News and Events

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and events taking place in a city near you.

August 2017

Murwillumbah Mt Warning YHA Hostel - Exterior

10 Best Hostel Views TEST

Champagne views on a beer budget? Here are the Top 10 YHAs with the best views of the Land Down Under.

Stay Anywhere From $28/Night

Travelling for 10 days or more? Buy a YHA ePack and save!

Footy season 2017 Thumbnail credit Tourism Victoria

2017 Footy Season with YHA

Get excited everyone – the long wait through summer is over and footy is finally back!

Ski Thredbo - Bookings Open Now

Don't miss out on a fun and budget snow holiday this ski season!

6 reasons to visit the Grampians in winter

Think that the Grampians is only good to visit in warmer weather? Read on and you'll be inspired to visit in the depths of winter too!

Australia’s top ten street art hostels

Banksy, eat your heart out – some of the country’s hottest street artists have added more than a splash of colour to 10 YHAs around Australia.

EKKA - Royal Brisbane Show with credit - thumbnail

Brisbane EKKA Festival 2017

Queensland's largest annual event is back! Held over 10 days from 11 - 20 August the Ekka will showcase the best of Queensland - don't miss it!

Brisbane Festival 2017

Brisbane’s world-class arts festival will explode across the city this September with a sensational program of live music, theatre, dance, comedy, circus and more.

Byron Writers Festival 2017

It mightn’t be as rowdy as Splendour in the Grass two weeks earlier, but the rock stars of the book world are returning to Byron Bay for a literary feast this August.

Catch Waves and Zzz's

Where else but Australia would you even consider learning to surf! If you visited Australia and didn't attempt to catch a wave or two (and wiped out in the process), did you even make it Down Under? These YHAs'll have you riding waves and good vibes all week long!

Celebrate Shinju Matsuri in Broome

One of the most unique festivals you'll ever see is coming to Broome this September...

Darwin Festival

18 beautiful days and nights of magical art and culture await in the tropical northern city of Darwin - and you're invited.

Darwin Market Magic

The Top End is known for it's jaw dropping scenery, incredible wildlife and markets - yes, markets.

Darwin's Festival Frenzy

Darwin is not just warm air and crocodiles. Over the dry season (the North’s idyllic version of Winter), Darwin is set to become the cultural mecca of the tropics with a stellar line up of festivals that are equal parts wild, whacky and wonderful.

Fancy a Farmers' Market?

Ditch the over-airconditioned aisles for a Farmers' Market, where you'll grab fresh, local, ethically-traded produce straight from the farmers and growers themselves. Excellent coffee, long-lasting, technicolour veggies, organic wine and not a hay bale in sight.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

The Glitter Strip prepares to host an enormous international celebration of sun, surf, and sport in April.

Good Food and Wine Show 2017

Listen up Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane - good food and good wine is coming your way.

Head for the (Adelaide) Hills

If you love bush walks, wildlife, wine, food, markets, pubs, friendly locals and incredible views, you're going to be smitten with the Adelaide Hills.

How to turn 20 days of leave into 49 days of holidays

Fancy a getaway . . . or five? Make the most of your annual leave in 2017 by strategically planning your days off.

It's Footy Season at Adelaide Oval

The beautiful Adelaide Oval is the most central AFL Football Stadium in Australia and it has fast become a favourite of football fans in Adelaide and around the country.

Just got to Melbourne? Now what...

The country's culture capital is as beautiful as she is exciting, and you're sure to find your own favorites here. We've listed the top things to as soon as you arrive in Melbourne, so you're covered until you figure out the city's rhythm!

Kings Park Festival

Holy wildflowers! Over 25,000 plants have been produced for the Kings Park Festival, a celebration of beautiful wildflowers indigenous to the region, plant life and Western Australian culture.

Visit Legoland Discovery Centre these school holidays

These school holidays, pop the kids in the car and head to Chadstone and visit Legoland Discovery Centre for an experience like no other!

Magic of the Mid-North Coast

Some real magic lies between Sydney Bustle and Byron Bay Bliss. Slow down, save some cash, smell the salty air and relaxed atmospheres, and explore somewhere a little different than what you see on your Facebook feed.

It's Wine Time in Perth

The Margaret River Wine Market showcases the best of the region and is back in Perth this August..

Marvel at GOMA in Brisbane

See all your favourite Marvel characters come to life at GOMA, including Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.

Melbourne International Film Festival thumbnail

Melbourne International Film Festival 2017

Who doesn't love movies? Better yet, who doesn't love an entire film festival dedicated to movies?

Melbourne Writers Festival

For over 30 years, this festival has been feeding the literary appetite of Melbourne...

Melbourne's Footy Finals Fever

Hands down, the best time of the year in Melbourne is here. It’s AFL finals time.

