The perfect "camping" escape with five-star luxury in Canberra

If you love showering under the sky, immersed in the crisp country air and surrounded by a vineyard landscape and star-filled sky, Cubby & Co offers the perfect “camping” escape with five-star luxury. 

Wine lovers Erin Wilson and Daniel Discipio have owned and run Cubby & Co at Mount Majura Vineyard for three years.

Wilson worked at the vineyard during university. and says she “had the idea after travelling and seeing other wine regions in Australia and around the world where accommodation was really taking off”, then pitched the idea to Mount Majara Vineyards, “And they liked it!”

“We opted for glamping tents at the start because they were easy to set up,” she says, but their dream was to offer something that would be cosy on those chilly Canberra winter mornings but retain the flexibility and openness of camping.

The result? The Dinny cabin, a tiny home on wheels designed by the couple and built by their parents. 

“Our families have been involved throughout the lifetime of the business,” Wilson says. “We designed it in a Word document, and then we passed it along with a corresponding spreadsheet with dimensions to my dad.

“He built the frames and trusses and put it on a trailer, before sending it to my partner’s dad’s warehouse to finish.” 

As imaged, the build involved a lot of planning, considering how the space would work with such a small footprint.

Even getting it onto the vineyard required some deliberation, necessitating the moving of a fence in the process. 

“You have to think about every little element inside because you have such limited space,” Wilson says.

“It’s getting that balance between having everything you need: enough storage plus enough room for people to move and to make it comfortable.” 

The couple named the cabin after their inspiration: Dinny Killen, the original owner of the vineyards, and her shed still standing on the property.  

“The layout of our tiny house subtly references the layout divided into three separate spaces,” Wilson says.

“We wanted the entry to feel like stepping into a mudroom to reference the farm aesthetics with a spot to put your boots and your coats, and then into the kitchen to boil a cuppa.”

This homage to Dinny and farming sheds continues through the external use of Australian hardwood that will change to grey in time, akin to the surrounding vineyard posts.

Internally, the timber frame nods to the original sloping ceiling, exposed beams and interior lines, yet with a refreshing luxury and minimalist aesthetic that contrasts the rustic origins. 

With a calm, neutral colour palette inside the cabin, the subdivision of the layout provides cosy nooks to appreciate both the design and vineyard vistas.

Luxury linen from In Bed Store and Bed Threads make the bed the spot to be in, especially as it’s positioned in front of the oversized window, connecting you with the views. 

But Wilson can’t resist one other spot. “We installed the skylights, so when you’re standing in the shower, you look up into the trees and the sky, giving the feeling of showering outside.”

Again and again, Dinny reveals herself to be a levelled-up camping experience with a luxurious and cosy space in which to retreat.

This simplicity is the aim of the game – stripping back to the bare necessities. It’s the perfect antidote.  

Weekend activities:

Mount Majura Vineyard

Cubby & Co is based at Mount Majura Vineyard, making it the perfect stop for wine tastings and self-guided gumboot tours. The best thing? Home is just a five-minute walk back from the cellar door! 

The Truffle Farm

Ever done a truffle hunt and six-course degustation menu? Just around the corner from your cabin, now’s the time. You join truffle pups Dax and Dingo on the hunt, followed by an interactive cook with chef Damian Brabender. 

XO, Narrabundah 

This hatted restaurant offers a modern approach to traditional South-East Asian cuisine in Canberra’s suburbs — even better, you can have a meal delivered as part of the cabin’s Stay Local package. 

Paranormal Wines, Campbell 

On your way to your cabin, why not stop in at this uber-cool bar for a glass of minimal-intervention organic wine and a charcuterie board from LP’s Quality Meats in Sydney. Don’t forget a couple of takeaways.