3 Australian hostels open for backpackers

More than 450,000 foreign backpackers made the trip Down Under last year — and although that's only 10% of visitors to Australia, they stayed longer and spent more than other types of travelers. Not surprisingly, services catering to this crowd continue to grow.

Three notable new hostels have opened in time for summer in the Southern Hemisphere, including one in the heart of Sydney and one on the beach not far from the Great Barrier Reef.

Sydney's 280-bed Railway Square YHA hostel, at 8-10 Lee St., is 150 feet from the Central Railway Station and an easy walk to Darling Harbour, Chinatown and several museums.

Railway Square has a contemporary design created out of its original 1904 industrial features. A railway platform now serves as an open living area, for instance, and train cars are bedrooms. There are twin, double and four- to eight-person rooms, plus a travel desk, Internet cafe, kitchen and outdoor spa pool. Rates range from $19.25 per person for dorms to $66 for doubles with bath.

For information, call 011-61-2-9281-9666 or go to http://www.yha.com.au .

The year-old base Backpackers hostel network, which is partly owned by the Accor hotel chain, offers hotel-style amenities. Magnetic Island, its newest location, opened in August after a $1-million renovation.

Magnetic Island, off the east coast of Australia, gets an average of 320 days of sun each year, and more than half of its land is a national park. Hiking trails link 20 secluded beaches that can be reached only by foot or water.

Wild koalas live on the island, and dolphins and dugongs swim off the west point. "We [recently] had humpback whales jumping just off our beach," said manager Rob Evans. The hostel also has an on-site diving school.

Accommodation is in Polynesian-style, wooden A-frame buildings that have ocean views. Single or double rooms cost $64, and dormitory beds run $14.25. There are also 13 twin-bed canvas tents ($25, no linens included). Four of those have been set aside as "sanctuary" rooms for women travelers. For information, call 011-61-7-4778-5777 or visit http://www.basebackpackers.com .

Darwin, on the north coast, gets hot — really hot — so cool, comfortable rooms are key. The biggest town on Australia's Top End, it's a popular destination for backpackers making the short hop to or from Asia. It's also the gateway to Kakadu National Park, a three-hour drive away and the home of ancient Aboriginal rock paintings and giant crocodiles.

Darwin's newest and biggest hostel, Melaleuca on Mitchell, opened in July. The actual address, 52 Mitchell, represents a central location for clubs, pubs and shops. What makes this hostel special is its leisure deck, which features a giant TV, bar and multilevel pool. There's also a kitchen and an Internet cafe.

Accommodations vary from single/twin rooms with private baths to four- or six-bed dorms that start at $20. A room with a double bed and a single bunk is $46.50. For information, call 011-61-8-8941-7800 or visit www.melaleucaonmitchell.com.au.