Travelling with: Celeste Mitchell
It’s been called the ‘birthplace of Australia’ since it’s where Sir Henry Parkes called for Australia’s federation in 1889, but it always has been and always will be Ngarabal Country. Right now, it’s Country that feels infinite. Cocooned in a transparent bubble tent, the galaxy above beams down on me.
Beyond my toes, golden grasses and Mt Mackenzie’s frosted coat of green will greet me come morning. Outside, the embers of the fire pit are glowing their final hurrah. This is Mirumiru Bubbletent, a luxurious off-grid escape where two bubble tents – and a tiny bubble tent in a tree – call to those seeking a unique escape. It’s one of a raft of new experiences to take root here in the past 12 months.
Just south of the Queensland border in NSW’s New England High Country, Tenterfield is three-and-a-half hours’ drive from Brisbane and eight hours from Sydney, but that’s not stopping city folk from flocking on weekends.
From my rural repose, I’m only five minutes’ drive from the town’s heart where Stonefruit quietly opened last year. The Granite Belt and New England are celebrated on the plate – think Granite Belt black truffle through hot tagliatelle – and in the glass, alongside a refined edit of rare international drops. For more casual eats there’s Manners & Co – a buzzing collective of local food businesses – and the new Barn at Glenrock Gardens. All worthy entrees to the glamping main event.
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