The first bell tent

"Please Mum can we sleep in the tent?", after two days of watching us set up the first bell tent, our youngest daughter couldn't wait to be the first one to sleep in it.   

The idea of setting up Bell tents in the Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park had been on the backs our minds for the last six months; should we, shouldn't we, will people like them, will WE like them....

Well the answer is a resounding YES, we love them!  

Going to sleep in my electric blanket warmed bed next to my youngest daughter, listening to the waves on the beach and watching the cotton canvas undulate in the light breeze was a wonderful experience that took me right back to camping as a child with my own parents.

Waking up after a deep and refreshing sleep and seeing the silhouettes of the native shrubs waving outside the tents hearing the sound of the waves and the birds and knowing that I didn't have to rush about packing up a car full of camping paraphernalia and trying to get the tent back in the bag made for a truly luxurious morning.

Sitting on the generous deck, in a comfy armchair, warmed by my own private fire pot, drinking a coffee from the provided pod machine looking over the nature reserve with bacon and eggs cooked by my husband in the camp kitchen would have been the perfect end to our night in the bell tent, but unfortunately for me it was a bowl of muesli and off to set up the second bell tent!!

WHAT IS A BELL TENT?

At Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park we have set up our latest Glamping accommodation - Bell Tents.

Bell tents are a deluxe 100% cotton tent, they are a spacious 7 meters long by 4 meters wide and an incredible 3 meters high.  This really adds to the sense of space, its wonderful to be in a tent and be able to stand upright and walk around!

We pitched our tents on timber decks to prevent uninvited guests from creeping into the tent and to keep, dust, dirt and sand out of the tent.

Each deck has 2 outdoor armchairs and a side table, an umbrella and your own personal fire pot.

Each of the 4 tents has been set up for the enjoyment of couples, but they can fit an extra child on the day bed.

There are four bell tents in total and they have all been styled differently so you can enjoy a different experience every time you stay.  

In the Bell Tent

• 3-4 rugs on the floor for warmth and comfort.

• A couch which can also be used as a bed for an extra person.

• A queen sized bed, complete with electric blanket and spare blankets if needed

• Two bedside tables with lamps

• A specially designed table on wheels that sits over the bed, to use to read or eat and pushed out of the way for sleeping.

• A television with built in DVD player

• A kitchenette with a microwave, mini bar fridge, a pod coffee machine and a kettle.

• Uniquely styled crockery for 4, cutlery, cheese knife, bottle opener and cheese board.

• a rechargeable torch to go spotlighting.

• Two outdoor chairs and side table

• A sun umbrella

Bell tents are not self contained but they are conveniently located to the amenities and the camp kitchen.

The Amenities

• The toilets are each in their own well ventilated room with a small sink.

• The showers are each in their own spacious room, with plenty of hooks for hanging clothes and a long bench for your convenience.

• The park managers Kevin and Louise pride themselves on keeping the amenities clean and tidy.

The Camp Kitchen

• Two cooktops and ovens

• Two indoor sinks and 3 outdoor sinks

• Stainless steel bench tops throughout

• 2 fridge/freezers

• Kettles, toasters and microwaves

• Free barbecues

• All the equipment needed to create your favourite meals.

Two mess tents with tables and chairs if you feel like eating with company.

What to pack if you're staying in a safari tent?

Ok so you might need more than a shirt, a watch and some Hennessey but if you're wondering what you need to bring if you're staying in one of our safari style cabins you need not wonder any longer! Here's a list of everything you'll find you have at your fingertips so you don't have to overpack...

Heating / cooling

• reverse cycle air conditioning

• Electric blankets on every bed

Bedding

• Sheets

• Doonas and covers (additional blankets available if required)

• Pillows and covers

• Bath Towels (1 per person)

Kitchen & Living

• Television with DVD player

• Private pod coffee machine (4 complimentary pods per cabin, extras $1 each from the office)

• Kitchenette with sink

• Mini Fridge

• Microwave

• Kettle

• Toaster

• Microwave

• Cooking utensils

• Chopping boards

• Saucepans

• Frypan

• Glasses

• Wine glasses

• Mugs

• Crockery

• Cutlery

• Serving dishes

Bathroom

• Shower, sink, toiletries cupboard

• Toilet (with free toilet paper!)

