Sparkys Backpackers
Sparkys Backpackers descritpion
Sparkys Backpackers boasts a unique ‘Railway’ theme, a 15-minute walk from Invercargill’s city centre. This property is home to some of the props from the movie ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’ (starring Anthony Hopkins), where Invercargill was a filming location. Free parking is provided.
Guests can choose to stay in a lively dormitory room or in the comfort of a private room. Toilet and bathroom facilities are shared.
Sparkys is a 10-minute walk from Splash Palace and a 15-minute walk from the Civic Theatre. It is a 20-minute walk from Southland Museum & Art Gallery. Invercargill Airport is 3.1 miles away.
Recommand
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The staff speaks English——Sparkys Backpackers's staff speaks:English
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Facilities of Sparkys Backpackers
Pets ：Pets are not allowed.
Internet ：WiFi is available in public areas and charges apply.
Parking ：Free!Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).
Services ：Baggage Storage | Laundry
General ：Paid WiFi
Reviews for Sparkys Backpackers
Review 1：Squeaky bunk beds so not the best of sleep but hey, you'll live!
Review 2：Lovely host, good enough location, cute little backpackers that gives you value for money!
Review 3：Couldn't think any for its price and help.It's so worthwhile.
Review 4：So nice couple managers.So helpful even we arrived so much earlier than check in time.Always care about customers.Providing other extra help for us when we need. Nice garden with tasty walnuts for customers to try.:-)Tks a lot!
Review 5：Family lives in same house, kitchen, living room must be shared or are more/less occupied by family members, bathroom not clean. It is generally not tidy, in front of the house there is a real estate sign - so is it going to be sold!? Dorm was okay.
Review 6：Owners used the hostel space, so it was like you were in their home. They were really nice and quite friendly, but it was a little awkward and I noticed most people staying there avoided the common area because of this. Also no free WiFi and about a 29 min walk to town
Review 7：Pretty standard Hostel facilities
Review 8：Location is a bit far from city centre.
Review 9：The owner is a great father even though he has to face heaps of difficulties regarding his newly born son. He has tried his best to keep the hostel running.
Review 10：I booked a 6 bed dorm, there were 8 beds in it. One bed had not been made up from the last person staying. The owners had an argument as I arrived. I was not shown around but just to the dorm so I've no idea if there's a hot tub there or not. The kitchen is tiny and only room for 2 to cook at any one time. It's a fair walk into town. I don't know how it got a score of 7.3.
Review 11：The shower in the new bathroom was quite good with plenty of hot water.
Review 12：Microwave not clean. Stove looked like it needed replacing, Bathroom door squeaked which would disturb other guests. Bedroom and couches didn't look like the photos on line and were separate areas rather than being part of the private room you thought were were booking
Review 13：Great Shower! Good bed, Warm and cosy
Review 14：Set up in a beautiful house which I didn't realise when first booking, as opposed to it being in a large building. Everyone was very friendly and sparky himself was very welcoming and great to talk to. The set up itself is very comfortable and makes you feel right at home! Beds were not so amazing but what can you expect.
Review 15：It was a good stay at Sparkys. Definitely going to be there again! The spar is unique for me at a hostel, as well as the owner is friendly and always has a open ear for questions. Cash only, but this is not really a problem!
Review 16：20 minutes from the isite/bus station.
Review 17：The manager was really friendly and helpful (he heven gave us a ride when we left). You feel really a littlw bit like home so you can really enjoy your time there. Its clean and the kitchen has everything you need. You can meet nice people there!
Review 18：Nothing
Review 19：Sparkys is everything that is good about new Zealand in one hostel. An extremely welcoming and generous host, a love of the local area and history, the comfort of a home with log fire, comfy beds and even a spa. Just book it now and enjoy your stay
Review 20：Cash only is a pain. Visa, or at least eftpos is a must. Time for a new TV. Very Limited WiFi. Many backpackers have all you can eat for free these days.
Review 21：Location was great. Well equipped kitchen and the strongest shower I have ever had!
