Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Best Hostels in Brisbane and Sydney

Going to Australia with a friend in November 2009...I am 23, he is 25...any suggestions for nice/safe hostels in Sydney or Brisbane to help save some money on lodging costs?

In Sydney Surfside Coogee Beach is meant to be pretty good. It's right on Coogee Beach and easy to get to the city etc. If the current weather is anything to go by, you're going to want to be on the beach anyway.;)

There's a few good pubs at Coogee and you're a short hop from Bondi which has plenty of restaurants and bars through every price range, and maybe 15-20 mins in a cab to Kings Cross (which on a Saturday night is packed).

I'd look at either of the YHA properties in Sydney which are right around the Central Railway station and easily accessible to transport (train/bus). The one at Railway Square offers twin rooms. In Brisbane the YHA is just up the road from the Roma transit center if you need transit, or an easy walk into the CBD. It also offers twin rooms.
http://www.yha.com.au/

I haven't hosteled in Syd or Bris so can't help you specifically, but just generally
www.hostelz.com
is a good resources for looking up hostels and what they're like. I use it when I'm backpacking.
You have to think about bias in the user reviews (similar to when you read something on tripadvisor), but you generally get a pretty good idea of what its like.

The YWCA in Sydney was nice when I stayed there a couple of years ago.

I'd look at either of the YHA properties in Sydney which are right around the Central Railway station and easily accessible to transport (train/bus). The one at Railway Square offers twin rooms.[/url]

And as an added bonus, you can get a room which is an old converted rail carriage :) I liked this hostel, just remember earplugs because the 5am trains get a little loud.

Unfortunately not familiar with any brisbane hostels since I live here.

And as an added bonus, you can get a room which is an old converted rail carriage :) I liked this hostel, just remember earplugs because the 5am trains get a little loud. It was never actually a railway carriage, it was just built to look like one.

Dave

Bah, next thing you'll be telling me the tooth fairy isn't real!

I stayed at the Carlton Crest in Brisbane about 10 years ago, and it was pretty centrally located.

That, and for the 4-star rooms it was about $US50 a night. Oh, and the casino is close by!

What would it price at today?