A new pop-up is making waves on Sydney Harbour, and it’s bringing the heat. This floating winter lounge comes complete with crackling firepits, faux fur throws and what might just be the city’s most decadent dessert: a Biscoff fondue designed for dunking by candlelight.
Golden Hour on The Harbour is the perfect winter outing. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
Running through winter, the experience invites groups to settle into cabanas on the water, sip winter reds and graze on a menu built for chilly nights. Start with baked camembert with truffle and served with a warm baguette, then tuck into comforting dishes like slow-cooked wagyu ragu orecchiette pasta or cheese and truffle jaffles that practically beg to be eaten by firelight.
Try the cheese and truffle jaffles. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
Of course, it’s the dessert that’s getting all the buzz. The Biscoff fondue is served bubbling in a miniature pot over a tealight and comes with marshmallows, strawberries and pretzels for dipping. It’s rich, gooey and dangerously good… and yes, it’s perfect for the ’gram.
The experience runs daily until the end of September, from 5 pm to late, and is designed for groups of four to 14. A minimum spend applies, but if you’re splitting the bill between mates (and planning a birthday or winter catch-up), it’s worth every toasty, chocolate-covered bite.
The Biscoff fondue is the showstopper. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
With glowing fairy lights, cosy couches and unobstructed views of Sydney’s sparkling skyline, Après on the Harbour offers a little slice of winter magic, minus the ski gear.
Bookings are essential, and spots are filling fast. Because this is one pop-up that floats its own boat.
The baked camembert is to-die-for. (Image: Pier One Sydney Harbour)
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Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
The heavens take centre stage at this Outback NSW glamping lodge.
Crane your neck. Look up. If it’s nighttime in a major Australian city, you might see a faint dusting of stars. Now imagine yourself out in the bush. Here, those stars aren’t just scattered dots – instead, they’re smudged across the sky in endless, glittering streaks. Welcome to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit, a new glamping lodge in one of the most picturesque corners of outback NSW.
Between its eight stargazing tents, Gilay Guest Lounge, and shared tales of the Dreamtime night sky, this retreat is designed to exist in harmony with the breathtaking lake and surrounding landscape. Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know.
Watch the sky melt into magic at Wilderluxe.
Getting to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit
Wilderluxe Lake Keepit is in the NSW Northern Tablelands, bordered by the Great Dividing Range. The lake itself is hard to miss: this mammoth body of water is two-thirds the size of Sydney Harbour.
Just 40 minutes from Tamworth and close to Gunnedah, it’s on the inland route between Sydney and Byron Bay. Drive or take one of the daily flights to Tamworth’s airport.
Let vast waters and towering ranges set the scene for your escape.
Wilderluxe Lake Keepit rooms
Don’t settle for a paltry room when you can sleep directly under the cosmos. Wilderluxe offers eight domed ‘Star Tents’, all named after Aboriginal sky stories – like Djirri Djirri, the sacred messenger bird, Baiame, the Sky Father and great creator, and Dhinawan, the Emu in the Sky constellation.
On a clear night, use your tent’s retractable roof for gazing above or wander to the outdoor bathtub on your private deck to soak under the night sky. No need to go anywhere. You can stay put come evening with a kitchenette inside and a gas barbecue on the deck.
Sleep beneath the stars.
Style and character
When it comes to aesthetics, Wilderluxe Lake Keepit stays on trend. The encampment blends with its surroundings, building up layers of minimalist visuals that mirror the ever-changing curves of the water.
Earthy tones, natural materials and timber finishes also anchor the retreat in its bushland surrounds. It’s enough to deepen the sense of calm you’ll experience as you drive off-grid, and this is only heightened as you spot kangaroos grazing at dawn or hear the chatter of native birds by the lake.
Go off-grid in style at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit.
Wilderluxe Lake Keepit dining
‘Dinner and a show’ hits differently with the property’s Big Sky dinner experience. Hosted in the Gilay Lounge, enjoy complimentary drinks and a grazing table with the host, followed by a screening of Big Sky Dreaming, a film produced exclusively for Wilderluxe guests in which Kamilaroi storyteller Uncle Len Waters narrates tales of the Dreaming above.
Once your imagination has been fed, it’s time to take a seat fireside for a glass of Australian port and a serving of s’mores.
Keen to explore the wider area? Staff can provide barbecue and picnic hampers, stuffed with regional meats, cheeses and organic local fare.
Wilderluxe Lake Keepit facilities
While you could very well spend all your time in your tent, sometimes it’s time to hit pause on the celestial show. Instead, make your way up to the Gilay Guest Lounge, where you can relax on the deck overlooking the lake or the outdoor fire pits. It’s a great way to unwind and clink glasses with other stargazers.
Unwind by the fire and raise a glass at Gilay Lounge.
Wilderluxe Lake Keepit experiences
No need to turn nocturnal; when the sun rises, there are still plenty of ways to touch the sky.
Lake Keepit hosted the 2020 Women’s World Gliding Championships, and it’s one of the best places in Australia to stretch your wings. The local Soaring Club operates year-round, meaning you can book a gliding experience any day of the year – or opt for a scenic flight to take in the vast beauty from above.
Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? There are plenty of walking and cycling trails in and around the area. Luckily, bikes are part of the Wilderluxe package. All you have to do is ask a staff member for their favourite route, throw a picnic onto the back and cycle off into the great beyond.
Alternatively, nab a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or kayak and head out onto the lake. Or, if you’re feeling lucky, borrow a fishing rod and try your chances.
Paddle into peace.
The details
A two-night minimum twin-share accommodation package includes Big Sky dinner and drinks experience, plus daily continental breakfast. As well as access to leisure equipment including mountain bikes, kayaks, SUPs and fishing gear.
Let nature restore you, while luxury takes care of the rest.
