The setting is Swinging Gate Vineyard at Sidmouth, and the experience is Domescapes in the Vines - Tasmania's latest glamping venture.

Aimed at putting the destination at the fore of accommodation, the domes offer guests an experience like no other - close to the earth, almost completely off the grid and with panoramic views of the Tamar Valley.

Like many great ideas, Domescapes started with a few friends with shared interests, catching up over a good bottle of wine and talking about what could be.

The result was a collaboration between four "passionate minds" - creative director Boris Petrack, musical event coordinator Matt Gower, energy efficiency business owner Adam Hirst and renewable energy electrician Sam Lincoln.

After a soft opening with just one dome in August 2019 and through the challenges of COVID-19, the venture has since been relaunched. And it's proving to be quite the hit, with all three domes completely booked out until mid-May. But this is just the beginning.

With Swinging Gate the first in a series of five planned Domescapes locations across the state, The Examiner caught up with the creators, and those reaping the rewards of the innovative venture.

The geodesic six metre domes come complete with a king size bed, an ensuite (including a composting toilet and vanity) a panoramic star-gazing window and cozy decor.

They are also designed to be used year-round, with insulated walls, heating and ventilation systems engineered to withstand the toughest Tasmanian winters and the strongest summer sun.

The innovative design was inspired by similar glamping accommodation overseas, with Gower first pitching the idea to his friends after a holiday in Europe. But as Petrack explained, to establish a glamping experience in Tasmania the group knew they would need to be creative - and innovative.

"We had seen a few glamping-style tents pop up in various places. But we felt for Tassie, we really needed to be able to offer that year-round experience," he said.

"It drove us to look for more different and innovative approaches. Our domes are fully insulated, with heat pumps and the potential to be fully off-grid. The dome was a mix of an idea, which resonated really well and the finished products now have a really distinct feel to them."

With a background in thermal efficiency, Hirst played a key role in designing the domes.

After sourcing materials internationally, and with a few design tweaks along the way, he said the finished product offered an experience that was perfect for Tasmania's unique offerings.

"Tasmania has so many nice views, but at the end of the day we all go back to the square buildings we call home," he said.

"The first time I walked into one of the sample domes, it was so soft and welcoming ... I just felt so relaxed. It is something that allows you to switch off from the always switched on reality of modern life."

Similar to the concept itself, finding a suitable location for the domes developed out of an existing relationship.

Doug and Corrie Cox purchased Swinging Gate Vineyard in 2014 and have worked hard to rejuvenate the vines to their former glory after sitting dormant for about 15 years.

With the gates well and truly swinging again, the vineyard and particularly its cellar door has built a reputation for being warm and welcoming - and for offering visitors an experience beyond "just wine".

With a transformed machinery shed used as the cellar door and to host regular functions and degustation dinners, as well as an on-site day spa inviting visitors to relax the day away, Hirst said when deciding on its first site, Swinging Gate ticked all the boxes.

"There was an existing friendship there which helped, but we were really looking for places to stay and blocks of land offering something a bit special," he said.

"We thought straight away that they [Swinging Gate] connected with our philosophy and everyone was sort of winning at the end of the day.

"By working together, we have also worked with a lot of other small businesses out there in the Tamar Valley - as far as food and other bits go, to bring the whole experience together.

"That has been a key to our vision, that idea of collaboration."

It was this win-win approach that first drew Mr Cox to the idea. Fortunately, they were already familiar with the growing popularity of glamping, with guests of the nearby Wington's Glamping at Clarence Point frequently coming through their cellar door.

"We knew what they were about and we were interested in how they could be set up as a permanent site," he said.

"Once the logistics were worked out, we put in the infrastructure - the roads, water and such - and they put the dome on it.

"Now they [Domescapes Tasmania] take care of the bookings and the website and we look after the people who visit- so it's a pretty good arrangement."

And it's an arrangement that has come through the pandemic stronger then ever, with a renewed focus on intrastate travel providing a much needed boost during the off-peak tourism season. Now, with interstate borders re-opened, Hirst said the business was heading in an exciting new direction.

"It's really taken over from just an initial hobby and a fun way to catch up with our friends, to us taking it seriously as a business with a strategic plan to have a network of glamping sites around Tasmania," he said.

"If someone wanted to do a week or two travelling around Tasmania, they could literally hop from one Domescapes site to another. You might have mountain views at one, be at a vineyard, an olive grove, or on a beach near some sand dunes - you'll just have to wait and see."