Outdoor

• Table and chairs

• arm chairs (couples safari tents only)

• Undercover private decking area

• Portable electric twin cooktop on custom made

• Private BBQ’s on each deck

• Fire pot for each safari tent

Laundry

A communal park laundry features large commercial sized coin-operated washing machines and dryers as well as two washing lines outdoors. BYO washing powder or purchase some from the office for $2 a load.  And please BYO washing line if you require undercover use at your safari cabin.  

Cleaning

• Dishwashing liquid

• 1 x chux or washing cloth

• 1 x steel wool

• 1 x teatowel

• Hand soap in bathroom at sink

• Broom

• Dustpan and brush

• Toilet brush

Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park offers camping and accommodation on the East Coast of Tasmania at its best. Situated at the gateway to Bay of Fires, St. Helens and Binalong Bay, it's a great accommodation base to explore the East Coast of Tasmania. Either camp on an unpowered or powered camp site or stay in a safari style self-contained cabin or a luxury bell tent. The Park has private access to the beach and is right next to a nature reserve creating a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere for guests. Book now or contact us for more details or to plan your stay with us. 

What is a safari tent?

What's it like to stay in a permanent safari tent?

Young family camping at it's best!

What on earth is a safari tent? Well, having stayed in one myself I can tell you it’s a comfortable, camping experience. All the conveniences of self-contained cabins but with the feeling of sleeping under the stars. Apparently glamorous camping or “glamping” is taking the world by storm and now I know why. I stayed at Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park in one of their permanent safari tents with my husband and two very young daughters who were just 1 and 2 and a half at the time over the New Year period. We had had a huge Christmas, a nasty gastro bug and my daughters first birthday to get through so I was desperate to get to the park and settle in. Only it never goes smoothly with young children, does it? We arrived, worn out by cranky cries and grizzles from the back seat from our youngest who likes her cot at night and our overtired toddler. Because my husband had been knocked over by the bug I had to pack up all of us in the space of one morning and as usual the car had taken longer than expected to pack. The park Managers Graham and Sandy were extremely understanding and welcoming even though I’m pretty sure we looked like we’d all been dragged from a creek somewhere by the time we arrived. And it was raining.

As soon as we walked in our eldest daughters eyes lit up. We’d been telling her about our impending camping trip for weeks and she was finally in our “tent/castle” and she promptly got to climbing onto the top bunk. We inspected the tent and were amazed at how comfortable and clean everything was. The decking out the front looked out towards bushland and there was plenty of room. We hadn’t even unpacked and I never wanted to leave. We unpacked the car and settled in, finding at every turn that everything we needed was there; portable stove top, towels, washing up liquid, kettle, toaster, fridge, comfortable beds. We even found out that we could have rented a portacot and left ours at home. Next time.

Some things that stood out for me about the safari tent were that it was easy to clean over and over (food, children, yada), it was warm when raining and cool when sunny and hot (we got to experience both luckily). Actually it was surprisingly cosy and romantic in the rain and we didn’t have to cancel the trip due to inclement weather at the front half of the planned stay. And with cranky kids and arriving later in the day we didn’t even have to put up a tent (or take one down when we wanted to get on our way fast). But it was hearing the sound of the waves and feeling like you were outdoors only separated from the outdoors by canvas rather than walls that will always stay with me.

We did a range of things with our girls in the days we stayed. Swam in the river mouth at Binalong Bay, visited a beautiful little cove in Bay of Fires, had fish and chips on a fish punt in St Helens, enjoyed a messy ice-cream session with the girls, went for long walks on the wild and beautiful Steele beach we had private access to, and even managed a beer and some oysters overlooking Binalong Bay (with some chips of course). On the way home we took the girls to the wildlife park in Bicheno and they loved it, even feeding a kangaroo with a joey in its pouch. And the car ride back to Hobart was peaceful because they were tuckered out after all the excitement.

The safari tent experience is a unique one and one I highly recommend (especially to those with small children)! You can be in touch with nature and the surroundings but still enjoy the comforts and conveniences of home.

This article is on Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park’s blog. The Park offers many different styles of accommodation; Permanent, self-contained cabin style safari tents for families, couple and groups for those after a comfortable outdoor camping experience, Luxurious bell tents for couples and families with shared amenities and kitchen facilities, and traditional powered and unpowered camp sites and caravan sites. The Park has private access to Steele beach and is at the gateway to Bay of Fires, St. Helens and Binalong Bay, making it the best accommodation base to explore the East Coast of Tasmania.