Swansea Backpackers

We camped there and used all facilities, food price, lovely calm hostel and nice location close to town and beaches.

We stayed there with a camper van. They have a large community area, that you can use for an extra $10, so for $35 you have showers and toilets provided outside, and a well equipped kitchen, pool, darts, wifi that you can use inside.

Chris is a very nice host and we enjoyed our stay a lot. The facilities were clean and the capsule beds were spacious. The outdoor area looked perfect for a BBQ in the sun! We would stay there again:)

Chris is a great host! Got a room upgrade. Rooms and bed are clean with nice touches like a night light and a painting.

Has potential, with it being taken over by current owner around a year ago. The common area and kitchen was clean. The kitchen needs more space for travellers to put bags etc as the cupboards and fridges are full of long term fruit pickers items.
The bathroom and showers were ok, having been cleaned daily.
Our bedroom (room 1) was tired and a bit dirty. Old pair of socks were left from someone before, no bin or fresh towels left in the room and just needed a good clean and fresh lick of paint.
Campground seems fairly priced and good option if travelling with tent or van.
Wifi was only in common area and a bit slow (but usual for remote Tassie).
Overall not bad.

Friendly.helpful. $30 is just a field. Room for RV very simple amenities $5 to just have a shower without stopping over. That's good. Just a field.no shade 1 tree. Very hot. Typical back packers.not too clean.

Not cheap, room is basic. Is used as accommodation for labourers from area. Found common areas very dirty. There is a really good bar & Cafe next door where service & food good

Chris (the owner) was lovely, warm and so accommodating. The pods were very spacious and had enough space for our bags. Beds were comfy and doonas kept us cozy. The kitchen was large and very well stocked with cutlery, pots and pans and the combined dining area and lounge was very spacious. We had free wifi, a tv, darts, snooker table, ping pong, bike and scooter hires available for us, as well! We also had a sizeable toilet and shower area, laundry ammenities and location of the hostel was great- walking distance to the bakery, restaurant and bottle shop, few minutes away from the beach and general store. It caters to all types of travellers - solo, groups and families. My 12yo son asked if we could stay here again next time we are in this side of Tasmania and the answer was of course YES! Thanks, Chris

A really nice place. Chris, the owner, will do everything he can so you feel comfortable. Place is clean, well maintained. There is everything you need: beds, warm showers, kitchen, laundry, and even more. There is a shared living room with pool game and darts, and very good vibes. Shops nearby.
You can also camp (tent, caravan, campervan) in the yard and have access to toilets, showers, laundry and kitchen.
Thanks Chris!

Very cosy & homey environment. Dedicated owner is very hands-on. Always around to answer any question or any needs you might have. Enjoyed especially the large community area and kitchen which is always a hive of activity every morning and evening.

Visited at the start of the year and was really disappointed with the service and facilities. For $40 a night for a single night stay, I would rather sleep in my car. Bedding facility was ok - had curtains for privacy. The dorm's fly screen was broken and couldn't wind in the window. Had two smokers smoking outside at 2am. Bathroom was dirty, taps were broken and had spiders and their webbing hanging from the shower window. Wasn't pleasant. I booked for two nights, but seeing how terrible the first night was, I ended up packing my bags and left. Upon speaking to management, they didn't want to refund me for my second night. Would have been nice to have the money returned. I believe they are undergoing a renovation at the moment. This would definitely be a good step seeing there's not many other places to stay around there - especially if you're looking for budget accomodation when visiting Freycinet National Park.

* Hi Chris. I see you have recently taken over the place and given it a revamp. I would have stayed with the previous owners. It looks much better now. All the best.

Under new management (Chris). Good facility with all the basics covered and Chris, exceptional customer service. Needed a room at last minute to let everything/camp gear air out following constant rain, the perfect stop. They also have camp spots outside for camping and vans

Clean rooms.
Clean amenities.
Really nice linen!
Well situated, walking distance to stuff in town.
Affordable.
One thing some folks might call a drawback:
No lockable lockers in dorm rooms.

New owner has recently taken over the hostel, and the experience has been great. Homely atmosphere, and Chris the owner/manager is great. Recommended.

I have stayed in most of the accommodation options in Swansea and Dolphin Sands over the last 7 years. Chris wins hands down on value for money. I stayed in one of the private rooms (room 1). Very attractive bedding and perfectly clean, with a comfortable double bed. It is a great advantage to have the well equipped kitchen at your disposal, and the bus stops here. It is just a short walk to the beach, and at low tide you can walk across to Nine Mile Beach. It is by no means a rowdy youth hostel - several guests were 60’s and above, like me. Lovely spaces inside and outside to socialise or just sit by yourself. Eating places and shops for provisions are all very close; you don’t need a car. Chris is the perfect host.

The new owner Chris went out of his way to make our stay enjoyable. The room was clean and the beds comfortable. The communal lounge and kitchen were well- appointed with everything we needed. We recommend staying here for affordable accommodation.

No WiFi in the rooms. Kitchen was falling apart (tap just came off when using). Bathrooms were quite dirty. Not good value compared to other local accommodation.

I believe ownership had just been handed over and the new owners were getting to grips with the running of this hostel. Hopefully they renovate and upgrade the facilities!

Called in twice now for a shower. First time I forgot my towel and was given one to use, no extra cost. $5 for a beautiful hot shower. The facilities are great. Very clean. The staff are lovely.

Not good. Very rundown and unhygienic. No mention of any COVID policies, dusty and soiled bedding, no upkeep of facilities including grim bathrooms and utterly unappealing kitchen facilities.

Really dirty to the point of unhygienic. Also feels like the manager /owner is under resourced and need to here so H we lp to keep on top of things. We had to forfeight two nights stay there, as it was just too awful to list everything that was not okay. Did not get a refund. But so thankful not to have to stay another night.