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Wanderlust NZ is an iconic historic waterfront 5-star hostel, where the interior will take you on an adventure from ocean to land. It is the preferred stop for and young adventurers wanting high quality, affordable rooms, a great vibe and our million-dollar harbour views. Come and make our destination part of your journey too. We have 2 large kitchens and 2 lounges with water views, a huge deck overlooking the harbour, a range of different room options ideal for Travellers, couples, groups of friends or the whole team. We are more than just a place to stay - guests rave about our great environment and often meet friends for life. From the furnishing we select to the cleaning products we use, from recycling and composting to conscious consuming, we also do our best to protect our place in this world. We have WIFI, luggage storage and assistance with work all year round.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
The hostel occupies an attractive old building on the sea front. Because it is an adaptation of an existing building the facilities are not those of a modern purpose built hostel but are still very good. The outstanding feature of the hostel is the second floor balcony off the kitchen with great sea views - a fine setting to eat your meal but beware the seagull raiders. The kitchen is well equipped but the large fridge space is inadequate because many of the guests are working locally and staying long term, consequently they buy more food. The dorms are adequate; the beds are very comfortable but lack privacy curtains. Security is good. Parking is a hassle. On street parking near the hostel is metered but ~200 m away on McLean Street there is free parking, time unlimited. I paid A$53 for a dorm bed, more than I have ever paid in any hostel. So not great value for money. I suspect that it's due to the seafront location and lack of competition.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Best hostel ever, perfect location, incredible staff. We stayed 4 nights in here and we loved it so much!
Kitchens are spacious and full of new and clean things. Bathrooms were absolutely clean and moderns
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Meadows, Owner at Wanderlust Nz
Responded May 14, 2023
Now that's a BIG call! THANK YOU! Our team will be so pleased to be recognized, we hope you spread the Wanderlust NZ word on your travels around NZ. The Wanderlust NZ Tribe
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We were long term guests and stayed for over 3 months at Wanderlust. We can guarantee that this is the best hostel in New Zealand!!
The friendly staff made us feel so welcome and helped us find jobs from the very first day that we arrived.
About the hostel: Modern with great location in the middle of nice restaurants/bars. The beds are incredibly comfortable, toilets and showers are very clean, huge kitchen with everything that you need to cook and bake.
They have provided brand new heaters for every single room for the cold winter nights which are fab! The WiFi is amazing! Best WiFi we’ve ever had in a hostel. They clean the rooms/hostel around 9/10am not waking you up early like 7am like a lot of other hostels do.
The balcony is the biggest attraction with the most amazing view, especially for the sunrise (free tea and coffee to enjoy it). The other guests are so nice and we can say we made great friends living here. The guys playing the guitar on the odd evenings is a plus, which gathers people to the living room for some fun.
Also, a great thing about the hostel is the social aspect if you wish to join. It’s so much fun, but at the same time, the nights are so quiet so you get a great nights sleep!
Special mention to Renee and Rhys who were always super friendly, helpful and made our stay extra special.
We shared a private room for a little bit extra charge. If you decide to stay long term, request R3 if you can as it's lovely :)
We can’t put into words how much we enjoyed living at Wanderlust. It felt like home to us, and we will never forget our time there! Will definitely be back! Thanks for everything Wanderlust staff <3
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Meadows, Owner at Wanderlust Nz
Responded Apr 7, 2022
Thank you so much for your huge review! We can't wait to host you both again and be part of the Wanderlust tribe again : )
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Good location, very helpful and friendly reception staff. Room small and basic but fine for a night or two and at that price point. Unfortunately, during the two nights I stayed music was very loud and vibrating in the room until the very early hours of the morning. This resulted in two nights of no real sleep impacting my overall experience dramatically. Shame as it has positives.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Such a great hostel to spend one or more days. The hostel is only a 10 min drive from one of the best beaches in New Zealand. The view of the balcony is awesome and the spacious kitchen and communal area are great to meet other people. The showers and mattresses are the best and the staff is there to make you feel at home and they know how to turn important moments into memorable experiences. You find yourself in the heart of the city with plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants nearby. I ended up staying there for over 3 months so I consider myself family now. Many thanks to the owners Matt and Sarah, and the staff, like, Rhys, Joyce, Valeria, Diego, Skye and ofcourse the Dutch manager Renee. Btw, they also can help you out finding a cool job in the Bay of Plenty area.
