Take a ‘tent’ at Sierra Escape in Mudgee’s wine country
Forget a room with a view. How about a tent with an alfresco bath?
Forget a room with a view. How about a tent with an alfresco bath? Specifically, a natural stone freestanding tub offering a 180-degree panorama of Australian bushland with no signs or sounds of habitation except whirling flocks of birds and rustlings in the grass. The former are galahs sailing high in blurs of pink and grey. The source of the latter turns out to be several kangaroos that, as I approach, give me the once-over and then bounce away as twilight deepens in an otherworldly scarlet blaze. The clouds look freshly daubed with an artist’s brush, like that of British landscape painter John Constable, whose fascination with tumultuous weather divided critical opinion in the early 19th century. Despite the geographic disparity, I detect a Constable-like transparency to the cumulus clusters as they change colour on this early winter’s evening in Piambong, northwest of Mudgee in central west NSW.
With further creative licence, I’m reminded of the Lloyd Rees landscapes of Gerringong and the Bathurst hills that hang in the Art Gallery of NSW. A few days later, my photographer friend Annette mentions the alchemy of the Great Dividing Range. “Huge split boulders with the wind whistling and the spirits rising … wide, wide plains and big skies …”
But my chap is done with my ruminations on such matters. We’re in wine country, it’s a freezing May night, and there are big reds to be poured in front of the fire. Our canvas habitat is west-facing Alkira, meaning “sun” in the language of the Wiradjuri people of this region. It’s set high and splendidly isolated at Sierra Escape, an enclave of five luxury tents spread across just under 114ha of sloping pastures and rounded hills and sited to take in panoramic outlooks. Opened just a few years, the adults-only property has already scooped tourism awards for its unique style and eco-conscious credentials, including tank water, septic system and solar panels. Owners Cam and Tasch D’Arcy say they knew this subdivided farming block was “the one” for their glamping project as soon as they climbed a hill and took in the view.
Alkira is one of two tents recently added; the other, with a glass balustraded deck and higher elevation, is Wirra, the Wiradjuri word for rest. But the original accommodation options are by no means meagre; one tent is 27sq m and the others are double that floor plan, matching the footprint of Alkira and Wirra. Cam says he and Tasch may consider expanding the inventory by one or two tents as demand is high, but the paramount aim is to ensure complete privacy around all the guest quarters. “It will always remain exclusive, boutique and small,” he tells me, “with at least more than 100m and, in some cases, much more (distance) away from each other.” From Alkira, not only can we see no other tents, but across two days and nights, we meet no one, not even at the communal pavilion deck with its yoga area and pool repurposed from a 12m-long shipping container. I love that Wi-Fi only works around the pool pavilion as Sierra Escape is a place to act like it’s the 1990s and read, gaze and breathe. That thoroughly modern gal Amazon Alexa is on hand in each tent, however, to meet commands for smart lighting, ceiling fans and the like.
The overall experience is a hybrid of pure camping and a level of luxury that truly fits the glamping category. Alkira’s kingsize bed is soft and inviting and the kitchenette has basic pantry items and equipment but we are way too cold to sleep properly the first night, even layered up in the snug bathrobes provided. On the second day we find a fleece blanket in the third drawer of a chest and that makes all the difference, along with extra kindling for the stove. The shower water is nice and hot, there’s an indoor bath as well as that showstopper alfresco tub and plenty of space to spread out and relax. But it’s the deck that steals the show, with a clearing on one side and a firepit (toasted marshmallows, please), barbecue ready for duty, and a view that appears limitless in its perspective and changing palette. There’s a glazed sliding door at the tent entry and canvas flaps throughout that can be easily unrolled to let in additional light via fine mesh. It feels snug and is well-insulated, a planet removed from a boy-scout bivouac, but do choose your season carefully. Winter means short days and long, potentially freezing nights.
The fenced site is mostly unattended and accessed via high security protocols of passwords and lock-boxes. Cam has devised a strong electronic network of portals and communications for guests but once through the gate and off the gravel road, it feels like another world. The track is unsealed and bumpy and a 4WD would be ideal; our sedan manages fine but ends up virtually camouflaged in orange dust. A deer appears in our headlights on one climb and stands still and unyielding for several minutes, like a transplanted monarch of the glen. It’s eerily quiet and unsullied out here but an hour later, showered and spruced-up, we’re on the sealed road for a 20km drive back to Mudgee. Time to hit its chic wine and cocktail bars, providores and brasseries. The best of town and country, for sure.
More to the story
* Hello Lovelies is a brand of “handcrafted seasonal cordials” produced in numbered batches by Rebecca Sutton of olive.a.twist; try Lola, a blend of cherry and wild fennel that’s delicious mixed as a spritzer; pop into Mudgee Corner Store for a good selection as well as local preserves, relishes, raw honey and house-baked brownies.
* Sutton’s company also produces excellent sourdough loaves as well as sweet treats such as Parisian-style flaky pastries and brioche doughnuts; stocked by many suppliers or from Sutton’s Itty Bitty Bread Shop, but go early. “Being married to a Frenchman,” she says, “means good bread is non-negotiable.” Varieties include a superb fruit and walnut mix and a purple wheat and rye blend; try the former toasted and served with a superior coffee from the delightfully homely Artisan on Lewis cafe, gallery and providore (pictured, above).
* At Market Street Cafe, take out the likes of spiced pumpkin cupcakes and buttery Danish pastries from All Things Nice Mudgee; if timings align, visit the authentically local Mudgee Fine Foods Farmers’ Markets in Robertson Park, third Saturday of each month.
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* Luke Spencer is the bean-to-bar “chocolate man” behind Spencer Cocoa; his single origin products are made with beans grown and harvested in Vanuatu, then roasted, ground and tempered in Mudgee; go for a 100g milk chocolate bar, made with 42 per cent cocoa, available widely in town.
* Nearby wineries within easy striking distance of Sierra Escape include Lowe Family Wine, a diverse holding of vines, restaurant, tastings, shop and estate-grown organic produce; pick up sustenance at the cellar door.
In the know
Mudgee is 268km northwest of Sydney. Sierra Escape has forged strong connections with many of the 40-plus district vineyards, local tour operators and providores. Experiences can be advance-booked, including yoga classes, horseriding, wine-tastings, heli-tours, pre-ordered customised platters from Dad’s Deli in Mudgee, and in-tent massages. Seasonal rates from about $590 a night for two with minimum two-night stay.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Sierra Escape.
