Valentine's Day Australia

Glamp In The Middle Of The City.

You’ll be bragging about this all year. Sleeping in a bell tent on a roof in the middle of the CBD with all the sounds of the city around you and none of the usual schlepping involved with camping. St Jerome's Hotel has 21 heated luxe tents with double beds, robes, and 360 views of the city for breakfast. Plus it’s stretched over the rooftop of a gigantic shopping mall so you can lower your partner’s expectations dramatically by walking them through the food hall, then voilà, catch the lift up and step into a world of glamp. Once you claim your stylish tent as home for the night, head to the rooftop bar to hang out with everyone else feeling superior about nailing Valentine’s Day.

Write A Message On The V Wall.

OK, so 500 people have got here before you, but writing a message on one of the rocks along this legendary outdoor gallery in Nambucca means you might not only surprise your partner but cheer up a total stranger 500 days from now. You know, two birds one stone. Graffiti artists and anyone else with something to say have been leaving whimsical words, memories, poems, comments and cartoons on these rocks for years. And if you don’t have anyone to write a message for, write one for yourself then take a selfie.

Take a Flight Over A Real Heart.

This is a lot more expensive than chocolates, but it’s a once in a lifer this flight. The Heart Reef was discovered in 1975 by one of Air Whitsunday’s pilots and now it features on postcards all over the world. In fact you can probably buy ten different Valentine’s Day cards with the heart reef on it, but the real thing is better. Mother Nature, not known for her romance, created this natural coral heart all by herself and it has been the site of many a proposal and declaration of love ever since. Pilots have even been known to help out by hovering over the romantic icon, with a little bribery. Probably a box of chocolates would do.

Have Dinner With 50,000 Lights At Uluru.

Everyone knows soft lighting is romantic. But soft lighting on an epic scale, staring at one of the ancient wonders of the world? Shakespeare would be impressed. Bruce Munro’s 'Field of Light' should be called ‘Seven Fields of Lights’ as the celebrated artist has installed 50,000 spindles of light which cover more than seven football fields. It’s a fantasy garden with swaying ochre, violet, blue and white lights that will turn the hardest of hearts to mush. You can either go low school and pack your own picnic or take it up a few notches and book in for a three course buffet feast with the ‘Sounds of Silence, A Night at Field of Light’ tour (try whispering that quickly to your lover).

Take a Camel Ride At Sunset.

Riding a camel up to the Sphinx in Egypt would really be romantic and momentous. But who can do that on a whim? How about riding a camel along the beach at sunset (ten points for a romantic west coast sunset) on a camel (another ten points because who gets to normally sit on top of a camel in a wee basket) and spotting ancient dinosaur footprints if it’s low tide (bonus points for non cheesiness plus local knowledge) and then finishing up with champagne on the beach (that you popped into an esky earlier).

Go For A Spin Around A Chateau Ballroom.

Wine and dates go together like credit cards and shopping. So a date in a Chateau is seriously next level. Smack in the centre of the Barossa Valley, Chateau Tanunda rules over the countryside like a grand dame. After some great wine tasting, like the Greenrock Shiraz or The Old Cooperage Malbec, take a stroll around the sunken gardens, crack into croquet on the lawn, or check out the beautifully restored ballroom. If whisking your partner around an 18th Century ballroom isn’t romantic enough then we can’t help you.