New in 2017! Great British Hostels

The UK’s first ‘National Landscape Discovery Centre’, dog-friendly hostels, glamping in safari tents, and a hostel of Olympic proportions . . . YHA England and Wales are pumping the pounds into their network of 160-plus hostels across Britain this year.

Oz Asia Festival Takes Over Adelaide

The finest theatre, dance, music, film, talks and visual art that Asia has to offer, taking over Adelaide for 16 big beautiful Spring days and nights at the annual Oz Asia Festival.

Parrtjima 2017 thumbnail credit James Horan Photography

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light

The MacDonnell Ranges in Alice Springs light up this September as the outback gets a taste of Vivid Sydney with an Indigenous flavour.

Perth Royal Show

Running for 170 years (so they know how to put on a good time), the Perth Royal Show is back again for one week only and is bringing the best of the region with it.

Petals and Pyrotechnics - Floriade '17

Flowery greetings, petals! Welcome Springtime surrounded by kindred green-thumbs and twinkling, exploding twilight installations at 2017's Floriade.

Pittwater YHA offers free beds for green hearts

Pittwater YHA opens its doors to green-hearted and green-thumbed guests who'll save the gorgeous Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park from imminent asparagus fern invasion. Yes, seriously.

Royal Adelaide Show Time

September is Show Time in Adelaide! We're talking rollercoasters and showbags, animals and cakes, big kids and children over two full weekends and every day in between.

Melbourne Museum news thumbnail credit Tourism Victoria-min

School holidays at the Melbourne Museum

The kids will love all the dinosaurs, fossils, insects, and wildlife that fill this wondrous museum.

Shakespeare Pop Up Globe

Experience Shakespeare’s work performed in the space for which it was written when the Shakespeare Pop Up Globe literally pops up next to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.

SA-NT discounts thumbnail credit Alice Springs Desert Park

South Australia and Northern Territory featured discounts

Check out these great deals for YHA members in Adelaide and Alice Springs this winter.

Southern MTB

Albany is hosting one of the biggest extreme sports competitions of the year, so jump on your bike and don't miss out!

Southern Ocean Adventures

Get on, in or close to the Ocean whilst staying at these awesome YHA hostels, guaranteed to inspire you to hit the coast and make the most of our amazing beaches and experiences

SWELL Sculpture Festival

This September Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast will become home to a spectacular outdoor sculpture exhibition featuring inspiring and interactive works from artists across the globe.

Sydney feeling stuffy?

City break (n): a short domestic holiday which one takes to clear their mind, relax their body, immerse themselves in their relatively-local surroundings and get off their bloody couch for the weekend.

Sydney weekly specials 2017 thumbnail credit Shutterstock

Sydney weekly rates 2017

Save some serious coin so you have more to spend on seven sensational days in Sydney.

Sydney Calendar thumbnail credit Destination NSW

Sydney's cracking calendar

Vivid might have finished but there are still loads of other great events lighting up the Harbour City for the rest of 2017.

Take A Break To The City!

No matter where you are in Australia, YHA has some great city break accommodation deals - to suit any reason for a getaway!

Tasmanian Whisky Week

Whisky lovers rejoice! Tasmanian Whisky Week is here to light a fire in your belly and warm you up this winter.

The 2017 Royal Melbourne Show is coming!

Food, animals, rides, wood chopping displays AND show bags - the Royal Melbourne Show really does have it all!

Top 5 Day Trips From Brisbane

Looking for a change of scenery? We’ve picked our top 5 destinations right on Brisbane’s doorstep.

Top 5 Day Trips From Cairns

From the Great Barrier Reef to the Wet Tropics we’ve picked our top 5 hot spots just a short drive (or ferry) from one of our favourite tropical cities.

Top five Aussie experiences

You haven't really seen Australia unless you have ticked all of these unique experiences off the list. What are you waiting for?

Waltzing Matildas v Brazen Brazilians

Head to Newcastle to witness the battle of the Waltzing Matildas and the Brazen Brazilians!

Why I rented a whole YHA

Indulge in the tales of the fine folk who've rented their very own YHA, and be inspired for your next shindig! Au revoir, Airbnb! Sayonara, Stayz!

Winter Art, Music and Mayhem

Winter in Adelaide is bursting with events that will have you dancing in the streets, drinking whisky to the blues, learning more about the local wines and swimming in art.

Winter in Tasmania Rocks!

If you think Winter is nothing but a cold, grey opportunity to hibernate, then winter in Tasmania is going to have you thinking again.

Embrace the cold at WinterWild in Apollo Bay

In the depths of winter, Apollo Bay will come alight (literally, there will be bonfires on the beach) to celebrate winter and the arts scene in the region.