First look: We found Australia’s first bubbletent in a tree

Suspended between gum trees in New England high country, this tiny bubbletent is one of three new ways to sleep under the stars.

The GlamSwag

As I hop up into the baby bubbletent I feel like a kid who’s discovered a strange new treehouse. At first the tent wiggles with me but when I stop moving about and laughing it quickly stabilises and I’m floating in the air between the trees.

The tiny Mary Ann Bugg bubbletent at Mirumiru is suspended between two trees. (Image: Amanda Woods)

My feather-filled, linen-covered GlamSwag adds to the floating on a tiny cloud feeling and while I could go for privacy and extra warmth by keeping the inner frame raised I quickly disconnect it and push it to the back of the tent so I can see everything around and above me.

Mirumiru Mary Ann Bugg suspended bubbletent

The view looking out from the Mary Ann Bugg suspended bubbletent at Mirumiru. (Image: Amanda Woods)

I could stay here all night, but as we’re just outside of Tenterfield in New England NSW and heading for sub zero temperatures I decide to save that for the warmer months. Instead, I soak up the afternoon sun and watch the sun set before climbing back down to solid ground and moving into the bigger bubble where cashmere sheets over an electric blanket await.

The Mirumiru story

When Cathryn van der Walt and her husband Brad Middleton travelled the world together they would always make time to look up at the stars. Creating a luxury star gazing experience on their family farm became a passion project and after pushing through COVID-19 and other challenges Mirumiru Bubbletent opened in April 2022.

Means bubble in Aotearoa (Maori). (Image: Amanda Woods)

In a nod to Brad’s home country of New Zealand Mirumiru (pron: me-roo me-roo) means bubble in Aotearoa (Maori), and the tents are named after bushrangers who used the granite countryside as cover in years gone by: Captain Moonlite, Captain Thunderbolt, and one of Australia’s first female bushrangers and Thunderbolt’s partner, Mary Ann Bugg.

As well as providing a special way to stay, Cathryn is committed to working with local artisans, artists and service providers to help give back to this part of regional Australia.

The owners of Mirumiru brought their dream of creating a luxury star gazing experience on their family farm to life. (Image: Sera Wright)

The Bubbletents

“It’s like a submarine," Cathryn explains as she unzips the first door. “You need to step inside and close one door before you can open the next one."

In the inflated hallway a small wardrobe holds fresh towels, slip on shoes, games and a first aid kit, and provides both hanging and shelf space for clothes. There’s a cooler style fridge for food and drink, and a cocktail making kit for guests to whip up their favourite tipple.

The writer opts to stay in one of the larger bubbletents for her winter stay. (Image: Sera Wright)

The room

Through the next zipped doorway in the main bedroom I find a queen bed made up with luxury linens, a bedside table, lamp and reading lights, and a telescope for a closer look at the moon and planets above. On the other side of the bedroom a third bubble within the bubble holds the bathroom with a composting toilet and hand basin with a pump tap.

Inside Captain Thuderbolt Mirumiru Bubbletent

Luxe bedding features in the main bedroom.(Image: Sera Wright)

The amenities

The two big bubbletents, Captain Thunderbolt and Captain Moonlite are the same size and have an outdoor bathtub with hot and cold running water, a kitchenette with a gas stove and kettle, cooking pots and a fry pan and crockery and cutlery.

Soak up the views from the private outdoor tub. (Image: Sera Wright)

Number of guests

The big bubbletents sleep two adults each but thanks to the mini bubbletent the Thunderbolt and Mary Ann Bugg combo can sleep two adults and three children. Or possibly two adults in the big bubble and another adult or two in the mini Mirumiru, which has a 200kg limit.

Highlights

I may be accustomed to sleeping in new beds around the world but when I sleepily wonder where I am at 3am and then look up and see stars I know there’s no chance I’ll be falling straight back to sleep.

Stargazing

With the rise in astrotourism an increasing number of travellers are chasing star filled skies. Lying back in my warm bed I can see the Southern Cross and countless other stars in the Milky Way and just as I’m thinking how appropriate the word stargazing is, a shooting star streaks across the sky.

Wake to see a star-filled sky from the comfort of your own bubbletent. (Image: Peitao Tan)

Disconnecting from the world

Even before those stars come out at night, escaping into a private bubble away from the rest of the world is a special kind of bliss. While wi-fi is provided and phone signal is strong, it’s easy to put all devices down and disconnect.

Luxe local products

The attention to detail and sense of place provided by local products also raises the bar at Mirumiru. Guests drink tea from Tenterfield’s Little Echidna Home, and as well as using gumleaf cheeseboards by Manual Arts DEpt they can have personally monogrammed ones made as a souvenir.

Cathyrn works with a range of local businesses to offer add ons including White Cottage floral bouquets and eye masks infused with hyaluronic acid and argan oil by Lunalux, while also offering French wine and champagne truffle chocolates.

And while all of the linens are high quality you can also upgrade your bed with cashmere sheets for an even more luxurious lie-back-and-look-at-the-stars night.

Luxe local products are used wherever possible. (Image: Amanda Woods)

Sustainable notes

Sustainability was front of mind from the start at Mirumiru where the bubbletents are entirely off grid.

