Ahhhpollo Bay

Apollo Bay is a little beach town about 3-4 hours from Melbourne, but a world apart from the big city. It’s exactly the type of place I was looking for to finally unwind & decompress from the real world and get in to the true traveler mindset. While a tad touristy, it’s a two-pub beach town that’s set up for you to do anything you want, or nothing at all. I chose the latter.

And what made it even better was the hostel, which is one of the best I’ve ever stayed in. Most hostels are converted homes or motels, and are nothing spectacular. This one was purpose-built (“by an architect!”) and had heaps of awesome communal spaces. One of the annoying/boring things about Australia is that it’s so expensive (Ex: $9 beers) that most backpackers don’t go to the pubs, and they cook all the time. So, the hostels all put in kitchens, and they’re the main gathering places. It’s good, but the conversations you have over pasta are not remotely the same ones you have over a beer.