Chillawhile Backpackers Art Gallery

Location: Oamaru, New Zealand

We are a small establishment in Oamaru between Christchurch and Dunedin, our accommodation is in a dormitory room with bunks with attached Kitchen and bathroom. (we do not have individual bedrooms).

******* Write to us (Kelly) with your preferred arrival date and let us know if you prefer a 10 day or 2 week stay, for 1 to 2 persons, please include a contact phone number if you have one (it is good to book ahead to secure a space, not essential as we do experience cancellations) *******

We are featured on Getaway Australia as Oamaru's creative destination for artists and musicians and is highly recommended by Lonely Planet as one of NZ's best and most unique hostels

Lonely Planet Review.

Unleash your creative spirit at this funky and colourful hostel in a restored two-storey Victorian residence. Guests are encouraged to draw and paint, or create sweet soul music on the hostel's guitars, pianos, didgeridoo and African drums. With all that creative energy, there's definitely a laidback social vibe, and this is one of NZ's best and most unique hostels.

For experienced musicians who play we have a flute, accordion, and Violin - you must know how to care and clean these instruments.

2 and a half hours per day Helping and stay with us in our dormitory accommodation for a 10 day or 2 week stay, projects can involve cleaning, laundry, gardening, house maintenance, and bed making, always looking for volunteers that can help make beds.

There is 2 long term flexible volunteer placements you can choose to help in our art gallery, or with laundry or recycling, you can choose the hours to fit in with your paid work in the Oamaru town.

We are looking for volunteers that know how to clean, maybe you have lived and maintained your own home or have contributed in you parents home in the cleaning.

Washing machine is free for our volunteer guests, clean guests clean hostel.

WiFi is available at our reception 200mb for $2 or special offer 1GB for $5

***Must hold current working holiday visa***

Visit, Elephant Rocks, Moeraki Boulders, Yellow Eyed Penguins, Little Blue Penguins, Whitestone Cheese Factory and Oamaru SteamPunk HQ.

See live music at The Penguin Club and check out what's on at the Oamaru Opera House.

A great way to visit this region and Oamaru is by the Alps to Ocean Cycle Way starting at Aoraki Mount Cook and ending in Oamaru's Victorian Historic Precinct.

We have volunteer guests that stay up to 2 weeks whilst exploring the Oamaru area and they help and stay instead of paying. This is how the hostel industry started as it was guests duties to contribute, thus eliminating cleaning costs which keeps prices low and accessible for young solo travelers. We keep moral at a high and harmony is a priority, it is our job to guide and inspire our volunteers to help us in our daily routine and creative projects and enabling our volunteers a means to explore the region.