Kookaburra Backpacker Hostel

No worries
Clean and well presented hostel, helpful and friendly staff (if a little overbearing at times!). Stayed as part of a package doing fraser with them as well, which was a right laugh! Would definitely recommend.

Great Hostel, Excellent food, Memorable Holiday
I love this place! The food is out of this world and so cheap. The rooms were very clean, the staff friendly and got involved with our fun time in the night club. The karaoke competition was such a laugh, then we had a wet shirt competition -- my friend won! We received free drinks. The bar was very well stocked and quite reasonable. Loved the guy who did the meeting for our Fraser trip. And we even got escorted to and from the barge, so that we didn't get lost driving through Hervey Bay. Fraser Island is unbelievable. What a great itinerary this Hostel gave us for our three-day/two-night adventure. Most of the group were fun to be with, but hey, there always seems to be a grumpy grump who should have stayed home! We had an excellent time anyway. Kookaburra, we loved the cat, Tiger. He's so used to being spoilt, and loves being held, and fed. We'll be booking again here -- we plan for christmas time. Nice one Kookaburra, for the many wonderful memories.

Well organized, excellent time!
I really can recommend this hostel and the fraser tour they offer. the hostel is located very close to the beach and the staff is very nice as well. I do not understand the complaints about the food for the fraser tour. we found everything in the eskies what was on the list and it was enough for eleven people. please don't forget that you're going on a three-day safari and not in a five-star hotel. And $30 for food for three days is a really good deal in my opinion. We had an awesome time!

Ok
Hostel was actually ok -- rooms and linen were very clean. Luckily, didn't come across the owner -- the young guy behind the desk was helpful and nice. There are only two toilets for the whole hostel, which is inadequate. The showers were ok in that there was enough hot water but there were opaque glass panels between the girls showers! These need painting. There was also nowhere to put your stuff while you are in the shower. Not enough hooks/work bench type areas. Didn't use the kitchen but there were only two very basic hobs, which looked inadequate for the size of the hostel. Nice outside area with pool. The internet is a true ripoff -- very expensive, the the slowest internet I have used in years! Don't use it! The Fraser Island trip -- wasn't happy about all the extras -- these should be stated much more clearly upfront. Rip off that you have to accept their food and buy alcohol through the hostel. The food was $25 -- but it was only worth approximately $15 -- home brand everything and very very basic food. We didn't run out of food though. Our jeep broke down on the second morning - our starter motor gave up on us and a lovely English group came to our rescue on the beach (we were hours walk from the nearest phone) and managed to push start the jeep. (We later found out this jeep had been off the road for the previous three weeks!). Because of this we missed Champagne Pools and Indian Heads although we did head up to Lake Allum instead which was a pretty exhilarating drive (had to leave the engine running the whole time of course). The 4x4 company did oblige and send out a new jeep for us the next morning but did mean we couldn't make the most of our trip. The campsite (G'Bari) was excellent -- fantastic Aboriginal guys run it who are really helpful (especially when our jeep broke down for advice about where to go). Only two showers and toilets though which was a bit annoying. Tents were perfect although had to fit three people into basically a three-man tent. All in all, we had great fun -- but you do get the feeling you are being ripped off a lot of the time!

Shite
this hostel is horrendous! It doesnt even deserve a rating of one.

Bad from start to finish
from the moment i arrived at this place in shuttle bus from the hostel with bad brakes i knew i should have gone somewhere else. i arrived at reception to be greeted by a rude female reception lady and the rude loud owner named george who was shouting at people for catching a taxi in the drive. the rooms were small and cramped but they were clean. old place to stay with no kitchen facilities. bar/nightclub area is a rip off with drinks too dear and same owner yelling at people for dancing. frasier island meeting was late to start and no sorry given to us. the underbody insurance policy is a joke. one insurance policy for vehicle, one for underneath -- what a joke. never heard of this in all of australia or back home. i think the rude owner should change jobs, he shouts that he hates backpackers. the 4x4 we were given no horn working, rust hole in back near doors, doors were loose on hinge on back door. charged extra $10 for fuel even though we used half tank and part of $65 we originally paid was for fuel. campsite is disgusting, old, and not clean and tents given you would not give your worst friend. old 4x4 and the company works from an old cockroach infested shed where the bugs were crawling thru our cutlery we had to take on trip. charged for broken muffler on car even though it was rusted and for nine spots of salt you can expect to be charged $1,000. staff were rude pigs to everyone in our group. please everybody avoid this hostel. avoid kookaburra hostel.

Shit
The company rips you off. what a load of bull. the guys up the 4x4 hire are the best -- thanks to them for making us have a great time on the island. Enjoy and keep the hell out of saltwater, it's easy to do.

Hostel ok, Fraser Trip Bad
If you booked a trip that includes the Fraser Island (Kookaburra hostel in Hervey Bay) and Reality Boat Trip (Magnums Hostel in Airlie Beach), you will probably feel ripped off at the end of it. I did both trips in Oct. of 2007. Kookaburra's hostel is ok. Only complaint is the fact that there is only one male and one female toilet for the guests in dorm rooms. As for the Fraser Island trip, you will have to pay another $105 for food, fuel, insurance, and ferry ride. You have no choice but to use their food, and have to buy your alcohol through them. You pay $25 for gasoline, and since there are ten people in the truck, that means that a tank of gas costs $250! We only used a half tank of gas at the end of the trip. When you get over to the Island you will stay in the worst campground you have every seen. Dirty tents, filthy bathrooms (not cleaned, no seats on the toilets, awful smell), garbage overflowing in the bins which attracted dingos at night. Also they only had eight tents for four groups that were there our second night. That's forty people in eight tents that only hold two people comfortably. Fortunately the second group found other accommodations that night so we didn't have to fit five people into a tent.

