The Classy Outdoors: Glamping In Melbourne And Beyond

Courtesy of St Jerome's
Courtesy of St Jerome's
Photo of Monique La Terra
Monique La Terra
9 February 2017

If fiddling with flimsy poles, pumping up mattresses and roughing it in sleeping bags doesn’t sound appealing, then perhaps it’s time to upgrade from traditional camping to luxurious glamping. Glamping takes the hard work, sweat, and stress out of weekend getaways by providing a glamorous outdoor experience, and in Victoria, there are plenty of options from which to choose. From beachside vacations in vintage trailers named Peggy Sue to chrome caravans parked on urban rooftops, these are the five glamping spots you need to know.

Photography by www.andrewnorthover.com.au

Happy Glamper

Half the hassle of camping is the unpacking and pulling down, but at Happy Glamper, someone else will take care of the heavy lifting. Since 2013, Jessie and Scott Curtis-Griffiths have been offering a mobile camp service on the Mornington Peninsula. All you have to do is pick from one of five sites and choose your glamping experience, and they’ll do the rest. You can choose from vintage camper vans, including the 1966 Peggy Sue, which can sleep up to four people, or the 1955 Miss Myrtle which sleeps two. If tents are more your style, Happy Glamper has the cosy Bell Tent available in three sizes and the Lotus Belle Tents, which can sleep up to five people. The campers and tents come complete with complimentary magazines, colourful mats, board games, chairs and more.

Peggy Sue Airstream Copyright Milk Photography/Courtesy of Happy Glamper

Wanderlust Glamping

For those looking for a luxury getaway in the mountains, Wanderlust Glamping is a set up and pack down service in the Grampians and Ararat. Wanderlust Glamping – run by Lisa Eastick – allows you to choose from a vintage caravan named Clementine, fitted with cooking appliances and a double bed, or the four-metre bell tent which can sleep up to four people. Deluxe packages are also available for newlyweds. There are also a number of extras to choose from, including a portable DVD player for those late nights, and if you prefer to camp on the Great Ocean Road, arrangements can be made for Melbourne Cup weekend.

Courtesy of Wanderlust Glamping

St Jerome’s

On the rooftop of Melbourne Central is a retreat where you can camp on AstroTurf under a canopy of stars. St Jerome’s has 21 canvas bell tents available, all fit with heating, quality linen, a complimentary stocked esky and a tablet loaded with movies, and the choice is yours between The Luxe four-metre tent and The Luxe Plus five-metre tent. St Jerome’s features a long list of complimentary experiences, services and gifts, including welcome sweet treats, a happy hour cocktail, Gelato Messina dessert, a game of ten pin bowling at Strike Bowling, a delivery of Sleeptime T2 Tea, a breakfast basket, meditation classes on Friday and Saturday and an onsite barista.

St Jerome’s, Level 3, 271 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC, Australia, +61 406 118 561

Courtesy of St Jeromes

Courtesy of St Jerome’s

Notel

As of August 2016, guests can virtually check in to a space age caravan park on a nondescript rooftop overlooking Flinders Lane. James Fry came up with the idea to hoist six chrome trailers shipped from America onto a Melbourne rooftop to be refurbished and transformed into a Notel (not a hotel). Choose from one of five Airstream suites, complete with a Barbie pink shower, deck area and an iPad Pro loaded with Netflix for some serious chillaxing. Alternatively, you can choose the Airstream With Benefits, which includes a private Sapphire Spa and overlooks Flinders Lane. Notel is free of fussy check-in desks and staff. Instead, guests check in and out via the Notel app, and the iPads are pre-loaded with a Notel concierge service. Red carpet running throughout the rooftop and a mural by Ash Keating finish off the vibrant space.

Notel, 388 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC, Australia, +61 428 952 559

Cosy Tents

So far this list has included oceanfront, mountainous, inner city and futuristic glamping experiences, but for a truly Aussie adventure, you can’t pass up bush glamping. With two locations in the Macedon Ranges – Daylesford and Blackwood – Cosy Tents brings all the comforts from a luxury hotel into the wilderness with sophisticated sleeping spaces. Your hosts Jarek and Eva have a selection of five-metre and four-metre canvas bell tents which include a queen bed with luxe linen, a variety of pillows, Bluetooth speakers and an esky, plus brekkie boxes can also be requested for an additional cost. Both campsites come with a communal BBQ area and fire pit.

Blackwood Location, 41 Golden Point Road, Blackwood VIC, Australia, +61 411 322 937

Courtsey Cosy Tents

Courtsey of Cosy Tents

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