I've just begun watching this series. As an English migrant who came to Australia in the 1960's and lived in a hostel (long since gone), I thought it would be a relatively realistic interpretation of the hostels; the problems, the fights, the isolation, the friendships. but it seems to be a very imaginative take on the situations encountered.
E.g; dining in a rather swish manner. Not where I stayed.
Having recently visited one of the remaining (unused)hostel sites in Australia; Bonegilla in Victoria, it is easy to work out that the location is meant to be there. Imagine travelling across the world from war ravaged Europe in 1947 to a small country location at least 4 hours from Melbourne and finding a dry, parched scene where rain is not plentiful and there is nowhere to go. My heart goes out to those people, but, many who stayed in Asutralia would say it was the making of them.
I will persevere with the series based on other viewers comments, but with an adjusted view of my expectations of the story.
