General News
22 July, 2026
Glamping in a slice of paradise
A $500,000 project has allowed a local tourism operator to expand its accommodation facilities, which is now offering “glamping” through luxury tents overlooking a dam surrounded by bushland.
Mareeba Bush Stays recently launched its new Glamping Tent experience, with four specially designed spaces offering visitors a unique and comfortable camping experience.
The tents were unveiled at an official opening recently, which attracted dignitaries such as Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen, Mareeba Deputy Mayor Lenore Wyatt, and Member for Barron River Bree James.
Bush Stays owner Norm Caird said he was very pleased with the result.
“It’s turned out better than I thought, it’s quite a nice setup,” he said.
“We’ve had quite a lot of bookings already, thanks to (the opening). We’ve had over 5000 hits on the Facebook and we’ve had a lot of calls with people wanting to book, so those are very positive signs.”
Bush Stays staffer Ian Reig, also a qualified builder who had a heavy hand in the construction, said all up it took about a year to complete.
“We started about 1 May last year but we had a couple of hold ups with a couple of different things,” he said.
“Then we started again early this year – once we were able to get vehicles in here after the wet – and then it only took another couple of months after that,” he said.
Mr Caird was able to clear a bit of land around the dam that the tents now inhabit.
“I had to get permission from the council to do something on this land because it’s all zoned,” he said.
“There’s not much land on this property that you can use for commercial projects, luckily for me, I could use this area right around the dam.”
The tents are powered and plumbed, with an eco sewerage system as well. They were built with Australian-made materials and local tradies and businesses were used where possible.
Each tent has been designed with modern amenities, private outdoor spaces featuring a deck and bathtub, and stylish furnishings, allowing guests to relax while enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
The project was made possible by contributions from Mr Caird and a $200,000 grant from the Queensland Government. All in all, Mr Caird estimated the new venture cost around $500,000.
Mareeba Bush Stays is a popular destination for caravanners, RV travellers, and visitors to the region and is just minutes from the infamous rock wallabies at Granite Gorge. For more information, visit www.mareebabushstays.com.au
