Christchurch Backpackers

The beach sound was nice, but the place felt like emergency housing; on one side someone’s TV or radio blared all night, on the other a phone kept vibrating. The top bunk had hair all over the pillow and duvet from someone’s recent haircut.

The beachside location was excellent and the price was reasonable, but there was no nearby car parking and the parking lot was full. I felt a bit unsafe because I didn’t see any other women staying there; many men were outside smoking and staring. The bathroom was far from my room, so I had to walk past several other rooms and could hear arguments.

I was welcomed with hospitality, the rooms were clean, and the environment was quiet and peaceful; the location was nice, close to the beach, the pier, and bus stops.

“Great places”

The people were great, and I ended up staying longer than I had planned.

The staff were great and all the facilities were available, but the place was a mess: guests were smoking drugs, a lady had been assaulted and came to the TV room with blood on her face, the long‑term tenants weren’t very desirable, and the bedroom smelled awful.