When traveling and staying in hostels are there rooms for families of 4.... also my husband packs for all conditions and is saying we need to prepare for cold weather (below 50 F) I on the other hand plan on taking a fleece top for warmth, will there be need for long pants in Feb/March? Thanks so for your assistance in planning our trip!

Where are you going?

My family of four stayed in several hostels. Actually, sometimes it is better (compared to a couple), because you can take up a whole room, as opposed to sharing it with others.

Have a look at yha.com.au for some of the best hostels on the planet.

It is always a good idea IMHO to pack a warm, lightweight jacket but at the moment we are expieriencing temperature extremes - some days 110F then down to 80F. And in Melbourne it has been 50C which I think translates to 120F.

Have an enjoyable holiday.

PS Please correct me anyone if I have the temperatures wrong.

Family rooms at hostels are popular so don't expect to just walk in and find one!!

But, for heaven's sake, where are you going and when? You might get more really constructive repies if you provide those small snippets of information.

thanks for the terrific input...
I'm surprized at the extreme temps. CNN weather is showing 70 F in Christchurch.

We are touring the entire South Island for 30 days. We do have a tent / mini van, but would like to experience the hostel atmosphere as well.

Thanks again, appreciate the comments.

If you are touring the South Island during the late Summer/Early Fall, I would bring long pants. There may be a few cool rainy days when you would like to have them. It is doubtful that temps will drop below 50 deg F, but you should be more prepared for rain than for cold temps.

One fun hostel in downtown Christchurch is Shalom House. We had a nice upstairs room for the four of us, and you could walk to many destinations from there. The place was full of Israelis, no doubt attracted by the name, but there was a picture of Jesus in every room, so we kind of scratched our head about that.

If you get down to Stewart Island, we also enjoyed Innes Backpackers. Innes himself is quite a local character, but can tell you about where to go for everything.

Also, consider staying at Holiday Parks, many of which have 'Tourist Flats' that can be quite economical.

janeane,
Did you mention that you were asking about NZ??
I am replying from Sydney.

B&B instead?

A great hostel is Blue Spur lodge just outside Hokitiki. You need a car as it is isolated. We were there in the winter - views of Mt Cook, its own walking track through the bush. New rooms. I am not sure if there were family rooms but it was a great place to stay. (It is set up for trampers and the like).