Chester Street Backpackers Long Term Accommodation - BBH

😊: 1. Location very central easy to get to bus system. 2. The other guests were courteous and respectful honest and quiet with no noisy parties. - given that I was much older. My bags were never interfered with and felt to leave safely. Nadine (English lady gave me a very nice leaving card which I have kept as a momento - please pass on if she is still there) 3. The other guests always cleaned up in the kitchen after their meals 4. Excellent value for money. 5. I did make suggestions to other guests ref shower curtains to keep changing areas drier - hopefully still do.. 😢: 1. Understand the vehicles on-site for sale to travelers - probably not worth the hassle - this would clean up the property.

😊: I really loved Karen’s kindness; she was always willing and attentive to whatever we needed. We were able to make friends, and Pipí the cat was the sweetest and most adorable companion we could have had! We also enjoyed the delicious fresh eggs that Karen shared with her guests..

I bought a campervan from Antony about a month ago. For a solo traveller with little knowledge about campervans and cars in general, Antony was a gift. He took hours to show me different vans, talk me through the pros and cons and answer all my questions. He gave the possibility to pay a deposit to claim the vehicle (and its price) early and when I picked my van (a 1999 Toyota Lucida Estima) he quickly fixed a WOF-appointment and walked me through everything I needed to know about the vehicle. He even drove with me to the AA to fix the registration. The van did need a thorough cleaning and some of the utensils and camping gear that were left in there were moldy and had to be thrown away, but that was to be expected when buying a used van that wasn't used over winter. Now, after the first two weeks of travelling with it I can only say that I'm really happy. Yes, you might pay a bit more than via Facebook Market Place or other online private sales locations, but you get tons of knowledge, a guarantee on your first 500 or 1000km (depending on the van you buy) and a sense of security about your van back for it. Other pros are the 50% buy-back guarantee, the camping gear that it came with and the fact that Antony is just a genuinely honest and nice guy who loves helping backpackers on their journey. Would definitely recommend!

I was living at Chester Street for about 4 months, and I honestly could not have imagined a more beautiful place that I am so lucky to call my New Zealand home. The location is perfect as the city center is just a 20 minute walk away and you can reach really nice cafes, museums, pubs etc, and the owners always have great recommendations for things to do around. The rooms were very cosy with comfortable beds, the kitchen has everything you could need for cooking and baking, and the lounge is perfect for movie nights and board games. Karen and Antony (the owners) make sure that everybody feels cared for and at home, thank you Karen for sharing so many beautiful (travel) stories and advice, for always bringing fresh flowers that lit up the space and helping out with any bumps along the road. Also a huge thanks to Antony for sharing so much knowledge about cars with me, I would have been lost without you! During my time at Chester Street, I have met so many lovely, kind, and interesting people from all over the world, and having a place to stay long term that makes you feel at home away from home really allowed us to grow really close (can't forget our princess Pipi the cat, of course, the star of the show!). This hostel is truly one of a kind! :)

While we didn't stay at the accommodation, we bought our campervan from Antony here. He's a genuine and trustworthy seller who made the whole process extremely seamless and stress-free. He was great at communicating even before we arrived in the country, taking our calls and giving us photos and specs in advance. If you're in the market for a van in Christchurch, I can definitely recommend reaching out to him.

A place to be home: The hostel and especially its owners create a perfect place to feel at home. The location is very central in Christchurch and yet it is very quiet and beautiful to look at with nature. Fresh flowers can be found on the kitchen table every day and there are fresh eggs regularly. The hostel is very tidy and clean so that I always felt comfortable in there. This place is just too beautiful to leave. Thank you very much for the great time.

Me and my boyfriend stayed here for 8 months while we were working, it’s the best! I loved Chester street backpackers, so much that I still call it home. The owners Anthony and Karen are the kindest, loveliest and most helpful people I’ve ever met. Sometimes they would leave eggs for everyone to share in the kitchen from their chickens at their farm 😆 If you need help they are only a phone call away, they have helped me and my boyfriend multiple times, with things that were nothing to do with the hostel! They are always happy to lend a helping hand wherever they can 😊 If you need somewhere to stay, even if only for a couple days or long term then this is the perfect place. It has a beautiful back and front garden that is maintained weekly, a front room with lots of books and DVDs you can flick through and is a peaceful place to relax. Affordable, clean and in a great place to be able to walk into Christchurch, 5/10 mins! My only regret is leaving! Thank you Anthony and Karen, hopefully I’ll be back to stay again one day!!!

We found Chester street campers in advance of our trip to NZ and had to pay a non refundable 10% deposit based on a couple of pictures and a brief description of the camper car. Anthony agreed a buy back price with a fresh WOF over message and again in person when we picked the car up. The van was filthy when we arrived to pick it up, the front windows motors had broken and the side ones siliconed in (none of which was mentioned when agreeing to buy the car). Following this, the mattress was covered in mould as was the kitchen equipment, we had to throw pretty much everything away. Additionally as soon as we drove off we noticed a large chip to the windscreen right in the drivers field of vision - unsure how it passed the last WOF in this condition and also strange that Anthony made a point to remind us to get windscreen insurance before we left. Other than this the van did its job for the 4 months we used it over the summer season. However when it came to selling it we went back to Anthony to discuss our buy back arrangement, over text he agreed to a price without a WOF and asked us to drive a further 30 minutes out of Christchurch to his house to sell it. When we arrived Anthony told us that he was planning on giving up the business and didn’t really want the van back, claiming it was now too old (we bought end of October 24 and went back to him start of March 25) also claiming that there was a water leak (verified from a garage to be incorrect). He sent us away and suggested we took it to the scrapyard. We managed to sell it privately the same day for a decent price but would definitely avoid if you are a backpacker looking for a trustworthy car and buy back option!!