The best glamping in south australia

Looking for an experience that takes you behind the farm gate? Look no further than the quirky and loveable Bukirk glamping tents. Here you’ll get a taste of farm life, without the early starts and morning chores! Named after the sound a chicken makes (buk, buk, Bukirk!), owner Alison wanted to create a place that blended her love of animals and the quaint pace of life that can be found in the Clare Valley. Alison—whose own nickname is ‘chook’—created this glamping village in a paddock surrounded by farmland, with furry friends and quirky accommodation options, from their accessible glamping option, ‘Cluckingham Palace,’ to their ‘Fancy Coop’ off-grid luxury cabins. The joy of a stay at Bukirk comes in the company – from a flock of namesake chickens to their beloved pig Kevin Bacon (who is known to love a belly rub or two from guests) and Tootsie the mischievous goat. You’ll wake to the sound of bleating sheep, spend your day pedalling along the Riesling Trail, before retiring back to your Clare Valley glamping retreat with a local bottle in hand.

Picture this: you wander back to the petite wooden deck surrounding your home away from home, after a few wines at the cellar door. You sink into a canvas deck chair as the warmth of the afternoon sun prickles at the back of your head. The gums and grass are turning from shades of green to amber in the setting light. As the sun inches closer to the horizon, your tent begins to emit a glow, casting leafy shadows against the canvas. You hear nothing but the buzz of crickets and the chirping of magpies. Everything feels slower, the moment is as full as your glass of classic Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon. This is a typical afternoon when you book a glamping tent at Bellwether Wines. This quaint little winery is perched just over the Victorian border, making it the perfect accommodation if you are driving between Melbourne and Adelaide.

When was the last time you truly heard the sound of silence? A quiet so visceral you could reach out and touch it – feel it. Imagine waking up to the first light of day as it streams through the double glass doors of your luxury safari tent. Rolling out of your queen bed, you flick the lights on before padding outside to join in nature’s morning rituals. The ochre glow of red rock as the sun heats it, birds in search of a morning feed and lazy lizards making their slow path to a patch of new sun. This is glamping in the Flinders Ranges at its best, thanks to Wilpena Pound Resort.

Start your ridgetop campout experience by meeting your wilderness guide at the village base, before climbing aboard their open-air Landcruiser for one of the most scenic rollercoaster rides in the world. Weaving through creek beds, between valleys and over mountain crests, you will arrive at a clean and comfortable campsite nestled within the heart of a sprawling valley. Come morning, you'll be greeted with a cup of coffee before bundling back into the car for a short drive to a scenic lookout. Here, you'll take your seats for nature's blockbuster event. Curtains open on a shadowy mass of mountain ranges, but as the performance starts you'll witness a light display like no other. At first, you are treated to the colours of any normal sunrise—a slightly violet sky that brightens with the day. But then, just when you least expect it, the rocks begin to burn bright like a fire was lit within. They illuminate like a glow stick, emitting a light so orange and pure it feels unreal. Slowly but surely that fire burns higher and higher, painting the ranges red the higher the sun gets. It's a truly ethereal experience that must be seen to be believed.

Glamping in the Adelaide Hills has never looked so adventurous. Woodhouse Adventure Park is the kind of place where core memories are made. From that time your daughter won the obstacle course, a tale that gets larger every year she retells it. Or perhaps it’s when your son guided the whole family out of the split-level maze, earning him the first sausage off the fire pit. It could be the day your kids came together, swapping squabbling for strategy as they approach the orienteering course as a team. At family Christmas each year, they’ll debate who should have had control of the compass. Book a stay at this year-round summer camp and gift your kids an experience that will stay with them long after checking out. From bunkhouses to cabins and glamping tents – there are options for families of all sized to come out, switch off and get close.