Here’s an idea for a dream camping vacation: spend the night in a tent in the middle of Sydney Harbor. Cockatoo Island sits smack dab in the middle of Australia’s largest city about 3 miles from the world famous Sydney Harbor bridge and offers a unique camping experience you won’t get anywhere else. Imagine a campground on Ellis Island in New York City or on Alcatraz in San Francisco - how cool would that be? Read travel writer Tom Adair’s report on his recent camping trip to Cockatoo.

Cockatoo Island, like Alcatraz, once hosted a prison and over the years has housed a girl’s reform school and a shipyard, among other things. These days you can take the ferry (less than $5 US per person) and pitch your tent for around $30 US per night. If you don’t feel like lugging you tent halfway around the world, you can rent a tent for an extra $20 US a night or so. There are even grills for rent and meat available for purchase so you can enjoy your shrimp on the barbie during your camping trip.

Camping on Cockatoo Island isn’t exactly a trip into the Outback (the interior of Australia - not the restaurant). The Island boasts restrooms and even a café on site - now that’s what I call roughing it in style!

Reservations for Cockatoo Island campsites can be made up to 6 months in advance - see the official website for more details.