Waiheke Backpackers Hostel

This was our least favourite hostel in either Australia or New Zealand. We loved the island but the people staying at this hostel seemed to be more people who were living there and not travellers. We found them snooty, unwelcoming and entitled, as if they had spent quite a bit of time there. The cleaning person was lovely and super helpful though! It is tough to find affordable accommodation on Waiheke for a family, but if you are looking for that relaxed hostel vibe, friendly to families with kids that many hostels in New Zealand have, you may want to think about looking elsewhere. That being said, certainly nothing terrible about this hostel, it was clean and safe. The bus system on Waiheke is really great, the bus stop is down the hill from the hostel to go direct to the ferry which is super convenient, it is quite a few stairs just fyi.

The people here were very friendly! You can’t beat the view, it’s stunning. I asked to be roomed with a female and was paired with a lovely young lady. We had assigned bunks with a bathroom down the hall. The facilities were clean and I felt safe. I would recommend this place for solo travelers or friends (there were many solo people here).