Swampy's is anything but what its name implies. Just a short 4-minute car ride from Blenheim, this hostel is very much the seasonal fruit-worker's home. Once an older tea house (you can still see TEA HOUSE written in big letters on the roof), it's now a cozy hostel where the owner is constantly making upgrades. Swampy's takes its name after the owner's nickname. I regret that I never did get his real name.
Walking in the front door, you might not find the hostel very appealing, but walk down to the bathroom and you'll see some of its charm. Paint handprints adorn a previous white wall, thanking Swampy for their special stay. On the opposite wall is a hand-painted mural of a whale. The front room holds a few worn chairs, a couch, a fireplace, and a long dining table. The TV room holds two computers (one with Internet access at $2 for 30 minutes and one without), a TV, a DVD/Video player, and several comfortable couches.
At the time I stayed, Swampy's only had one double room; the rest were either single-sex or mixed dormitories. A year ago, there were 30 beds, but plans were in the works to add a new section. Two kitchens mean two ovens, two refrigerators (plus a separate small fridge for beverages), and plenty of storage space. There are also two separate bathrooms. There is only one room that is an en-suite. This is attached to one of the six-bed girl dormitories and primarily used only by them. The brightly lit main shower room holds four toilets and three showers.
Discounts apply to those with BBH cards and weekly borders. Nightly stays can expect to pay $19 for a dorm and $24 per person if you are lucky enough to score the double room.
Swampy is truly a hostel owner who cares about his guests. You can find him there most nights of the week, either working on projects or chatting with other guests. He is more than willing to help find you work in the area.
If that isn't, there are lots of freebees, such as free use of laundry machines, kayaks, bikes, duvets/linen, and SKY-TV.
However, while Swampy's is an ideal traveler's hostel, bare in mind that usually 90% of its occupants are working in the area. Many will be working on vineyards or picking fruit, which means Monday-to-Friday folks are early to bed and even earlier to rise. Loud noise gets greeted with bleary eyes and grunts to keep it down. However, once it reaches the weekend, that changes, and you might be hard-pressed to get to sleep before 2am.
Like all good hostels, the virtues of this one circulate by word of mouth, and as such, I believe there will always be good people there ready to work hard and party harder.