WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE AT TENTERFIELD’S MIRUMIRU
Mirumiru Bubbletent Glamping invites you to sleep below the Milky Way and wake to a view of Mount Mackenzie. A truly unique experience that’s not only beautiful on the outside, but has been sustainably designed to nurture what lies beneath, too.
Cathryn van der Walt lay beneath Tokyo’s stars when the idea came to her. There, in an open-air hot springs bath in the heart of the financial district, she was overcome by a single thought.
“If I can star watch here, I can star watch anywhere.”
And so, her journey to Mirumiru Bubbletent Glamping began.
Shiny bubble
‘Mirumiru’ is both a Māori and Japanese word meaning ‘shiny bubble’. It captures the place Cathryn’s vision was born, her New Zealand-based, stargazing memories with husband Brad (who’s of Māori heritage), and the ‘bubble-shaped’ design of Tenterfield’s most unique, five-star luxury glamping accommodation.
What’s more, the bubbletent concept is influenced by the land on which it sits, is environmentally resilient and entirely sustainable.
“These were the guiding set of environmental principles I talked about at length with the Paris-based designer,” says Cathryn.
“The bubbletents themselves are exceptionally low wattage to operate each day and even cycle air through the tent to keep it inflated. When their lifespan is completed, they’re also recyclable.”
Designed in France and manufactured in Germany, the bubbletents use off-grid water for baths, showers and handwashing – which is then filtered through an in-ground tank and absorbed by the surrounding grounds. A composting toilet saves thousands of litres a year and relies on wood by-products including sawdust and lemongrass off-cuts.
“Our bath and body products are organic and we ask guests not to bring plastic with them. We also compost all our food scraps, recycle materials that can be repurposed and use bedding made from all-natural fibres such as linen, cotton, silk and cashmere,” adds Cathryn.
relax, unwind, unplug
Cathryn also invested heavily in roads and drainage on the property, ensuring run-off reaches both the nearby dam and local creek, while also being captured by the farm along the way. Thanks to continued rainfall and the property’s first round of native planting, which included almost 600 native trees, bushes and a bush tucker garden, the future is looking green for Mirumiru.
“We now have grass everywhere, shelterbelt plantings along the fence lines are underway and pollen-producing plants that also help bind the soil – such as manuka and bottle brush – are planted in key locations,” says Cathryn.
“We’ll be reinforcing the water flow throughout the farm by landscaping creek beds to retain water and help shape its journey – that’s a beautiful thing to watch. Already the ducks are loving our new grounds.”
They aren’t alone. The Mirumiru campsite is flexibly designed to suit friends, families and couples, and includes both an adults-only bubble and a tree-suspended bubble – a dream come true for children and the young at heart.
“Truly magical – that’s the feedback so far,” says Cathryn.
“And that’s what we set out to achieve. I wanted to reinvent how people experience this beautiful part of the New England. Whether that’s glamping for the first time, taking an outdoor bath, hiking up Bald Rock or exploring nearby Tenterfield. There’s something so entirely mesmering about the landscape here and people can feel it as soon as they arrive. It’s almost as if Mirumiru gives people permission to stop, relax, unwind and unplug. So come say hi, take some time for yourself in nature, see spectacular places in our history and, crucially, appreciate the people who power regional Australia and this incredible land we call home.”
Visit Mirumiru’s website and Instagram
Photography Sera J Wright
