In the luxury 2-bedroom safari tents at Budgalong Lodge, near Wellington, NSW, the views are superb and the pace is slow.
Story + Photos Ken Eastwood
At Budgalong Lodge, you don’t even have to leave the soft and warm confines of the king bed to enjoy the painted spectacle of the sunrise. With floor-to-ceiling windows facing due east, the luxury Mountview safari tent is positioned like a throne on a 620m high summit, with commanding 180-degree views.
Over distant pointed peaks such as Coolah Tops, the sky morphs through pinks and oranges, gradually picking out wisps of mist hanging low in the valleys, and patches of dark green crops – wheat and canola – among the rolling paddocks. Through the tent’s thick canvas walls, the bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle can be faintly heard.
Even though the morning is crisp, you’ll no doubt ‘force’ yourself out onto the increasingly sunny verandah – with a coffee made from fresh grounds, or a delightful locally made tea – where the view opens up further, with abundant eastern grey kangaroos, red-necked wallabies, red-rumped parrots and apostlebirds in the foreground, and glimpses through the trees of other peaks to the north, such as the Warrumbungles. Take a slab of fresh, locally made sourdough and lather it with a golden and fruity honey produced by the bees that are 15 minutes’ walk away. Hours may pass with you doing very little at all. And, in this Arcadia, that’s sort of the point.
Opened in 2024, Budgalong Lodge is set on a working sheep, cattle and cropping property at Spicers Creek, NSW, near Wellington. Positioned high on the Dividing Range and over 3km from the nearest road, the two grand safari tents – each with solar power, a full kitchen, two bedrooms and two ensuite bathrooms – are set up for families to switch off and let go, just soaking up the quietness, the views and good quality local food and wine.
This story excerpt is from issue #164
Outback Magazine: Dec/Jan 2026
