Glamping; the coolest craze to sweep the nation since Frose…
As the name suggests, glamping provides you with an opportunity to experience the great outdoors without ever being too far away from a decent shower and a borderline fine dining meal.
If you hate ‘real’ camping but want the satisfaction of telling anyone who’ll listen that you survived a night in the wilderness, or if you love the fresh air and serenity that comes with pitching a tent in the middle of nowhere but don’t really fancy sleeping on a “mattress” that provides as much comfort as a hot chocolate on a 30 degree day, then glamping is for you!
We’ve got just the thing to get you excited with our picks of the best glamping spots around Victoria – you’ll be more jolly than the swagman who camped by a billabong and under the shade of the coolibah tree!
In what is the ‘Kimye’ of camping adventures, glamping will definitely bring out the inner explorer in you. And if you want to start singing Waltzing Matilda around an imaginary fire we promise we won’t judge. Much.
St Jerome’s – The Hotel
Melbourne Central, 217 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne CBD
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the words ‘CBD’ and ‘camping’ don’t go hand-in-hand, because let’s face it, they don’t. That is until the people at St Jerome’s saw the potential in this location and voila, a glamping spot right in the heart of the CBD.
This is perfect for you cityslickers who want to get away from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of day-to-day life but never want to be too far away from a good soy latte and some smashed avo on toast.
Set atop Melbourne Central, St Jerome’s – The Hotel, is home to 21 premium canvass bell tents that are dressed in opulent trimmings more commonly seen in five star hotels. Fall asleep under the city lights and wake up with a complimentary breakfast fit for the royal that you are.
Get ready to sit back, kick your feet up and enjoy the ultimate staycation.
Phillip Island Glamping
Cowes Caravan Park, 164 Church Street, Cowes
Phillip Island Glamping offers three sites just as breathtaking as the next, with every location so close to the beach that you can literally roll out of bed every morning and land on the sand.
Equipped with a Queen size air mattress, heaters, crockery and card games, these tents will ensure you’ll have the experience of a lifetime all the while enjoying the peaceful sounds of waves gently lapping on the shore, the seagulls quietly calling to each other and the faint smell of fish and chips wafting down the beach. Sorry, not sure about you, but we just lost ourselves in that image for a minute.
Anyway, the beautiful beaches that you’ll wake up to every morning is just the beginning, with the island offering numerous activities to keep you entertained including the Penguin Parade and the Cowes Farmer’s Market.
If you want to find us, you know where we’ll be.
Cosy Tents
6A Kanga Rd, Yandoit
Enjoy your glamping experience in one of Mother Nature’s finest acheivements, the spa capital of Australia!
Putting the cosy in camping, Cosy Tents provide fully furnished European-style canvas bell tents in the heart of Daylesford, equipped with a mattress, linen and other amenities, Bluetooth speaker systems and breakfast-in-a-box? Nothing says luxury like breakfast in bed, hey guys?
You won’t be disappointed with the picturesque location either, with your glamping spot nestled in the hills of the Hepburn Shire in between both Daylesford and Hepburn Springs where you can enjoy art galleries, wineries, boutique shopping and fine dining.
When the fresh air and 6am nature wake up calls gets to be too much, you can always head on over to one of the many spas that surround this area. You’ve earned it.
The Yurt Alpine Retreat
234 Evans Ln, Myrrhee
The Yurt Alpine Retreat is possibly the prettiest thing we’ve ever seen, with the picturesque mountains providing the perfect backdrop for the weekend getaway you know you deserve.
Positioned right in the middle of a cattle and sheep farm in the King Valley, this glamping location will give you fantasies about quitting the big smoke and living off the land for ever. By the time you’ve finished your stay, you’ll have already picked out names for your pet sheep and will be bursting to get home so you can watch the entire box series of McLeod’s Daughters.
These Mongolian style canvas tents provide an escape to the outside world, allowing you to rediscover your earthly roots, while still having some creature comforts that include cooking utensils, proper linen and bedding and shower necessities at your dirt-free and still perfectly clean fingertips.
Besides the more you say Yurt the funnier it sounds. Go on, you know you want to.
Wilderness Retreats
Meeniyan-Promontory Rd, Wilsons Promontory
Want to experience the freshest air you’ll ever breathe? Head to the Wilderness Retreats location at Wilson’s Promontory where the sky is bluer, the grass is greener and the way of life is easier.
Now that we’ve mentioned it, it’s easy to get carried away in this breathtaking spot because not only are you surrounded by the peacefulness of the trees and the calmness of the water, you are also surrounded by the comfort of timber floors, a deck set up with tables and chairs, a fridge, and a Queen sized bed. What more could you ask for?
You’ve also got enough to keep you busy during the day with walking tracks through the forest and the coastal landscape at your disposal, enough wildlife to collect and start your own zoo (we’re not thinking about it, you are) and you can’t forget a trip to the old lighthouse that will transport you back in time.
Find yourself driving down the Monash Freeway and you won’t be disappointed. Trust us.
Pebble Point
20 Old Coach Road, Princetown
Go camping in a tent that you don’t have to pitch yourself with a glamping experience like no other by the Great Ocean Road!
Pebble Point, an exclusive bush retreat located between the cliff tops and rock formations of Victoria’s very iconic Twelve Apostles, features 6 tents that are all conveniently located at the end of the Great Ocean Walk giving you no excuse as to why you shouldn’t be able to walk the entire 100k’s of it during your stay. Sorry, too optimistic?
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, Pebble Point is also situated within metres of not one, not two but three National Parks, allowing you to create your own glamping experience based on the coastal scenery, various wildlife and marine environments on your perfectly pitched doorstep.
Featuring everything we’ve come to expect from glamping locations, including king sized beds (duh), private en suits (obviously) and a kitchen equipped with a fridge, microwave, toaster and cutlery (what else?), this place is sure to have you feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.
Alright, stop begging, we’ll go.
By Kate Gazzard
