Westport -

In my blog post about Kaikoura I mentioned that not all hostel owners should actually be allowed to run a hostel and this hostel was one of the bad ones. Not bad in the way of hostel facilities, the facilities were ok, a bit run down but ok. The owners on the contrary were rude, ignorant people.

I arrived at Westport at around 11:40 am and had read at Booking.com that you were able to check into your room from 11:00 am at the YHA and therefore happy to get to the hostel (most hostels does not check you in until 2pm due to cleaning of rooms and facilities).

But arriving at the reception area I was greeted by an empty reception desk with no people to help me. There was a note on the small desk stating that they were closed for now and would be back at 12:15pm. I heard some staff roaming around on the 1st floor and asked them if they were able to help me check in but no such luck. It was only the owners who were able to do this and if they had written a note I would just have to wait.

At 12:25pm the lady of the house came through the front door, she looked very surprised and said "oohhh hi, hope you didn't wait for long". And I told her that I had arrived at 11:40 which she claimed could not be true because she had left at 11:45 am. I said that it didn't matter as long as I was able to check in now and that I was a bit surprised to find the reception empty when their webpage stated that you were able to check in at 11:00 am. I said this in a very kind way with a smile, not accusing her but she clearly felt violated and looked at me, and with a loathing tone of voice she said "sure" and I paid for the room for 2 nights and she gave me the key to the room. She told me that I was not able to get free WIFI unless I filled out a survey about my habits of choosing hostels - a survey from BBH (Budget Backpacker Hostels association). I filled out the survey and got a code for free WIFI.

Later that day I asked the lady of the house if she knew some nice places to have lunch, I think it was at around 3:00 pm and she looked at me like I had just flown into the room from outer space, and said "but at this time". I asked her if there weren't any restaurants open now and that I forgotten the time. She answered that she wasn't sure at this hour but I could try the 'Denniston Dog' restaurant otherwise some of the pizzerias.

Every time I saw the owners both her and her husband I smiled but I never got a smile back and every time someone (not just me) asked them any questions it was like they/we were more a nuisance rather than enjoying to share knowledge with the travellers.

Although an elderly couple came to stay for one night and they were mighty nice to them….

If I hadn't had to wait for the Stray bus - by the way I changed my plans hopping on the Stray bus in Nelson to hopping on the bus in Westport cause I wanted some more time in Nelson - I would have left Westport. I'm glad I didn't though because the next day the Stray bus arrived at the hostel and the driver had changed the departure time the following day from 7:00 am to 9:00 am.

Had I stayed at another hostel in Westport or had I taken the Naked bus to another pick up point I would have been waiting for over 2 hours without knowing why the bus didn't arrive on time. The change of departure plans was great for the people staying at the YHA hostel in Westport but rude towards the people being picked up on the way to the Franz Josef Glazier - they were not told anything of the plans and some almost didn't catch the bus at the pickup point at the town Greymouth.

Westport - the ghost town of the coal mining industry

The town is not 'a must' on the list of towns to visit in New Zealand but there is a Seal colony at the nearby Cape Foulwind (if you have a car or would like to hire a bike and bike 15 km) and you are able to experience the coal mining museum and learn about the history of the town. There is probably a chance of going surfing at the beach as well outside town - don't know if it's a good spot, some of the people from the Stray bus had bought the activity at a discounted rate through Stray.