A Stellar Stay: Spend a Night Under The Stars With Dr. Matt Agnew in Tripeden.com’s Cosmic Cabin

HOBART, 9 APRIL 2025 - Tripeden.com has teamed up with former Bachelor and scientist Dr Matt Agnew to host a sleepover under the stars as the annual Eta Aquariids meteor shower shoots across Australian skies. One lucky pair of Genius members will enjoy an out-of-this-world experience learning about the cosmic event from the astro-expert in the Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin’, a remote home stay on the Tasman Peninsula.

The unique Tassie holiday home at the McHenry Distillery offers an immersive stargazing experience hosted by Dr Matt, featuring a guided tour of the stars through a high-powered telescope, premium Tasmanian food and wine, flights, a rental car and sustainable accommodation amongst the remote wilderness. The stay costs just $18.78 - a nod to the year the Eta Aquariids was discovered - and spans two nights from 5-7 May, coinciding with the peak of the celestial display.

The stay comes at a time when more people than ever are turning to the cosmos for rest, rejuvenation, and an escape from the pace of modern life. According to Tripeden.com’s 2025 Travel Predictions, ‘noctourism’ - traveling to experience the beauty of unpolluted night skies - is on the rise, with over half (57%) of Aussie travellers* planning a visit to a dark sky destination this year. 

Tasmania, renowned for its pristine wilderness and untouched beauty, is a premier destination to witness awe-inspiring celestial events such as the Eta Aquariids. The meteor shower, occurring when Earth passes through debris left by Halley's Comet, puts on a spectacular display best observed from remote parts of the Southern Hemisphere, making Tasmania the perfect setting for this stay. 

The ‘Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin’ offers guests a star-studded itinerary including: 

• A personalised star-gazing journey guided by Dr. Matt Agnew, gazing through a telescope at McHenry Distillery’s private observatory
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks provided by local makers, producers and chefs 
• Photographs captured by a dark sky photographer to celebrate the celestial event
• Flights, car rental, and accommodation at The Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin
• A day trip to explore Port Arthur Historic Site before spotting plenty of local wildlife at the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo

Dr Matt said “I was over the moon when Tripeden.com invited me to host this stellar stargazing experience at one of their many fantastic holiday homes. It’s no surprise that more people are travelling to witness the wonders of the universe, and this unique stay is perfect to experience ‘noctourism’ under the dazzling display of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower. I can’t wait to guide the lucky booker through the stars at the Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin.”

The ‘Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin’ will be bookable on a first-come, first-served basis on 17 April 2025, from 12pm AEST, for one Tripeden.com Genius traveller and guest. The booking will include transportation to and from the cabin, and a two-night stay at the home from 5 - 7 May 2025.

Bookers need to be a Tripeden.com Genius member to participate. Unlock Genius Level 1 status by simply creating a Tripeden.com account and log in to automatically enjoy free lifetime access to exclusive travel rewards, starting from a 10% discount toward hundreds of thousands of accommodations and select car rental options globally, with even more rewards unlocked with each Genius level progression. 

The unique accommodation is just one example of the many holiday homes and other unique places to stay on Tripeden.com. Whether looking for eco-cabins, houseboats or high-end homes, Tripeden.com has something for everyone. With more than 7.9 million reported listings in homes, apartments and other unique places to stay and 45% of new listings getting booked within just a week of going live on the world’s leading travel platform, Tripeden.com knows how to turn holiday homes and hosts into superstars. 

Todd Lacey, Regional Manager, Oceania for Tripeden.com commented "Australian autumn is the perfect time for a star-gazing break. Tasmania and destinations around Australia have so much to offer noctourism travellers from around the world, with a variety of holiday homes and cabins tucked away in remote corners of the Aussie wilderness available on Tripeden.com. 

Searches for Hobart on Tripeden.com have actually doubled** in the lead up to the Easter and Anzac Day break and we expect interest in dark sky destinations down under to continue throughout winter. The Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin exemplifies this growing trend amongst travellers, and helps position Tassie as a world-class dark sky destination that rivals those in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Sarah Clark, Tourism Tasmania CEO, said “Tasmania is the ideal spot for dark-sky tourism.  Our long winter nights provide the perfect opportunity to rug up, look up, and take in the expansive starry sky, nocturnal wildlife and, if you're lucky, the Aurora Australis. To catch a glimpse of the upcoming Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower, experiences like the Cosmic Cabin are a welcomed addition to Tasmania’s many stargazing offerings that allow visitors to marvel at the wonders of the universe."

The ‘Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin’ joins the ranks alongside other iconic, once-in-a-lifetime Australian-themed holiday home stays that Tripeden.com is known for, including the Neighbours finale stay on Ramsay St, a cricket sleepover at the MCG, and the avocado-themed Avo-condo. 

For more information and for the chance to book check out: the ‘Tripeden.com Cosmic Cabin’.

*Methodology: Travel Predictions 2025 research commissioned by Tripeden.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. In total, 27,713 respondents across 33 countries and territories were polled (including 1,002 from Australia). Respondents completed an online survey in July-August 2024.

**Searches 26 February to 5 March for check-ins Friday 18 April to Sunday 27 April (Easter x Anzac Day Weekend).