickey has been charged with criminal records before including theft , holding back passports and stuff! And he told us she lies all the time about the work. The police officer was so kind to show us the good hostels! And he showed us where vickey lived and her hostel. It was a dump. Best advise we can give you is to never go to this place and go the police if something happens like this. — Terrible ! Worst hostel ever ! , Belgium (2011-01-16) Run away while you can Wish I found this website BEFORE I got there. — Anonymous (2010-10-26) Disgraceful hostel run by an even more disgraceful human being The borderline backpackers run by vicky ayres is nothing short of atrocious. The con begins with a promise of GREAT PAY 5-6 days a week 8-10 hours a day for 8-10 weeks. When in reality the vast majority of people are lucky to get work more than a few days a week. I know people that are still waiting to get work and they have been there for 2 or 3 weeks! During my stay there was no work for anyone for a week and half. Yet on the NATIONAL HARVEST JOBSEARCH, GUMTREE and a few other sites vicki had placed ads everywhere under the name JOBSNBEDS claiming 15 people needed to start work asap. How she is able to get away with it no one knows. Certainly her pockets must be well lined as a steady flow of fellow backpackers always seem to arrive under her scam. The hostels or houses to put it better are more often than not in a shocking state. I hadn't seen 1 cleaner my time there. The atmosphere is non-existent. Its cold ,damp, mouldy in places and 1 bathroom for up to 15 people in one house, gimme a break, if that wont scare you away then the bedbugs will. one poor girl had bite marks everywhere. Vicki seems to charge people different rates such as travel to work, bizarre admin fees when clearly she does nothing to justify a fee charged and key deposits. Some people were charged 10 dollars in fuel money while others 8 or 6 dollars and that was to the same farm! Most newcomers are driven to a hostel and bluntly told to make yourself at home and thrown a duvet that is clearly not washed properly (she cant even be bothered to get out of the van). She has a flippant and arrogant attitude and seems strangely defensive when someone questions her on minor issues such as "when will i receive my pay" for the work i have done today." I talked to a few locals and they said Vicki and the way she runs her hostel have received very bad media exposure the last few years for her ripoff antics. Yet she is still able to carry on fooling us backpackers and people alike. The farmers who support this woman and get their labour off her are clearly NOT worth working for neither are the employment services that promote her name. SO DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR, save time and money and look elsewhere before even considering staying here. From my experience Mildura on a whole should be bypassed as far as farm work is concerned. There are better places to work on a continual basis and stay in clean, welcoming accommodation than this dump on the outskirts of Mildura. — dave (2010-07-23) Lies Lies Lies Vicky told nothing but absolute and total lies from the second I met her -- in fact come to think of it she bullshitted on the phone a few days before too! She charged $20 admin fee for completing a form (which takes anyone about 10 seconds) she said it was in case the tax number was filled in incorrectly. The jobs she organised were horseshit and rarely what they were supposed to be. She even suggested we have a party on the Friday night but wanted us to buy the meat from her ''contact'' and a stripper who was actually her niece. I loved Australia and only had two bad experiences with regards backpackers and they were this sh*t hole and one other place where the guy was a pure rip off merchant -- he withheld $1000 from our group as there was sand on the engine (we were on a beach for f***s sake). Anyway, yeah. Mildura, Vicky, Borderline Backpackers -- SHITE. — chris , English (2010-06-17) RUN AWAY! RUN AS FAR AWAY AS YOU CAN! I am currently still at the house, and will be gone in 2 days time. After reading over all of these comments you gotta wonder how can one place be so bad? But its pretty much true. I have been here 2 weeks, came up after vicky called me saying she had work for friday, and sure enough it was TRUE. I know most were surprised, my job was suppose to last 2 days, lasted a week. Good pay, BUT when it came to my next job that was suppose to last 3 months -- day after day, no answer