Review 22：- spa pool a bit dirty, cold - the bathroom, kitchen and washing room are pretty dirty and run down, the washing machine is in a bad condition, 1 * washing and 1 * drying costs 10 bucks - just 1 toilette and 1 shower atm, i guess they are renovating
Review 23：+ very friendly staff + location is good + bedrooms are cozy
Review 24：+ the people who rent this business + the position, because it wasn't so far away from the centre + to be able to cook your own meals + having a living room, where you could talk with other persons.
Review 25：The treat and the cleanliness. Small, familiar and comfortable property.
Review 26：staff weren't welcoming - threatened to give my bed to others!
Review 27：quirky character and location
Review 28：stress free booking nice friendly family feel to the place easy to find.
Review 29：Felt very homely compared to most backpackers
Review 30：Was a bit cold in the morning.
Review 31：Host was a great guy, real friendly and funny. Felt more like staying at a home then a hostel. Loved the log fire.
Review 32：there is no wifi included and payment in cash only.
Review 33：The facilities are good. It is not a big place but is comfortable because it was not busy.
Review 34：Wifi charge is always unwelcome!
Review 35：Wonderful log fire.
Review 36：nothing
Review 37：very easy to book, good hosts, comfortable, clean accommodation, we will definitely go back again... cheers guys
Review 38：nice people, comfy beds, enough place to cook, cute rabbits and goat!
Review 39：hot pool was great. had a nice feel to the place. warm despite weather been appalling.
Review 40：Filthy showers and toilets. Rubbish everywhere. And dirty laundry all over the place. Go some place else
Review 41：The manager was very accommodating and easy going.
Review 42：Price for double room. Friendly staff.
Review 43：Matresses were worn out, a bit far from city center
Review 44：homely, with friendly staff, (was a former house, so rather small and cosy)
Review 45：very derty animals a there i never go this places
Review 46：location
Review 47：Roommate snoring
Review 48：Honesty
Review 49：Wifi closed down at night, more like a bed-without-breakfast than a hostel
Review 50：Spacy room, the other people who stayed there
Review 51：Great, home like atmosphere. Perfect beds.
Review 52：Doens't fit the expectation for 27 bugs a night. have had much better backpacker for the same price.
Review 53：Fully equipped kitchen, quiet outside
Review 54：Building and facilities are very old.
Review 55：The atmosphere is really nice. Lovely decoration. Nice staff
Review 56：None
Review 57：Everything is good
Review 58：Friendly and helpful. Welcoming atmosphere.
Review 59：Bathrooms and Toilets were disgusting and haven't been cleaned in ages, Livingroom was full with clothes and paperwork couldn't sit on the couch.
Review 60：Room was nice and comfy
Review 61：Sparkys hostel is really familiary and pretty nice hostel and the special highlight is a hot pool with jelly beans and a helmed :-P insider @ sparky its was very awesome
Review 62：Terrible location, would've been same cost to stay much more central, outdated bathroom/shower
Review 63：Nice (family) staff, comfortable bed, wifi access
Review 64：the kitchen is quit small and there is only one table with 4 seats to eat. so the chance to sit down to eat something is quit low ;) beside this the owner is always around giving u the feeling u are in the way or did something wrong...using his facilities in an appropriate way. there are a lot of rules u will feel like your mother is there as well ;) don't tough the TV, meaning don't change the channel, becuase the owner wants to watch CSI...and don't use the wifi more than 20min...he is checking that! it's nice that they have a pool, but the area where the pool is located (outside in the "garden") looks like a place to store trash. i didn't use it, so maybe when it's dark outside it's fine than u don't see the mess ;) the owner seems to be all the time stressed, but i guess he is doing his best.it would be better if he has is own kitchen, bathroom and TV instead of giving the guests the feeling to be in his way. all together i would still go there again, it's so strange thats funny again.
Review 65：since the hostel is quit small it's easy to interact with other guests.
Review 66：House rules might be a bit annoying. Shower only 5min, internet only 20min, etc.
