Melinda from the Southern Region of Australia headed to Apollo Bay Eco YHA for the first time, she had heard great things about it…and was not disappointed.
Apollo Bay Eco YHA was extremely spacious with 2 large kitchens and 2 communal and dining areas along with a comfy TV lounge….but the absolute favourite spot was the rooftop where she managed to do some sunbathing, drinking and reading whilst having a view of the ocean.
Mel and her friend Sharon arrived via the inland route, it was rather uneventful until they were 30 minutes out and witnessed the beautiful scenery through the State Forest.
They arrived into town a bit early so decided to check it out. Apollo Bay is a beautiful seaside town along the Great Ocean Road with lots of cafes, clothing stores, a Skate Park and a couple of pubs.
They decided to pass the afternoon by lazing on the beach and watching the surfers. Once it was time to check in they went straight to the room to check it out – it was nice and spacious with good sized lockers and balconies if you are lucky to be on level 1. The bathrooms were very clean and modern with constant hot water in the showers – always a plus when backpacking! They had a wander of the hostel and discovered the herb garden, although couldn’t pick anything as Gay and Gilbert – the managers are re-planting after the Summer months. The girls had a lazy Friday night in and hung out in the TV lounge with the other guests at the hostel, but after a huge week at work Mel was in bed and asleep by 9:30pm!!
Saturday was not that warm so they slept in then spent the morning wandering the local markets – lots of jams, soaps and plants to be bought then went to a café for lunch where they sat on the balcony overlooking the ocean. They watched the surfers and kite boarders which can be quite entertaining to see them stack…or do really well. 
Later in the afternoon Mel and Sharon went across the road from the hostel to enjoy ‘Happy Hour Sangria’ and after making good use of Happy Hour made their way back to the hostel and made friends with the other people staying at the YHA.
The hostel had a good communal vibe and they ended up having a much, much later night with the other travelers. Their night began having some drinks at the hostel in the communal area then heading down to the pub to listen to the live music, which conveniently is just down the road and stayed there until closing time.
They all made their short way back to the hostel and decided to make a very early morning breakfast of scrambled eggs, mushrooms, spinach, toast and tomato, wasn’t the best breakfast ever had as it had been cooked after a few beers, but still thoroughly enjoyed. Thank goodness the kitchen had all the facilities that they needed to do this at this crazy hour. After breakfast they continued to stay up and be social, was definitely a fun experience and for Melinda it was a reminder of her time backpacking Europe.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable time at Apollo Bay Eco YHA, she would definitely recommend this hostel to anyone. So pack your backpack and head to Australia to check out the hostel yourself.
