Backpacking Accommodation

Some of the most fascinating, hilarious and memorable backpacking stories happen in the places you call “home” for a night, a week, and sometimes a lifetime. Don’t scoff – many a tourist has been known to fall in love with a city or a country, and stay for keeps – especially if they find their soul mate on the other side of the world, after meeting up at the local hostel or campsite.

For those backpacking across a country as big as Australia, finding accommodation can be daunting. If you’re on the move, with no planned itinerary, you still want to be sure you don’t have to sleep in a bus shelter with the daily newspaper for warmth.

For backpacking accommodation that is reliable and cheap, the first point of call is the local hostel or lodge. For starters, there are over 140 YHAs in great locations across Australia offering a laid back and fun environment with like-minded travelers.

You can track YHA hostels by location across the country and even book ahead online on their website at http://www.yha.com.au/. Membership to YHA is around AU$37 a year.

Of course, if you manage to score a casual job here or there, or a relative has wired you some money for “extras” you might like to splash out on some accommodation that might offer you more than just a comfortable bed and a warm shower.

For special occasions consider the following luxury hotels and resorts at some of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations

Accommodation

Lilianfels, Blue Mountains
Perched on a cliff’s edge, with breathtaking views of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, Lilianfels is a historic five star, European style country house, set amidst two acres of English style gardens.
http://www.lilianfels.com.au/web/okat/okat_a1a_splash.jsp

Hayman Island, Whitsundays
With its promise of a retreat alongside the Great Barrier Reef, the world-famous Hayman Island resort beckons as a slice of paradise. Lush, lavish, luxurious – the most northerly of the Whitsunday islands is a true icon of relaxation. Accommodation doesn’t get finer than this. Choose from rooms that front the Hayman Pool (seven times Olympic size) for a dip at any hour of the day, others that face the Lily Lagoon or an interior-designed penthouse or villa on the beach.
http://www.hayman.com.au

Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge, Northern Territory
Leave technology behind to experience the wilderness from unique eco-friendly hexagonal “habitats”. Travel by light aircraft and safari jeep to reach the Cobourg Peninsula, and the tropical magic of Aboriginal Arnhem Land. Tribal elders grant special permits to visit the mosaic of sandy beaches, coastal grasslands, rainforest jungle, paperbark lagoons, coral reefs, sea-grass meadows and rich marine life.
http://www.sevenspiritbay.com