Luxury tent is heaven sent
Stop and smell the roses at a soon-to-open glamping farm stay pitched at couples
A few years ago, Lisa Spieling had an epiphany.
“I realised I married a farmer who would never retire and now we were empty nesters I needed to find something else to do,” the former florist says.
“We own a flower farm – that’s how we met. He (jokes) I was a good business decision. People always say to us we are so lucky to live like we do so I thought it was time to share that.”
After a “long, long road”, Lisa and her husband Stephen are preparing to open their 1300-acre Lockyer Valley cattle station and flower farm to guests.
They plan to unveil Valhalla Glamping in March.
The name, meaning heaven, is a nod to both Lisa’s Nordic heritage and the site’s lofty vantage, floating in the clouds overlooking the valley and Great Dividing Range.
Two luxury-laden off-grid tents – Freya and Loki – embrace the view through glass sliding doors and perfectly angled king beds.
“They sit 100m apart and don’t see each other at all – we wanted absolute privacy,” Lisa says. “You can lie in bed and look at the massive view, (it looks out over) Glen Rock Regional Park.”
From the ensuite’s recycled corrugated iron walls salvaged from a local dairy farm to her own floral installations, Lisa has filled the tents with found and foraged treasures.
“I’m a bit passionate about upcycling furniture. I think we throw too much away,” she says.
“I’ve done a huge wreath with stuff from around the farm and will swap out arrangements using the roses we grow.
“I’ve been collecting novels to fill a big old timber box. I hate when I can’t finish books I’ve started on holidays, so we will let guests take any book they start home with them.
“We’ve tried to think of all those small things that make a difference when you go and stay somewhere.”
The tents combine country comforts like a camp cookout with the features of a “five-star hotel”.
“I love the mattresses we put in the tents so much I’ve bought one for my own bed,” Lisa says.
“There’s flushing toilets, hot showers, Wi-Fi.
“We have fresh herbs we’ve planted on the veranda for cooking in the outdoor facilities, a Baby Q barbecue and gas cookers, or you can cook at the fire pit over open flame if you like your steak that way.”
Glamping guests are given generous run of the West Haldon property, which is about two and a half hours’ drive from the Gold Coast.
They can wander past paddocks of Brangus cattle, meet Wonky Donkey and top farm dog Ziggy, and stop to smell the roses, ranunculus and poppies.
“We’ve marked and signposted tracks so people can explore as far as they like,” Lisa says.
“The full walk right up to our highest point is 9.5km, but if you don’t feel like a huge walk you can stay in sight of the tent and still have the views.
“We’re just happy to finally share something we love as a family and hope other people will love it too.”
Keep an eye on Valhalla Glamping’s Instagram or Facebook for bookings to open, with a website set to launch soon at Valhalla Glamping.com.au