Melbourne & Sydney Accomodation and Tour help!

tia86

Hi all
Next week I head off to Australia...first stop Melbourne! I had booked two of my 4 nights accomodation, but now the place I booked the first 2 nights with is full, so going to have to choose somewhere else - does anyone have any recommendations? (I am looking at cheap but decent hostels please)

Secondly I would like to do a Great Ocean Road tour and Phillip Island tour - am I best to wait and book when I get there? Or because I don't want to waste time finding agents/tourist office is there any companies anyone would recommend? So far Phillip Island tour I have found with Wildlife Tours Australia costs $99 is this fair? Great Ocean Road tours seem to be around $120 will I find that cheaper when i'm there?

Finally any recommendations for hostels in Sydney? I have one night booked at Wake Up Sydney but have heard it is quite loud. Has anyone stayed somewhere cheap, clean and not too noisy? I have found somewhere called Jackaroo which has some good reviews can anyone vouch for this?

Thanks for any help you can give me

Bob_the_Saver

tia86 wrote: »

Hi all
Next week I head off to Australia...first stop Melbourne! I had booked two of my 4 nights accomodation, but now the place I booked the first 2 nights with is full, so going to have to choose somewhere else - does anyone have any recommendations? (I am looking at cheap but decent hostels please)

Secondly I would like to do a Great Ocean Road tour and Phillip Island tour - am I best to wait and book when I get there? Or because I don't want to waste time finding agents/tourist office is there any companies anyone would recommend? So far Phillip Island tour I have found with Wildlife Tours Australia costs $99 is this fair? Great Ocean Road tours seem to be around $120 will I find that cheaper when i'm there?

Finally any recommendations for hostels in Sydney? I have one night booked at Wake Up Sydney but have heard it is quite loud. Has anyone stayed somewhere cheap, clean and not too noisy? I have found somewhere called Jackaroo which has some good reviews can anyone vouch for this?

Thanks for any help you can give me

Did great Ocean drive this spring, a bit like Cornwall no big deal.
Places to stay in Melbourne, not maybe for you but for couples who want en-suite look at https://www.hotelformule1.com (the one in the city centre) or for non en-suite look at hotelclaremont.com not noisy and
handy for transport, we booked via hostelworld.com

olias

What do you mean by cheap??????????

YHA in Sydney is supposed to be great. For something a bit more classy and as central as they come try Y on the park. It is also on the edge of Oxford street so great for cheap foods.

Olias

VfM4meplse

tia86 wrote: »

Phillip Island tour

AUS$99 to see a bunch of penguins? Didn't make sense to me then and nor does it now. There's so much to do in Melbourne I would give it a miss....unless you have a particular affinity for the penguins.

tia86

VfM4meplse wrote: »

AUS$99 to see a bunch of penguins? Didn't make sense to me then and nor does it now. There's so much to do in Melbourne I would give it a miss....unless you have a particular affinity for the penguins.

Ok fair point, though I had heard it was quite good. What would you recommend to do while in Melbourne?

I forgot to say regarding the accomodation I am travelling alone, also no car, so places that are easy to get to and friendly would be a plus.
Thanks

spottydog

olias wrote: »

What do you mean by cheap??????????

YHA in Sydney is supposed to be great. For something a bit more classy and as central as they come try Y on the park. It is also on the edge of Oxford street so great for cheap foods.

Olias

There is now a youth hostel in the Rocks (between the Shangri-la hotel and Australian pub), no idea what prices are like but its an excellent location. Otherwise try wotif.com for last minute deals

littlereddevil

VfM4meplse wrote: »

AUS$99 to see a bunch of penguins? Didn't make sense to me then and nor does it now. There's so much to do in Melbourne I would give it a miss....unless you have a particular affinity for the penguins.

Oh the fairy penguins are so so cute.Don't remember how much we paid to go in but we drove ourselves there

giraffe69

What would you recommend to do while in Melbourne?

Free circular tram is good to get bearings.
Botanical Gardens (also free) worth an hour or two
MCG museum(not free) very good(and I am not a museum fan). The 3D Shane Warne was the best bit.

flutterbyuk25

Tia - would you mind reporting back on the hostels please? I am going to both sydney and melbourne in Oct/Nov and am looking for hostel recommendations. I will also be a solo traveller. Have a fab trip

x

jamsandwiches

As a couple we have stayed in many YHA's all over Australia and have not been in a bad one yet. We usually stay in a private room with ensuite but lots of people stay in the dorms.
Stayed at Sydney Central YHA 3 times and the one at Bondi and looked at the one in The Rocks - it is amazing and we are going to stay there next time we go to Sydney. Have a look at Hotel 59 in Sydney - don't know if they have single rooms but that is good place to stay - near all the lively bars in The Cross.

Went to Melbourne for F1 and stayed in a hostal near to the circuit at Albert Park - Urban Central - enormous place but that was ok if a little noisy but only to be expected that weekend.

When in Melbourne don't forget to go on the tram to St.Kilda.