All electricity comes from solar power, while filtered rainwater is used in the outdoor showers and vintage baths, and the internal composting toilet saves thousands of litres of water per year.

To help regenerate the land over 500 natives have already planted including a bush tucker garden, and there will be no cattle or sheep on the property until the land has had a chance to fully recover.

Best time to stay

Tenterfield has four very distinct seasons which means the best time to come depends on the sort of holiday you’d like to have.

Winter

Winter is the best time for stargazing anywhere in the world. The earth’s atmosphere doesn’t have as much moisture in the colder months making it clearer and easier to spot fainter stars and nebulae in that crisp cold air.

But winters in New England are also cold and when the sun goes down the bubbles can get cold too. There are electric blankets and small fan heaters in the big bubbles to take the edge off, and sleeping bags rated to -5 degrees for the mini bubbletent.

During my winter stay while I’m not cold when I’m in bed I do sleep with a beanie on when the temperatures dip below zero overnight. But longer nights mean more star time and when I wake up to glittering frost in the morning I soon forget about the cold.

Winter is the best time of year for stargazing. (Image: Sera Wright)

Spring

Spring is blossom season and Tenterfield has streets lined with flowering plum and cherry trees. Enjoy a blossom walk around town and through Millbrook Park before coming back to your bubble.

Summer

In summer December is the most spectacular month to stay with green grass, a mix of blue skies and misty rainfall and spectacular sunsets. Native lilies, waratahs and flannel flowers can be found in the surrounding National Parks.

Save the mini bubbletent for the warmer weather when heating isn’t required. (Image: Sera Wright)

Autumn

Meanwhile, March and April are the best months in autumn when the trees change colour and bright orange and red leaves can be found on New England country drives.

Sunrise at Captain Moonlite Mirumiru Bubbletents

The gorgeous sunrises can be enjoyed all year round. (Image: Amanda Woods)

What to bring

As the bubbletents are self-catering you’ll need to bring anything you’d like to eat or drink during your stay. Or if you plan and ask ahead, Cathyrn can also provide some groceries.

Enclosed shoes are best all year round and throw in some hiking boots too if you’d like to get out onto the National Park trails, and while bath towels are provided it’s BYO beach towels if you’re planning to swim in waterholes.

Sunscreen and lip balm are a must any time of year as you’ll feel the sun and wind in the New England high country. And if you’re coming in winter bring all of your winter layers including thermals, puffer jackets, warm winter socks and a beanie.

Organic hand soap, hair and body wash, and conditioner are all provided. If you prefer to use your own keep in mind that at Mirumiru they filter the water to use on plants so only use products that are kind to the environment.

The Mirumiru Bubbletent guidebook can be saved on your device as an app and includes a list of what they provide in the tents, along with handy guides for everything from how to use the compostable toilet to the furry and feathered friends you might meet on the farm.

Getting there

Mirumiru is just a few minutes outside of Tenterfield, which is around three and a half hours drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast and just under eight hours from Sydney.

The nearest airports are Armidale and Lismore (both two hours away).

Rethink your campground standards at these luxurious new glamping tents in the breathtaking New England region of New South Wales.

Eight commanding safari-style canvas tents sit high on the hill near the dam wall at Lake Keepit, halfway between Tamworth and Gunnedah on Kamilaroi Country in Central New South Wales, their camel-coloured walls a soft contrast with the peachy orange sunset that explodes behind them. Their guests are currently sitting on the deck of the Gilay Lounge, the central meeting place and communal kitchen for Wilderluxe, a new glamping concept by NSW campground operator Reflections Holidays.

Couple stargazing on deck at Wilderluxe glampsite at Lake Keepit

Take in sights of the Milky Way from the private deck or through the retractable skylight while snug in bed. (Image: Supplied)

Camping is a favourite travel pastime for Australians and NSW tops the nation as the most popular destination for camping and caravanning with over 5 million trips recorded last year, but soggy tents and bug bites are nowhere to be seen here. Instead, it’s all decadent details (the complimentary bath bomb next to the deck-bound private outdoor bath, fluffy robes and record player with a curated selection of vinyls come to mind) beneath a star-studded sky.

So what is Wilderluxe?

Couple on deck at Wilderluxe glamping site in Lake Keepit

The glampsites overlook the Warrumbungles and Lake Keepit. (Image: Supplied)

Wilderluxe is the newest offering from Reflections Holidays, the NSW camping outfit that operates on Crown Land (and reinvests all profits back into their campgrounds, which are in some of the most desirable locations across the state). The first Wilderluxe operation – located on a ridge above Reflections’ 102-site Lake Keepit property, overlooking the Warrumbungles and the nearby Soaring Club – is the first of five locations to roll out over the next few years.

Wilderluxe offers a refined approach to the nature-centric camp experience while elevating it with luxurious hotel-style details including kitchenettes, daily housekeeping, curated furnishings and region-specific amenities. That includes binoculars for spotting local herons, pelicans and corellas; complimentary stand-up paddleboard and bike use to explore the lake and surrounds; daily continental breakfast in your room (delivered the night before so you can partake before or after the sun spills over the horizon and onto your private patio); and a nighttime gathering of First Nations knowledge, bonfire and drinks with your fellow guests.

