‘Surreal’ result for eco hostel

The Grampians is known for its sprawling national parks, native wildlife and gastronomic delights.

Now, it is also home to the best hostel accommodation in Australia.

Grampians Eco YHA, part of the Youth Hostels Association Australia network, won best accommodation in Victoria and Australia at 2019 Adventure Tourism Awards on the Gold Coast last week.

The annual awards began last year as a way to recognise outstanding achievements of tourism businesses servicing the backpacker, youth and adventure travel sector of Australia and New Zealand.

And sitting on the doorstep of the Grampians National Park is this year’s number-one – an eco-certified property gaining traction for its hospitality and unique offerings.

Kellie Hampson, who manages the nearly 20-year-old hostel alongside husband Gary, said the award was a surreal and proud moment.

“We’ve been managing the place for about two and a half years,” she said.

“I had run it previously between 2006 and 2011, before moving to Melbourne. And then, with my new partner, we decided it was time for a change and came back.

“We’re very proud. Best in Victoria is great, but the Australian award is pretty amazing because we were up against the best of the best.”

Mrs Hampson said Grampians Eco YHA ‘sold itself’ with features including full native gardens, a chicken coop and an architectural design that made people feel like they’re both ‘inside and outside at the same time’.

“There is lots of glass. It was designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, and that’s just continued over the years. But we’ve noticed that we definitely have more and more people flooding to us in recent years,” she said.

“We have everyone from people in local areas who are passing through the Grampians, from the likes of Horsham and Hamilton, to people from Melbourne and then internationally.

“It’s amazing. We’re pretty excited.”