Hostel on the Sunshine Coast (Mooloolaba Backpackers - Sunshine Coast, Australia)

Member Name: TigerMystery

Product:	Mooloolaba Backpackers - Sunshine Coast, Australia
Date:	14/09/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Atmosphere

Disadvantages: Small town

Location:
Mooloolaba is a small town located on the Sunshine Coast, about 100km north of Brisbane. The hostel is located on the main street, just a few minutes walk from the beach.

Buses and trains all stop at nearby Maroochydore, which is also where the Sunshine Coast airport is located (domestic flights only). The hostel operates a free courtesy bus from the bus station.
I had hired a car from Brisbane for the weekend (about an hour's drive). The hostel provides free parking, although space is limited.

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Rooms:
4-bed or double rooms are available. They are around $30 for a dorm bed or $70 for a double room, although if you plan to stay longer there is a weekly rate available ($168/$420 as of writing). The rooms are fairly decent, pretty much your standard hostel dorms.

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Facilities:
There are bathrooms on every floor. With this hostel being close to the beach, they can get a bit sandy, but are cleaned regularly so this isn't a major problem. Some rooms have en suites.

Kayaks can be borrowed and taken to the creek, which is only a few minutes walk away. This was a really fun part of stay, although there were three of us and only two people could fit in, so we had to take turns. They also hire surfboards and bikes for free.

There is a fairly decent sized swimming pool. I didn't actually use this, as I was at the beach most of the time. Kitchen, laundry and internet facilities are also available.

They have a tour desk that specialises in Fraser Island tours, although I didn't use this as I was only there for one night. Other possible places to visit in the Sunshine Coast area are Australia Zoo, Eumundi Markets, Underwater World and the Glasshouse Mountains.

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Overall recommendation:
I really liked the chilled-out vibe of the hostel. I was only in Mooloolaba for one night, as a weekend away from working in Brisbane, and the hostel definitely had a relaxed holiday feel to it. In the evening, we joined a bunch of people on the balcony for some cards and everyone was really friendly. Of course, you could be really unlucky and be surrounded by a load of [insert word for horrible people here], but I think most people come to stay at this hostel to make friends and have fun.
They close the public areas at night (around 10), but the beach is very close so most people tend to head over there.

Summary: Good holiday vibe