Glamping On Cockatoo Island

Definitely the cheapest hotel room (with a view) you are going to find in Sydney by far and one I would highly recommend.

After taking the ferry from Birchgrove (which instantly reminds you how gorgeous Sydney is) we arrived at Cockatoo Island. Before we went to our tent, we had a lovely lunch at the cafe. Bought a bottle of wine for dinner, then spent most of the afternoon touring the island - there is so much history and you are pretty much allowed free reign.

We also did some swimming in the harbour. We were really impressed with the lovely bbq area and shower/toilet block. It’s as close to 5 star camping as you’re likely to get.

We decided to stay in the ‘Glamping Suite’ tents which included the beds and mattresses, linen and luxurious chairs – all we had to take was food and clothes (easy camping) – it’s five star!

For a night glamping we paid $135 – you can get unpowered camping sites without all the luxuries for $85 (this includes tent, bed and chairs) and to pitch your own tent costs $45 Sunday.

The walks around the island are excellent, well signposted and safe, with amazing views. Lots of interesting bits and pieces to checkout. There are also old houses (that I would recommend hiring if you do want to camp) being renovated into guest accommodation, and these have very picturesque views. The island reminded me a little of Alcatraz (just got back from there recently) – it is a little eerie that evokes a sense of times gone by.

The island features many of the industrial machines that are strategically place turning the island into an industrial sculpture mecca.

No alcohol can be brought onto the island, which means a steep $7 beer price at the café or $25 for a bottle of Merlot (let’s face it we pay much more in a bar for a lesser quality wine). We spent a lovely evening chatting and watching life go by us on the water – perfect!

All in all it’s a well worth a visit and I’d highly recommend exploring the island and to go glamping.