Backpackers left homeless after busy WA-hostels Dolphin Retreat and Wander Inn shut over asbestos fears

Dozens of travellers have been left without a place to stay after two popular hostels were closed due to urgent asbestos contamination, posing a serious health risk. The closures follow inspections on 20 January 2026 at the Dolphin Retreat and its sister venue, the Wander Inn in Bunbury, about 170 kilometres south of Perth, where asbestos was identified.