and still waiting. So I'm leaving. The Day she picked me up from the bus, she didnt even take me into the place, dropped me at the front door and said that was all. didnt show me to a room, so I have to guess at where I was sleeping and everything. The place was a mess, still is, we try to clean it, but its VICKY'S JOB. she doesnt do sh*t in the house! Oh be careful! if you do come, make sure when/if you get work, make sure the farmer pays YOU. Vicky is known to keep a portion of your pay. SHE IS STEALING! BUT the people I met here were amazing! I just hope others find this site, so they know what they are coming to. but the times I had at the house were great with my friends. I hope to meet with them again one day. but NOT at vicky's, unless its being torn down. Bottom line, DONT COME HERE! RUN AWAY! VICKY LIES! — Canadian Punk Pip , Canada (2010-04-27) Two days of Hell Do your research and read this blog before even considering going to Boarderline cause Boarderline it is. You will be ripped off, spoken to like S***, and be expected to work for below the minimum wage, such a good con and the website should be had up for trade description, how they constantly get away with it is beyond all comprehension. Dirty filthy accommodation and pure slave labour, yep you guessed it, NOT IMPRESSED, thing is I have had the most fantastic time traveling australia but needed the bucks. Have more self respect than to put up with being treated like idiots. Off to find some decent work and not in Mildura. — Dave Pinhead - Warning, don't do it , UK (2010-03-14) Vickey is a rip-off merchant DONT STAY HERE. I ended up at Vickey's Borderline Backpackers after seeing her website which seemed impressive. Advertising Excellent pay. I was in Melbourne and Broke after a Heavy Christmas on the booze and called Vickey just before new year. Mainly checking the job situation in the area. She said If I got to Mildura asap I could start work. She was cagey about the details especially where pay was concerned. Because I intended on cycling to where I wanted to get to in Australia getting there ASAP meant flying. At a cost to me of $200 (I had quite a bit of excess baggage). Vickey as stated on her website picked me up from the Airport and took me to the 'Hostel.' On arrival i was told the first week would be $215 ($135 rent, $50 key/linen deposit, $30 Admin 'Bullsh*t' Charge). The only work she gave me was a job weeding rows of crops at $20 a row. There was so many weeds and only a small pair of snips and no trowel for tools one row took over 3 hours. After over 6 hours I'd had enough. Total $40 for the day. I got $35 after 'tax' if it was actually official. The Backpackers itself is dirty. In the week I was there no one came to clean the place and by looking at the place no one had cleaned in years. Vickey never came into the house to show anyone around. I arrived and the place as empty. she just wanted some $$$ in her pocket. When I left the place was over crowded with 12 of us in the house. couples sharing single bunks and one poor girl in the 2 bed room in the shed building attached to the main house. I have to mention I did get my $50 deposit back but even as a key deposit this is excessive. I hated this place so much I looked forward to camping with no facilities. — Nick , United Kingdom (2010-01-05) Worst hostel ever seeen, but some tips on how to make it. The hostel is absolute crap, and so is Vicky. I survived in Mildura for about 4 months, and learned some valuable things. First, definitely try to get into the hostel IF VICKY GETS YOU WORK IN THE FACTORY. That's your in. The packing factory is hard work, long hours, but fantastic pay if you're looking to save money! No lie, about $700-$800/week pay. Once you've started working at the factory, GET OUT OF THE HOSTEL. I was super fortunate and ended up living with a local who actually worked at the factory; talk to some of the women there, see what you can find out. I lived in a normal house with 2 others and my own room for $80/week, including everything. No matter what she says, YOU CANNOT LOSE YOUR FACTORY JOB BY MOVING OUT. Even if you can't find a local to live with, go to another hostel. It's worth it. That's how I did it for 4 months. The picking work is unreliable and inconsistent, but packing is your best option. — Amber , Canada (2009-12-29) Bullsh*t!!!! Vicky is a bitch who only wants your best -- your MONEY When I was in Adelaide, I spoke to Vickys daughter on the phone who promised me fruitpicking work for 6 days a week, 8 hrs a day.