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Date of stay: January 2021Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Meadows, Owner at Wanderlust Nz
Responded Mar 25, 2021
THANK YOU for being such a wonderful guest and part of the Wanderlust Family!!!! We truly loved having you with us for over 3 months! We hope you can look back on your stay with us in years to come and hold the Wanderlust memories close to your heart. Take care on all your amazing adventures to come in life, Love Sarah and Matt, Renee and the Wanderlust NZ Team
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I stayed here for 5 nights. There is a beautiful view from the balcony and the kitchen. The place was generally very clean. The word that I think best describes the hostel is small. I stayed in a 4 bed dorm and it was small, the beds were small, the toilet facilities were small (one toilet cubicle you couldn't even get in to). This meant that some areas felt small and cosy but others felt small and cramped. I visited it during winter so it was fairly quiet but I can imagine that it would get very crowded over the busier times.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Meadows, Owner at Wanderlust Nz
Responded Aug 8, 2023
Thank you for your review. We are a large 110 bed hostel with 3 large kitchens, 3 large communal lounges and huge deck with a beautiful view of the harbour ( i am glad you enjoyed it) Our bunks are standard bunk sizes. Some of the rooms are small as we are a Category 2 Historical building built in 1918 - that's what makes our place so special. Legally we can't change anything, and we are happy to preserve some of New Zealand's oldest buildings. Yes, there is one small ladies toilet but there is also a large one with shower in the common area and on the first floor all rooms have ensuites. Happy Travels, The Wanderlust Nz Tribe
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I originally booked for a week, with the intention of possibly staying a couple weeks.. I stayed for 7 months! It was an absolute blast!
Standing outside, the building is beautiful! First step inside, there's a beautiful staircase with art all over the walls. I was welcomed by Renee, what a babe! Was shown around the building, HUUUGE kitchen (with a Good Oven & Gas Stoves 😍)
My room was super clean and tidy, the bed is comfy af, shower pressure was quality
The Balcony!! I don't need to say anything it speaks for itself, you'll have to go yourself to see it
I made some wicked friends and we had some great times venturing out and seeing surrounding areas. There's loads of info from the staff to let you know what's good to do and also, what's not so good, which is helpful. Saves alot of wasted time going somewhere, if not worth the journey
Right, that's enough info on that
Others things that were great, people are super welcoming, everyone talks to each other, love a drink, playing games, cooking decent dinners, everyone wants to learn recipes and share. People sit and play music, have a sing song. It's a super clean place to hang out.
There's great places to eat, go for walks, it's like 15 min bus or drive to the mount
It's all going on here.
Great place
Thanks to everyone!!
Will be back for sure!
:)
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Meadows, Owner at Wanderlust Nz
Responded Apr 7, 2022
Cheers for the review Mason, 7 months! We must have done something right " ) We miss you and look forward to hosting you again!
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Great vibe and feel to hostel. Check in process easy with friendly staff. Fully functioning free WiFi. Stayed in a standard double which had a slight small bed but the room had everything you needed. Spacious shower in the en suite. Lovely large kitchen with fully functioning gas rings! Good selection of kitchen equipment, all in working order. Lovely hang out space with waterfront view and selection of games. Would highly recommend staying while in Tauranga
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great place for young travellers. Od feel safe about my adult kids being here great location close to intercity bus stops, waterfront and town. Great kitchen set up, balcony and views. Room was pretty stuffy even with window open. Had a fan, but wasn't the best sleep - thin mattress.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a wonderful backpackers, right on the edge of the Tauranga shopping area. The place has just been totally refurbished three months ago so it was very new looking. Amazing view of the harbour from the kitchen, lounge & balcony on the top floor. Rooms were very comfortable, kitchen was well stocked with equipment and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. I'll be going back. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Meadows, Owner at Wanderlust Nz
Responded Feb 18, 2021
Thank you so much for your review! It is the BEST view in town! It is easy to relax with the lounges all having water views and our huge balcony over looking the harbour, a great way to meet fellow travellers. We look forward to welcoming you back to Wanderlust NZ. Take care, The Wanderlust NZ Team
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There are more places to choose from in the Tauranga area.
PRICE RANGE
$88 - $89 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandBay of Plenty RegionTauranga
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
WANDERLUST NZ - Updated 2025
Frequently Asked Questions about Wanderlust Nz
Which popular attractions are close to Wanderlust Nz?
Nearby attractions include Hairy Maclary & Friends Tauranga Waterfront Sculpture (0.09 miles), Tauranga Art Gallery (0.1 miles), and Escape Rooms New Zealand (0.3 miles).