Guests gather around a fire pit at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

Gather with fellow guests of an evening to hear stories shared under the night sky. (Image: Supplied)

The Lake Keepit location is pretty equidistant between rural hubs Tamworth and Gunnedah, but far away enough to avoid the noise, the hoopla and – wonderfully – the light pollution, making this location a dream destination for star-chasers and fans of the cosmos.

What’s it like?

Inside the Star Tent at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit. (Image: Supplied)

There’s only eight Australian-made canvas tents at the Lake Keepit location, lined up on the hill overlooking the glittering, cod-filled irrigation dam. After you meet your fellow guests during each evening’s sunset drinks and local canapes, you can opt to settle in for a screening of Big Sky Dreaming, a film by local Kamilaroi Elder Uncle Len Waters, and – after that – a bonfire accompanied by marshmallow toasting and mugs of hot Milo. You likely won’t see those folks again, such is the delicious seclusion of this property.

The stylish, spacious tents – which are designed and made in Western Australia – contain a king bed, two oversized lounge chairs, a kitchenette, a bathroom with mirror-flecked counter, and a dresser packed with board games, records and binoculars. Out on the private deck there’s a soaking tub, two sitting areas and a trusty Weber Baby Q to cook beneath the stars, camp-style. When you crawl beneath the sheets and look up with darkness-adjusted eyes, you’ll see a square of the Milky Way through the retractable skylight.

Couple enjoy a sunrise over Lake Keepit at Wilderluxe

Enjoy an early breakfast on the deck to watch the sun rise. (Image: Supplied)

Mornings are spent watching the dawn break over the lake while sipping on steaming mugs of tea and that sets the mood for the day, the echo of birdsong and the occasional splutter of a faraway boat engine the only backing beats to your personal glamping soundtrack. (The view from up here on the ridgeline is what inspired Nick Baker, Reflections CEO, to turn Lake Keepit into the first Wilderluxe location: “It’s camping, reimagined,” he says. “Our ethos is still about bringing nature to life. It’s bringing place to life, and that’s what I think we do best.)

In crafting these spaces, and considering the broader impact of the tents on the surrounding landscape, Reflections consulted with the Kamilaroi community, liaising with local storyteller and stargazer Uncle Len. The sky and stars serve as inspiration across the project. Each room carries a Kamilaroi name and its translation and meaning is inscribed on the walls. I stay in Baiame, which means “god or sky father”: the creator of all things. The landscaped path to the rooms undulates like a river, the sandstone around the fire pit is etched with Indigenous symbols of gathering – women, men, community cocooned together – and was designed with Uncle Len’s guidance to reflect a traditional campfire meeting space. The energy of something bigger looms large, and it’s not just the 10,800-acre surface area of the lake or the endless expanse of Liverpool Plains sky.

Couple on the deck enjoying the bathtub on the patio of Wilderluxe glamping tent

The patio bathtub gives guests the luxury of soaking in the serenity of nature . (Image: Supplied)

A stay here means you have access to 7500 hectares of pristine Crown land, shared only with bouncing kangaroos, gliding cod and your fellow campers. Borrow a fishing rod and head out to the dam bank, cycle along private roads, bushwalk between towering endemic Lake Keepit hakea, or cook up local lamb supplied in dinner packs for in-your-own-time evenings. Down the road at Carroll Gap Farmhouse, owner Jan Ducks runs cooking classes, after which you can recline in the gardens of what was once the local schoolhouse. Between here and there, expansive golden plains house roaming sheep and black cattle. The quietness of the landscape is luxurious.

Where to from here?

Aerial view of Wilderluxe Lake Keepit at dusk

Wilderluxe takes the nostalgia of camping and imbues it with luxury. (Image: Supplied)

In the year ending December 2024, NSW welcomed 5.1 million visitors to campgrounds, caravan parks and camping experiences for a combined total of 18.9 million nights. It’s also the top destination for domestic overnight campers, with the majority of travellers between 35 and 54 years of age. In other words, active, passionate and engaged travellers who are keen to get outside.

Don’t get us wrong: most cabin stays at Australian campgrounds and caravan parks are pretty fantastic these days, but Wilderluxe expands the brief to include the nature-centric seclusion, solitude and when-you-want-it camaraderie of camping with the finer considerations we’ve come to anticipate at modern hotels or luxury accommodation. It’s meeting Australian travellers where they are right now, combining nostalgia with fashionable nous and a desire to engage more deeply with the places we explore. Brunswick Heads, Lake Glenbawn, Eden and Lennox Heads are next.

“It’s not just stargazing; it’s not just paddle boarding or kayaking on the lake,” says Baker. “It’s not just modern luxury in the bush… It’s about giving people these moments across a sort of two- or three-night stay that really make it feel like a much bigger experience, and something that sort of serves every part of who they are.”

Couple staying at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

Wilderluxe is the perfect romantic retreat. (Image: Supplied)

Tents at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit start from $1100 for a two-night minimum stay for two people, including breakfast boxes.