There is nothing better than lying in bed listening to the pitter patter of rain on a tent roof, a fire pit crackling outside.

Except if that tent rivals the size of your average motel room and you’re snuggled under three blankets in a plush double bed.

Huon Valley’s newest accommodation option takes camping to the next level.

My palatial white glamping tent is quite the talking point among the grey nomads and families where it’s pitched at the Huon Valley Caravan Park.

For those who have never tried glamping, it’s all the best bits of camping (being in the great outdoors, sleeping under the stars, sitting by a campfire) without spending hours setting everything up and missing creature comforts of your bed at home.

The rug-covered floor of the tent reminds me of my nanna’s house, right down to the little “shoes off please!” label attached to the zipper.

The little details inside the tent are a perfect touch, with vintage decor, travel books, locally-sourced fruit and treats from roadside stalls — as well as eggs from the owner’s Geeveston farm.

The tent is set out in a few zones: the bedroom, the kitchen, a ‘bathroom’ featuring a hamper and fresh towels, locally made toiletries and coins for the park shower, and a sitting room with a ‘day bed’ and coffee table books.

As I’m settling in, two park regulars arrive with a fire pit and a wheelbarrow of firewood, lighting it for me ahead of the chilly night.

While most camping experiences are fairly isolating, a night at Huon Valley Glamping feels much safer, with the buzz of caravan park guests and the toilet and hot showers not far from the tent.

My trusty firelighters give me a few tips, including the best time to spot the resident platypus and when to expect the ice-cream and coffee vans to arrive.

They also say the park’s afternoon farm show is worth checking out and it doesn’t disappoint, with the larrikin owner milking a cow, shearing a sheep and then feeding some Tasmanian devils that reside on site (safely inside a glass enclosure).

The brains behind Huon Valley Glamping is Emma King, a city girl who grew up in London dreaming of one day moving to the country.

She and her husband moved to Tasmania on the flip of a coin, wanting a change from Perth, Western Australia, and debating between Queensland and the Apple Isle.

“I posted on a moving to Tasmania Facebook group asking people where we should live, and people kept saying the Huon Valley so that’s where we went,” Emma says.

She gives me some suggestions on where to venture for dinner and says visiting Ranelagh’s Summer Kitchen Bakery up the road is a must for breakfast.

Heading to the bakery to grab my brekkie supplies, I pick up a loaf of sourdough and have that for dinner by the firepit accompanied by some cheese picked up from the Huonville Woolies deli.

Everything about the glamping experience celebrates the Huon, which was Emma’s goal.

“While I can travel and set up the tent in certain places for weddings and hen’s parties, I really want people to come and experience the Huon for weekend escapes,” Emma says.

“People in Hobart or other parts of Tasmania who just want the weekend away, who like the idea of camping but just turning up and it’s all set up for you with all that’s left to do is relax.”
The author was a guest of Huon Valley Glamping

MAKE A NOTE

Huon Valley Glamping is a six-metre emperor tent set up at the Huon Valley Caravan Park on the river at 177 Wilmot Rd, Huonville (30 minutes drive from Hobart).

Best suited to couples or a couple with one child, with the tent set up with a double bed and single stretcher bed — even featuring a personal touch; a children’s book written by tent owner Emma.

The caravan park has shared bathrooms that were built last year, the showers are individual and hot and well maintained.

Rate is $250/night

Book via huonvalleyglamping.com.au