Kiwi Corral - Papamoa Beach

Rude and invasive staff always checking around for a way to keep your deposit if you don't respect their "military camp" rules. On top of that, it is overpriced considering the poor cleanliness of the premises. Dear fellow backpackers, don't go there !

My parent and I stayed at Kiwi Corral which offered us an opportunity to work. The hostel is very big and has all the facilities you need. For the amount of people staying in the hostel I was surprised how clean it was. The staff was always very friendly and also if we needed anything they were always there to help us!

Kiwi Corral is a working hostel which means majority of its backpackers are working in orchards or factories nearby. Recognised seasonal workers also stay here. I stayed with friends in Oct-Dec and the crowd was still acceptable. March is apparently their peak and may not be a good time to stay if you want quiet restful nights. What’s good: - If you’re looking for work in Te Puke, the owner Wes will do everything he can to help you. He got us jobs within the first few days of our arrival and looks out for every backpacker. We appreciated his leadership and how he has our best interests in mind. He communicates well too. - 10 min drive away from post office, groceries. 20 min drive away from beaches - They have a strict no alcohol and no drug policy so you can be sure late night rowdiness or shenanigans hardly occur - Free wifi, albeit spotty towards the evening - Big spaces generally in living & dining areas, kitchen, and dorm rooms. Cook before 7pm and after 10pm if you prefer a less crowded kitchen / dining area. - Blankets are very warm - They have a hostel exchange system where you can work 8 hours a week for them in exchange for no rent. Backpackers who work for them have unlimited shower tokens and don’t have to pay for kitchen sets (but may need to keep stuff in the outside chiller instead of the fridge within the kitchen). You can also borrow other kitchen utensils eg baking tray or potato peeler if you need. - They allowed my friends and I (group of 6) to stay in a 12-bed dorm to ourselves the whole 2 months which made our stay more comfortable. - I’m very particular about cleanliness and The daily cleaning teams (backpackers on the hostel exchange) kept our kitchens and toilets very clean during the period of our stay. The staff will inspect their cleaning and give feedback on what needs to be done better. Generally reviewers who have issues with the cleanliness probably stayed there when the cleaning teams are not at their best. - New toilet bowls means no more clogged toilets. - Clothes line is sturdy which makes it easy to hang clothes - Free use of vacuum and hose to clean and wash your vehicle if you need. What can be improved: - The cleaning sponges in the kitchen are not changed often so we are left with worn and dirty sponges most of the time to do the dishes. - Shower pressure and heat doesn’t work well when you are bathing solo. You have to go with a friend to shower. - Kitchen sinks clog often. - Staff sometimes don’t communicate to each other ; they kept telling my friend mixed messages about the cleaning jobs she was assigned which made things very confusing plus screwed up the weekly hours she had . - One of the staff Lily used a lot of guilt tripping to hold backpackers accountable for the hostel, which I found very unpleasant and unnecessary. It gave the vibe of treating us like irresponsible children; eg she would question why we didn’t do things a certain way when she did not tell us her expectations beforehand. There are more professional ways to communicate accountability. the kc staff also never recognised that their communication within the team and to the cleaning team is not ideal. Overall in summary I still enjoyed my stay and found it a good place to rest while working.

Around 9 minutes drive from Te Puke town. Spacious room and kitchen equipped with oven and microwave and hot water. Very nice staff and you can get jobs here like working in pack house or orchard. Things to take note is that bath is 6/7 minutes of hot water. Good place to stay.

I stayed there 2 or 3 months, working in the kiwi season of 2019, I had the debt to thank the hostel manager for helping us fix our car after an accident on the road, he had the best disposition to help us in everything moment. As for the hostel, I have nothing negative to say about the facilities or the only thing to consider before staying there is that when the kiwi season begins, the hostel will be full of people, in excess and it is difficult to live like this. . In general everything is fine

I lived at kiwi corral for 7 months. If you need a place to call home and want save money then look no further! Awsome helpful staff and decent living conditions. Iv made tons of friends from all over the world and was never out of work. Amazing experience! If you ever need anything the owner and the staff are increadbly helpfull!

An amazing place with diverse culture. Big kitchen and other amenities. Nice staff working 24 hrs. I love this place..

Great place,has cabins,shared rooms or you can pitch up your tent. Good place for tourist, backpackers or yourself to stay at while working in the kiwifruit industrial.