At Alfred’s

Alfred Park Accommodation is maybe a little bit off, but still a great choice. Located behind Sydney‘s Central Station, you have a fairly lengthy walk ahead of you to get to more centrally located spots, like shopping, restaurants, cafes etc. You also have to pass through Prince Alfred Park, which lies in front of the hostel, and which gives you a local vibe. It seemed to be very popular with the Sydney Aussies as there was a lot of activity all day long. The hostel might not look to big from the outside, more like a regular house, but it was surprisingly big inside. It kind of stretches out in the back. It’s basic though. A big common room with sort of a backyard feeling to it. With an adjacent kitchen for everyone to use. As you enter your room from the outside, having a decent heater during Aussie winter time is a huge plus, evenings get chilly. I ended up staying there twice, both before and after my overnight trip to Ayers Rock. Not wanting or needing to drag all my luggage with me out west, it was not a problem for me to store my huge suitcase there while I was M.I.A. When I returned I got my old room back. A familiar feeling 🙂

Had I known the hostel was as close to the train station as it was, you have to walk through the park only, I would have taken the train upon arrival. Instead I ended up on one of those horrible minibuses, which turned out to leave only when full, and with the competition between minibuses and not so many people arriving at that time, we had to “force” our driver to leave. Getting a taxi back to the airport proved to be a hassle as well. The pre-booked taxi (booked by the hostel) never showed. As I was about haul my way too many bags down to the train station, I luckily was able to flag down a random one. On my trip to Ayers Rock I took the train both to and from the airport. Hassle free!

Note: Photo is from hotel’s website.