Join Our Newsletter E-Mail Address: Newsletter Archive Backpacker Videos	Cronulla Beach YHA Sydney NSW Australia Backpackers Hostel for Sydney Beaches Budget Accommodation Cronulla Beach YHA Accommodation Sydney Backpackers Newsletter #7 - May 2003 Hi Guys and Dolls, This is just a quick note to say ‘hi’ to wherever you are and whatever you’re doing in the world. There have been a few changes and funny things happening in the hostel since you may have been here. We’ve now completed our first section of photo boards, which depict some interesting photos of many previous characters who’ve stayed in the hostel over the past two and half years. Motto: “Welcome to the Hotel Cronulla – you can check-out any time you like but you can never leave!” WE STILL NEED MORE SO IF YOU WANT TO BE IMORTALISED AT CRONULLA PLEASE SEND US A COPY! (Originals, negatives or emailed-scans will all be greatly appreciated.) Similarly we’re pinning up all postcards received so we’d love to hear from you again in this way too. Who was here when our Kylie poster at the end of the corridor was up? Some bastard ripped it down and it is probably now taking pride and place on his bedroom ceiling. There is a reward and any information would be greatly appreciated. We went on a party-pontoon trip back in late-March and it was a beaut. Two full boatloads and fantastic weather made it one of the best ever, with all the usual high jinks: jumping off the Yowie Bay boatshed roof, rope-swings over the rock-pool, bush-walking up the South-West arm, rope-tows behind the boat, beach-football, food-fights between the boats, etc. Whilst enjoying lunch in the Royal National Park we almost became trapped on the rocks by the ebbing tide, only saved by an excellent collective shoving effort. The boat-shed jump became the stuff of legend with firstly Ceri landing broadside on her broad-side and then Bryan hitting the water open-legged whilst jumping nude. Both put out of action for an hour or so! But possibly the highlight may have been the forcible ripping-off of Mari’s bikini-top, surrounded by a twenty-strong appreciative audience, and preserved forever on video tape: nice-one Chris!! A great day in all respects, with lots of photos to adorn the walls and stir the memories! April 5th-13th was ‘National Youth Week,’ and for a weekend we were visited by two school groups here for the YouthRock 2003 “Battle of the Bands” at nearby Sutherland. We’re not sure how they performed musically but their drinking was of an exceptional standard – cracking into the Jim Beam at lunchtime set a new benchmark. Who dares say that Australia’s youth lacks drive? In late-April we hosted 23 pupils plus teachers from Aquinas College over from Perth who were here on a nine-day Rugby Union tour. We believe they all enjoyed themselves, certainly the hostel had a lively atmosphere for their stay. Amongst all the mayhem we believe they managed to squeeze a couple of games in. A couple of weeks ago I managed a few days away – going on the N.S.W. YHA’s annual bun-throwing junket (manager’s conference) down in Bundanoon near Wollongong. Lots of yarns spun and many bourbons quaffed! Some of our long-term characters have returned: the twin Tasmanian-devils Jo & Belinda, ‘our man from Amsterdam’ Corniels, Hythe’s pool-king Barnzee, Weymouth’s world-traveler Geoff and can you believe it Garson from Manitoba, Canada who met Jenny whilst staying at the hostel then got married in Las Vegas last December. Also the Nottingham-Scottish connection of James, Daniel, Sam & Emmeline. Some just don’t go away such as good old Kiwi-Tim, Rachel, Cardiff’s Vicky & Gerald and York’s Ken. Recent departures include: Lincoln’s Mark, now working in the city; Holland’s ‘Margerine’ Marjolein who having finished her three-month post-graduate University placement here in Sydney, took a few weeks touring up the east coast before she departed back home last week; also from the Netherlands, Sander took his leave north following the sun; Leicester’s James who’s busy in Brisbane; and St. Austell’s karaoke-king Simo, now back cutting a swathe through Cornwall’s chicks. Take care guys – come back soon. The lean-mean-cleaning-machine of Ceri and Mari finally left after months of sterling service, back to Wales and Quebec respectively. They cleaned everything spotlessly – everything that is except their own Dorm 8, a.k.a. “the Mosh Pit,” which became the black hole of Cronulla. “Abandon hope all ye who enter here”… people were want to literally disappear in there, the carpet being one of the very first things to vanish from view. Upon its reappearance after their departure some months later it is said to be in shock and still recovering from some of the sights it witnessed. Some of the stains just DON’T bear thinking about! Well the last few weeks have seen an exodus of our ‘summer-crew’, either from the hostel itself or surrounding flats. With most heading off north to sunnier climes, some overseas continuing their odysseys and a few back to their origins, a glorious chapter of the hostel’s history has closed. Centered on the infamous Dorm 8, the ‘Cronulla Triangle’ of the Surf Lane and Deeban Walk flats saw a great many strange happenings. Most, it has to be said, of a substance-abusive nature and/or nudity. With their departure the residents of surrounding streets can sleep a little sounder. Dishonourable mentions to: Dorset’s ‘dangerWank’ James & Chris; the Emerald Isle’s lunatic exports ‘mad-dog Dougie’, Mal & Karla; Oxfordians ‘baggio’ Baz & ‘ciderman’ Marc; the Cannuck Halifaxers John, Bryan, Ceilidh & Chandron; Edinburgh’s Mel & ‘balls-out’ Owen; Canadienne Mattieu; and lastly but not least Melbourne’s Brooke. (Also respect - due to current hangovers: Brixham’s Nick; Blackpool’s double-helping of Pauls ‘no-drug-left-untouched’ Blaylock and Thompson; and Kiwi surf-bums Robbo & Richo.) Your names are all legend guys, you shall live on here forever! We have a new staff member: Hemel Hempstead's Rachel has picked up the reins and is now settled in as a cleaner. Her hobbies are many and varied: junk-morning TV, junk-afternoon TV, junk-evening TV and junk-nighttime TV. Clearly the new boss, Rach has dominion over us all, running the hostel with an iron fist. Litterbugs beware… the new penalty is castration! Sydney is experiencing some crazy weather at the moment, just recently we had the biggest five-day rainfall in forty years. Sutherland Shire was particularly badly hit with the State government declaring us a “natural disaster area” – lots of local buildings being flooded. Thankfully the hostel escaped unscathed. The rain however continues, just a couple of dry days in the last week meaning most outside jobs being cancelled so our current guests are going stir-crazy confined indoors. Last Sunday the drinking in the kitchen started at noon! Here’s hoping for better weather throughout the remainder of winter… One victim of the rain was the recent "Jazz & Shiraz" food & wine festival held here this weekend - gone. Unfortunately a washout it would otherwise have been a great weekend attraction. As to coming attractions the Sydney Film Festival runs from 6th-20th June, and the Human Shark Island Body Board championships will be on in late June so we’ll keep our fingers crossed for massive swells to see some spectacular wipe outs and successful wave riding then. If you are still traveling in Australia or have a friend who is coming to Sydney, email us and they can have a night *FREE* on us until July 2003. Best wishes for a great winter/summer to you all – our Cronulla ‘family’ spread out all around the globe! Cheers & Beers, Michael. Newsletter Archives Main Page... Cronulla Beach YHA Sydney NSW A backpackers hostel and a place to have FUN! Top of page Cronulla Beach YHA | Accommodation | Book Online | Location & Maps | Contact Us Tourist Information | What's Happening | Backpacker Jobs | Tourism Links & Resources Australian Travel Tips | Testimonials | Special Accommodation Offers | Sitemap
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