When I arrived, in the evening, tired of the long bus tour, no one answered the phone for hours and I had to search the hostel on my own as for no one thought it to be necessary telling me anything before that. When I arrived at these barracks, there were only backpackers and two girls. They said, they would do all the administration, but all they ever did was holding out their opened palm into my direction, saying "195 dollars." Firstly, no one told me before about paying this sum to anyone! secondly, 135 hours rent and 60 dollars administration fee!!! That is voucher! But ok, I paid. From then on, every question I asked the girls (whose english was terrible) was only answered by "I dont know." And without questioning, they won't tell you anything at all, after they have your money. is there a laundry in the house? I dont know, you look. where is vicky? i dont know. where is michelle? i dont know. when will they come? I dont know. weekend maybe. will they come to the house? I dont know. can I see them? I dont know, no, .only talk me. will she sign my papers for my second visa? I dont know, vicky only talk me. can you call her? ask her on the phone? nooo, vicky busy. when will we start working? i dont know, tomorrow maybe. do I need anything (gloves)? I dont know maybe. when will we get paid? I dont know, weekend. who pays us? vicky. how will she pay us if we never see her? I dont know. thats how it was! and it became even worse. The promised 6 days became only two. as for we then suddenly had to go home. with the message, that there wont be any work for the rest of the week!!!! Ok, I paid 200 dollars to them and with the badly paid orangepicking for one day and 2 hours the next day I earned 70. Minus 10 dollars for each day transport costs (so minus 20 dollars) and minus 5 dollars for the worst, cheapest gloves I ever saw. all in all, a loss of 155 dollars for a poor backpacker!! therefore, my clothes were dirty, my arms full of scratches, and my hands full of thorns. furthermore, vicky says that there are heaters in the house, but there is only one lousy little thing in one room so that in the other two rooms, the kitchen and the bathroom it is as cold as ice. the whole house is sh*t. the shower never stops running and dont believe the "full kitchen equipment" promise. going to the girls and asking for some salt or cooking oil only brought me to another "I dont know." also, the "we wash your linen for you" saying is not written out completely. actually, it means "we wash your linen for you for 30 dollars a week"!! after several attempts of knocking on her door, when I somehow could find out, that she arrived for staying in mildura for one day, I finally met her. she is an old, fat woman. and then I understood why she robs put your money and the 60 dollars administration fee. it is for her being able to buy all that crap, pizza, and co to keep her that fat and ugly. but even worse is her personality. only after I CALLED THE TAXATION OFFICE (a call which cost me 25 dollars) and told the girls that we need TAX FILE DECLARATION FORMS for our payment, we finally got them, if not, we would still be waiting. Believe me, no one there has any plan. Especially not about how YOU get YOUR money! anyway, I told vicky how disappointed I was. The only thing she said was "Oh, in your country people always make problems. In australia, we solve problems." well, for me IT IS a problem, suddenly being in mildura, loosing all my money and not having work. vicky promised me work in another town. after asking where I would stay she said she will search for a hostel -- wherefore I would have to pay again! For accommodation, 10 dollars for each transport. NO THANKS!!!! she only promises work to get you in. and after a week, she throws you out. (I know 5 people who had to leave after the first week, after working for only 2 days because she then told them that they were bad workers. "I am sorry, but search for something else, " dont worry. That is her way of problem-solving.) no, she is not sorry. for her, you are only business. Still today, I have not received the money.
and that, vicky, is not something between countrys. this is something between you and me. and I would feel ashamed if I would ever treat people in the way you do. Vicky ABUSES backpackers. Dont trust her!!!!!!!!! — Jack , Germany (2009-10-22) Terrible, fraudulent, should be shut down -- don't ever go there! How these working hostels get away with conning travelers is beyond belief. Borderline Backpackers is especially bad, I've never stayed in a place like it. I was convinced into going there in Feb. '09 on the strength of their lying website. It is dirty, overcrowded, and what little work is available is infrequent and badly-paid. Vickey overcharges on the rent and all the extras. I was stuck in a cramped house an hour's walk from town. I did a day's work for a couple of slave-drivers on a fig farm, toiling in the heat, and got sacked along with a bunch of people for being too slow. The Irish guys I met at the house had all been stuck there for weeks without work and had run out of money. I felt really sorry for those guys, they were the real victims. I left after a few days and didn't look back. If you're thinking of going there, don't, and if you're already there, leave while you still can! — Cocoman , UK (2009-08-30)