This summer while making travel plans for our small family, I was faced with the new problem of getting baby from A to B.
At the best of times the road trip between Christchurch and Central Otago is a stretch. Though scenic, the seven-hour slog can feel like an eternity. That’s even if you don’t need fed and changed every couple of hours, and have no way but wailing to signal an emergency pitstop to change nappies.
This was during the height of Baby’s first Christmas when the few BnBs and motels not already booked were asking close to $1000 a night.
We needed to find somewhere to break the journey without breaking the bank. Mum was remarkably calm when I asked ‘why not stay in the Youth Hostel?’
The old YHA building in Tekapo was definitely the cheapest option left on the long State Highway 8, between Ōtautahi and Wakatipu.
Youth hostels have changed a lot since my early child-free experiences. There are a lot fewer pub crawls, leftover mystery meals being cooked in shared kitchens and dorm rooms are no longer haunted by the phantom smell of feet and instant noodles. This signature hostel odour was once just part of the experience, whether you were backpacking through the Czech Republic or Cambodia.
Then again the hostel on the shore of Lake Tekapo is not your average hostel.
One of eleven backpackers bought and rebranded as the Haka House Hostels since November last year, the accommodation has benefitted from the recent refurb.
Thai hospitality group GCP, which was behind the takeover with Haka House, called their proposal ‘hostel 2.0′.
Not because some of the properties are now twice as expensive (a private room in the Mount Cook Haka Hostel would have set us back $400, or roughly the same as a room in the Hermitage Hotel). Seemingly because they were hoping to appeal to a broader audience than the traditional youth market, backpacking around New Zealand. A model that has little changed since the 1910s. The hostel group were eager to explain the value of the older traveller on a budget, or “flashbacker”, when they announced their plans last year.
Still babies had not been part of the plan.
It's surprising how a 6kg baby can need more luggage than her parents. Photo / Thomas Bywater
Hostel packing list for travelling with a baby
After calling reception, we were told that finding space for us and a three-month-old would not be a problem.
We booked into a private twin-share room with an en suite bathroom for $230. Though pricier than a dorm room, having a bit of privacy was essential.
Despite its flashy lakeside location the Haka Hostel in Tekapo is still a hostel. Basics are provided, but don’t expect more than basics. Unlike a hotel you can’t expect reception to provide a cot or baby bath.
The necessities for travelling with a newborn are extensive. Especially while keeping her fed, clean and - importantly - cool during a South Island heatwave.
We brought our own travel cot, a nifty foldaway model by Drift, so there was plenty of space left in the back of the car. This meant more space for clothes, changing bags and toys to smooth out the journey.
It’s impressive how a 6kg baby needs more luggage than both her parents combined. Even on the shortest of trips, it’s harder to condense a baby’s packing list.
The travel basics for a baby still amount to a lot, especially when travelling in summer. Photo / Thomas Bywater
We tried to keep her bedtime routine as similar to at home as possible. This also meant packing bath stuff. We have a small bucket bath that also provides a helpful container when packing but, if you’re short on space and depending on the size of facilities, it can be possible to bath baby in the sink. Else use a damp cloth to ‘top and tail’.
Another important consideration was the heat. We travelled with a plug in fan to cool the room and also a clip on Baby Stroller Fan. While the portable fan eats AA batteries, requiring a hefty bag of spares, it has been invaluable on hot muggy days.
We were also able to use buggy clips off her car-seat to close the blackout blinds in the hostel. These allowed us to keep a normal routine, and were also helpful for keeping a caravan of loose objects, toys and layers together while on the road. Baby’s bedtime was far earlier than the other youth-hostellers.
Fortunately, despite having a very different sleep schedule to 20-something backpackers, having a private room helped keep our travel contained. Nobody seemed to bat an eyelid at us popping into the communal kitchens in the early morning for a feed.
We took our 12-week-old baby to a Hostel, but how young is too young for youth accommodation? Photo / Thomas Bywater
Staying in a hostel with a child: What are the rules?
Many hostels, like the one in Tekapo, offer private rooms for families. Still some have an age limit, especially in party destinations and inner-city hostels.
If you’re travelling with very children it’s worth checking that your hostel of choice has the facilities you need. In some cases hostels have family rooms with cots - though you’ll need to arrange this in advance. Dedicated family rooms are still an exception not the rule.
Normally hostels do not charge for infants and very young children, but YHA International still needs babies to be checked in as separate guests. Children must stay in a private room, with an adult carer.
Baby’s uncle who was travelling with us checked into a shared dorm for around $60 and said the bunk beds were fine. Although one guest seemed to spend a whole half hour working out whether they wanted a lie-in or to answer their alarm clock.
Compared to that, I’d take a fussing baby any day.
