Multi-share dorms

Double / twin rooms

Families

Group bookings

Rent-A-YHA exclusive use

Facilities

Self-Catering Kitchen

Two Communal Lounges

Wood Fire Heater

Free Wi-Fi hotspot

Outdoor BBQ & Fire pit

Pool Table & Fusball Table

Free Onsite Parking

Television & DVD Player

Shared Bathrooms

Horseriding

Kayaking

Wildlife Watching

Rock Climbing & Abseiling

Aboriginal Culture & History

Wine Tasting

Solar electricity tiles on the roof of the two-storey wing of the hostel have been used for aesthetic reasons and to achieve a saving in roofing material costs. The solar tiles become the roofing material and provide scope to use the heat generated in the roof space beneath them to heat the building in winter.

• The 171 solar tiles used for the hostel roof are made of imported UV-resistant plastic frames that were fitted with Australian-made solar panels.
• Excess electricity generated at the hostel is fed into the mains electricity grid for purchase by other electricity users. When feeding electricity into the grid, the hostel’s electricity meter effectively runs backwards. There are no batteries utilised in this grid-interactive solar system.
• Solar Hot Water:  The hot water system consists of seven solar hot water units. Five of the units are triple collectors and supply 443 litres each; two are double collectors providing 302 litres each. The roof of the two-storey building was specially designed to support the nearly three tonnes in weight of the solar hot water collectors and storage tanks.
• In winter, a water-heating jacket in the slow combustion wood heater located in the eastern guest lounge boosts the solar hot water heaters.
• Hostel occupancies in Victoria are highest in summer and fortunately the availability of solar hot water is greatest at the time of year when demand is greatest.

Water

• Five rainwater tanks are used to collect the water from the hostel’s roof. Mains water is available as a backup should there be insufficient water in the tanks to supply the hostel. The tanks are each fitted with a ‘first-flush’ device that diverts the first ten litres of ‘dirty’ water from the roof to the garden, before filling the tanks.
• Water saving devices are fitted on all the hostel’s taps and shower heads. Buckets are supplied for guests to save shower water for the gardens.

Waste

• The original grey water recycling system was replaced in March 2007 with a Reed-based Greywater Recycling System. All greywater can be safely stored and treated by UV rays (without the use of chemicals) for re-use in flushing toilets. The system is the first of its kind in Victoria.
• The toilet cisterns are also connected to fresh water for automatic back up in the event of recycled water not being available. A reduced pressure zone air break device is fitted to the mains supply to prevent any wastewater from the hostel accidentally contaminating the mains water system.
• Signage is displayed around the hostel, reminding guests of power and water saving techniques.
• Recycling is actively encouraged in the hostel’s waste to kerb management and kitchen waste is fed to the chickens in “Chicken Hilton,” in return they supply free range eggs for guests.

Design

• Passive Solar Design (maximizes winter sun penetration and minimizes sunshine into the building in summer):
• o In building the hostel, a combination of materials were chosen for their ability to act as thermal mass (assisting in maintaining a stable internal temperature) and for their aesthetic appeal, without making the building more expensive than if conventional materials were used.
• Materials used include rammed earth, stone, reverse brick veneer (brick on inside, timber frame on outside), corrugated iron clad walls and burnished concrete floors.
• North facing walls use a lot of glass to maximise winter sunlight. To reduce heat loss in winter, glass in southern walls has been kept to a minimum. Fitted drapes have also reduced night-time heat loss through windows.
• A combination of eave overhangs, bedroom balconies, pergolas and deciduous plants allow winter sun penetration, but reduce the summer sunlight.
• Reverse cycle overhead fans in the main guest lounges are used in winter to push warm air from the heaters back down into the lounge. In summer, the rotation of the fans is reversed and they are used to cool the lounges.
• o The main lounges, dining room and kitchen areas have been designed to take full advantage of summer breezes for cooling, they have several external doors and windows which can be opened or closed as required, allowing for cross ventilation.
• Zoning:  A major design feature to reduce energy consumption was to design ‘zones’ into the building. During the winter months there may be periods when the hostel operates at 50 per cent occupancy or less. Should this occur the building is designed so that an entire floor of bedrooms and bathrooms can be closed off, thereby reducing heating and lighting requirements.

Similarly, having two smaller guest self-catering kitchens rather than one large kitchen means that at times of low occupancy only one kitchen needs to be available, thereby saving energy on heating, lighting and refrigeration. Three smaller guest lounges have been built, rather than one large lounge, for the same reasons.