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Is this Australia's most gorgeous glamping getaway? You be the judge

The Black Prince will wrap you in calm at this rural idyll.

Is this Australia's most gorgeous glamping getaway? You be the judge
Is this Australia's most gorgeous glamping getaway? You be the judge
Sarah Maguire
Updated April 1, 2025, first published November 23, 2023

The Black Prince will wrap you in calm (wind notwithstanding) at this rural idyll.

THE BACKSTORY

Nick Currie and his wife Jen moved with their two young sons from Sydney's inner west to the family property (and heart - it's where the couple got married, among many other big family occasions) in the Jerrara countryside to make a dream come true: the establishment of an ecologically sustainable glamping enterprise. Enter, the adults-only Cicada Luxury Camping.

THE SETTING

Views from the retreat.
Views from the retreat.

Arrive here, and exhale. As I alight from my car in the late afternoon, the air is alive with the chirrup of birds and crickets and the occasional low of a cow, and the view sweeps across rolling green paddocks, hills and remnant rainforest, all beneath a powder blue sky. The sense of calm is immediate. And just a few minutes' drive away is the town of Kiama and its beautiful beaches. The NSW South Coast does countryside-meets-seaside so enchantingly.

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THE STYLE

Communal amenities block.
Communal amenities block.

Yep, this is glamping all right, across four tents placed for maximum privacy with cosy furnishings, inside and out, that are fresh, modern and functional - a feel repeated in the Brood, the communal amenities block where plants decorate the timber and corrugated-iron kitchen, and an outdoor lounge invites you to sit and soak up more of the view.

THE TENTS

Inside a Safari tent.
Inside a Safari tent.

I am staying in the Black Prince, one of two Safari tents (the other is named the Golden Emperor) that sit on raised timber platforms and have their own ensuites and, on their expansive front decks, outdoor kitchenettes and bathtubs. The beds are king-sized and there's a little dining table and lounge. The smaller Bell tents (named Green Grocer and Blue Moon) have queen-sized beds and lounges, but you'll need to pop up to the Brood for ablutions and a kitchen. On my first, windy night, the Black Prince is like a squeaking, creaking, groaning living creature as gusts of wind smash into it, creating a ripple effect that reminds me, in my half-sleep, of a Mexican wave - and of fun, old-fashioned, close-to-the-elements camping.

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THE FOOD

Cicada's in-tent compendium has a range of Kiama cafe, pub and restaurant suggestions, like Hanoi on Manning (Vietnamese) and Olive & Vine (Italian) ... but the lure of the firepit is strong. Each of the four tents has one outside, and on my second night I use four fire-starters and the supplied firewood to light it up, baby, and the fat sausages I picked up at the Butcher's Nook in Kiama are soon sizzling in the night. For breakfast, after having woken to sunshine streaming into the tent, I cook myself some eggs on the kitchenette stovetop. Who knew outdoor cooking was so blissful?

THE ACTION

Each tent has a firepit.
Each tent has a firepit.

Take your pick. Go to the beach (there are many). Or Saddle Mountain Lookout. Or take a hike to Minnamurra Falls. Or, if your timing's right, hit the Kiama seaside markets. The in-tent compendium is gold, full of the Curries' personal picks of great things to do (as well as eat). If you wish to walk around the property, they instruct you to stick within the fenced areas.

UNFORGETTABLE

The luxe ensuite.
The luxe ensuite.

Taking a twilight soak in the deep tub on the Black Prince's deck with a whodunnit novel and a beverage on hand, and some grazing dairy cows for company. Their rustling and munching cuts through the quiet as the sky dims to black and my tent, strung with light globes, lights up like fairy hollow.

SNAPSHOT

Where: Cicada Luxury Camping, 127 Jerrara Road, Jerrara, NSW, about 90 minutes' drive south of Sydney

How much: Bell tents from $245 a night, safari tents from $415

Explore more: cicadaluxurycamping.com.au

The writer was a guest of Cicada Luxury Camping.

Sarah Maguire
Sarah is Travel Editor for ACM. She has edited leading travel liftouts and magazines in Australia for the best part of 20 years, and is amazed at how the exhilaration of going travelling never fades.

My all-time favourite destination is … Italy. A three-week family holiday, from Rome to Venice via Tuscany and the Cinque Terre, was a pinch-ourselves dream come true, every single day.

Next on my bucket list is … South America - in particular Argentina, Peru and Colombia. I’d love to explore them all, the capital cities and beyond.

My top travel tip is … Make regular plans to travel and have adventures - however near or far from home - with the people you love most.