Review 67：A place with a character. It's a house where some rooms are prepared for travellers. Kitchen is well equiped, location is OK, Sparky is a friendly mate.
Review 68：one of the men (staff) was sick and coughing a lot around me and other people. There was something not working with the oven and the spa was not working.
Review 69：that there was more than one bathroom available. that there were brochures about invercargill
Review 70：Nothing. It was all we could wish for.
Review 71：We found Sparlys' to be a very friendly, slightly " alternative ", welcoming and accepting of the young at heart, whatever their age.Very warm and homely with a super spa.
Review 72：Leaving
Review 73：Fantastic Host - Really passionate and most hospitable. Very comfortable and warm beds. Homely environment. Advertised as a Backpackers but much more. Sparky really looked after me and created a fun environment. Chocolate Cake experience most memorable.
Review 74：This is a converted house which is too small for so many people.Theowner Sparky is a nice bloke but clearly is struggling with the day today running of the backpackers,he is trying to do everything himselfwith no staff which is clearly taking its toll on the cleanliness of theplace. There are too many personal items around the house which makesthe place very cluttered and strange signage which can be confusing tosome. Finally, this place is very cold with only heating from a fire inthe living room. Photographs on this site are very misleading, I.e theplace is now very cluttered and looks disorganised.
Review 75：20 minute walk to local brewery. Off road parking.
Review 76：Roommates staying up and talking with lights on until 1.00pm.
Review 77：Comfortable Bed, Hospitable, helpful owner, good kitchen facilities, flexibility with hours of access.
Review 78：This was a converted house, not done very well. Looked like a dumpyhouse. Not enough space, seating, kitchen space and toilets for theamount of guests staying. Do yourselves a favour and pay a bit extra andstay somewhere else.
Review 79：The price only.
Review 80：Leaving the place
Review 81：the closeness to the City Centre the lovely warm fire great people running the place lovely people staying at the time
Review 82：Too much limitations
Review 83：Decorations are special
Review 84：The homey atmosphere
Review 85：That I had to leave ;)
Review 86：Staff, very friendly
Review 87：nothing really a lot of rules to read and i couldn't be bothered so dont know if i violated them or not
Review 88：exactly what i needed so it was all g
Review 89：The spa pool to unwind and soak out the tight muscles from driving, and the spacious bedroom.
Review 90：It's a house adapt as dorm, the guy who runs it actually lives there too. It was a little weird for my point of view
Review 91：Toilet etc. in need of upgrading, there was no heating (in March), house was messy.
Review 92：Better than sleeping in the rain.
Review 93：Rooms had no lockers??
Review 94：The owner: he was very special! The decorations: you don't know where to look first The decorated rooms: one word: WAW
Review 95：The common room seems to be the owner's living room, free internet's only for 20 minutes and the kitchen's tiny.
Review 96：Some Rules
Review 97：Friendly. Good recycling set up. close to bus stop. Homely. No alcohol abuse.
Review 98：A home away from home.
Review 99：there was'nt anything really to dislike
Review 100：sparkys was a nice warm cosy backpackers,friendly staff,and sparky made me more than welcome,nice stay
Review 101：Everything is good except the location.I think it's a little far from the city center and bus stop.
Review 102：A very unique place to stay. The most comfortable hostel Ive stayed at in New Zealand.
Review 103：Friendly, secure.
Review 104：Help I got from the owner, and the friendly backpackers staff.
Review 105：Easy to get a long with staff Spa
Review 106：The Hot Tub !! All the little things !
Review 107：Feels like I was back in college (messy untidy house)
Review 108：Bed was very comfortable
Review 109：Sparky is a great host. This type of hostel is what makes our travels fun. It's warm, friendly,with real travelers from all over.
Review 110：it wasnt clean, really dirty, old beds,bad sheets
Review 111：decoration
Review 112：Bathroom was a little on the grimey side.
Review 113：Place was full of character. Host was excellent.
Review 114：Lots of interesting details in the house, the hot tub
The Fine Print
Please note that guests receive 20 minutes free Wi-Fi access.