The worst place in Australia
I spent a year traveling Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia and this by far and away is the worst place i have ever stayed! They are blatant con artists (cant buy food yourself, have to buy theirs for the fraser trip, same with the beer). Never met anything like Bob, the bearded freak that does the meetings -- what an asshole. then the manager, fat, greedy, loud, obnoxious idiot -- giving out about backpackers and what scum we are. he should take a good long look in the mirror -- it's almost five months ago but i still get so angry just thinking about the place. Avoid like the plague. And dont book the Wanderers package as this dump is included on it!

Good
This hostel was one of the cleanest we have stayed in during our travels of Australia. None of the extras we were charged where hidden -- they were all stated clearly on our Travel Bugs voucher before we arrived. $35 Insurance. $25 Fuel, Gas & ice. $25 Food. $20 option -- Underbody Insurance. $100 Bond which was returned to us after the trip. As long as you drive carefully and follow the itinerary given to you, you will see everything and not lose this bond. The Fraser trip was great! basically what you make of it. It is camping trip -- don't go out expecting five-star luxury, then you will spoil it for yourself and your group. truly the highlight of our eight months in Australia.

Stay well away of this shithole
This was the real low point in my travels. I only stayed here because it was included in a deal and it was the worst experience. The first room we were in was soaking. We woke up with the inside of the windows, the door, the ceiling, the walls, the floor, and all our possessions damp and wet. We then got moved room and within five minutes of being there we saw about ten cockroaches. We then met some people who had been moved from the room we'd just been moved into! Throughout all of this, the beds are plastic, there are two toilets, the showers are horribly dirty, everyone is inbred, and the bar sells a bottle of XXXX Gold for $3.50 -- outrageous! Luckily we kept our bonds when we returned from Fraser but those guys are not kosher. Ultimately, this is the worst place to stay ever. To be honest though, it is in the luxurious land of Hervey Bay.

Do not stay here!
The manager of this hostel is one of the rudest people I have come across on my travels. As he could not find my $20 that I left for the cutlery deposit, he accused me of going around the hostel and picking up other people's dirty dishes in order to get $20! His final response was that 99% of backpackers are dishonest! I also heard him tell another group of backpackers the same comment when he apparently found saltwater under the bonnet of the car they took on the fraser island trip. Not only did he state that their $100 bond would be lost, but that he would also take the bond from two of the people that were ill and could not go on the trip! If this guy doesn't like backpackers why is he running a hostel? In general, the rooms aren't great and the kitchen is very poorly equipped, it didn't even have a toaster. Although there are a few rooms that have their own shower and toilet, there are only two toilets for the rest of the guests which aren't the nicest! If you can, stay somewhere else!

Shite
Isn't a good hostel at all. Try to make you pay for everything! The situation with the alcohol is stupid and a lie! The posters around the hostel give different amount's on the fine for bringing your own alcohol! The Fraser trip is really what you make it, and going with these won't ruin your trip, but they'll try very hard! They couldn't really organize a piss up in a brewery!

reading the previous comments about this place i wish to leave some good things about it. I was with the fourth group the person mentioned before. our car was fine with no charges, we had heaps of food left, and if you don't take things out of ice boxes of course they will be frozen. think ahead. when the cars were taken they went to gas station across road to refuel. things are what you make it. stop driving through salt water and you know you did kate we all saw the car doing it. give these people a break and own up to your mistakes, don't try and cheat your way out of it.

Do not stay at Kookaburra or go to Fraser with them. Thirty-four of us gathered for our pre-Fraser meeting, only to be told that Kookaburra had overbooked (the receptionist told us that she'd told the manager when the last booking came through that they had too many and he said, don't worry, we'll sort it tomorrow when they get here). We were told that someone had to drop out. One lad already had the trip before, so he wasn't going to again (especially as he was only given two free nights accommodation, and had to argue to get two free meals that he was promised to bribe him to drop out). The guy said that he'd just point to two people to choose -- he chose a couple who had driven all night to get there in time. Then the hostel and their travel company told them they couldn't have a refund! After nearly two hours, the manager (who wouldn't appear in person as he was eating his dinner) said he'd put another car out. We were also victim to the having to buy the food scam. I was told no one had ever asked to buy their own food before! It was disgusting and frozen so inedible. Frozen pink chicken drumsticks anyone? And of course, we were stung by the salt in the engine scam -- our engine was checked by two mechanics and given the all clear. Then a mechanic nipped into the car and drove it off out of sight for ten minutes. when he came back, he opened the bonnet and 'found' one spot of salt and charged us $300! I guess that's how they made the money back from having to put out a fourth car. The couple who were originally told they couldn't come were in my group -- coincidence? The management of Kookaburra was the most ignorant, rude individual I have ever met. I have worked in the hospitality industry for twelve years and have never seen such blatant, money making, con artist behaviour. There were thirty-four people affected by this, I've told eight people already not to book with them, if everyone else is doing the same (and I bet you they are as I was one of the least angry there), then you can imagine the impact on this rip-off hostel and 4WD providers. I have taken pictures of the car engine with the spot of salt. I really believe we have been set up and scammed.