Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
www.hihostels.com
) network, so if you're already a HI member in your own country, mem-
bership entitles you to use NZ hostels. If you don't already have a home membership, you
can join at major NZ YHA hostels or online for $42, valid for 12 months. Nonmembers pay
an extra $3 per night.
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out
ht-
tp://hotels.lonelyplanet.com
. You'll find independent reviews, as well as recom-
mendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.
Base Backpackers
(
www.stayatbase.com
) Chain with seven hostels around NZ: Bay of
Islands, Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Wanaka and Queenstown, plus affiliates
in Nelson and Dunedin (…and a Christchurch hostel closed for post-quake repairs) . Ex-
pect clean dorms, girls-only areas and party opportunities aplenty. Offers a 10-night 'Base
Jumping' accommodation card for $239, bookable online.
VIP Backpackers
(
www.vipbackpackers.com
)
International organisation affiliated with
around 20 NZ hostels (not BBH or YHA), mainly in the cities and tourist hot spots. For
around $61 (including postage) you'll receive a 12-month membership entitling you to a
$1 discount off nightly accommodation. Join online or at VIP hostels.
Nomads Backpackers
(
www.nomadsworld.com
) Seven franchises in NZ: Auckland, Ro-
torua, Taupo, Waitomo, Wellington, Abel Tasman National Park and Queenstown. Mem-
bership costs $49 for 12 months and, like VIP, offers $1 off the cost of nightly accommod-
ation. Join at participating hostels or online.
Pubs, Hotels & Motels
»
The least expensive form of NZ hotel accommodation is the humble pub. NZ's old pubs
are often full of character (and characters), although some are grotty, ramshackle places
that are best avoided. Check if there's a band playing the night you're staying - you could
be in for a sleepless night. In the cheapest pubs, singles/doubles might cost as little as
$30/60 (with a shared bathroom down the hall), though $50/80 is more common.
»
At the top end of the hotel scale are five-star international chains, resort complexes and
architecturally splendorous boutique hotels, all of which charge a hefty premium for their
mod cons, snappy service and/or historic opulence. We quote 'rack rates' (official advert-
ised rates) for such places, but discounts and special deals often apply.
»
NZ's towns have a glut of nondescript, low-rise motels and 'motor lodges', charging
between $80 and $180 for double rooms. These tend to be squat structures skulking by
highways on the edges of towns. Most are modernish (though decor is often mired in the
