Guide to romantic getaways in Australia

By Natasha Dragun

When it comes to love, Australia doesn’t miss a heartbeat. You’ll find every special-occasion experience imaginable on offer, from picnics under the stars to couples’ spa treatments to bathtubs built for two. And there are plenty of dreamy wedding and honeymoon destinations for those looking to mark their big day in style. Whatever the scale of your occasion, here’s how to dial up the romance.

Share a romantic meal

World-class produce, faultless service and scene-stealing settings – these are just some of the ingredients that make Australia’s dining scene so appetising. Countless special-occasion eateries can be found across the country, from Sydney’s Quay, serving note-perfect modern-Australian fare overlooking the Sydney Opera House, to Melbourne’s Attica, where degustation’s are as pretty as they are tasty, with many dishes highlighting native produce. As memorable as these meals are, your romantic interlude may call for something more low-key.  Think a picnic for two surrounded by grapevines, dinner under the stars on a remote ridge only accessible by helicopter, or lunch on a secluded stretch of beach, where your champagne is the same colour as the sand.

Enjoy a couple’s spa treatment

There’s nothing quite as indulgent as spending a few blissful hours being pampered next to your partner. At The Darling Spa in Sydney, you’ll find treatment suites designed just for couples – you can follow your steam and sauna session with a three-hour body and face ritual based on Aboriginal healing traditions. 

In Melbourne, luxe day spa Miss Fox also has a suite designed for two. Therapies here use organic products infused with the likes of coconut and rose, with a side of chakra balancing and crystal therapy.

If you’re in Queensland, the Lost World Spa at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland (just over a two-hour drive from Brisbane) features a couple’s suite overlooking UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest. Inside your luxe cocoon there’s a deep wooden tub, the focus of a five-hour vinotherapy ritual. 

Over in Western Australia, at Perth’s Bodhi J organic day spa you can lie next to your love while enjoying an aromatherapy massage, followed by a long shared soak in a petal-filled bath.

Ease into a bathtub for two

Few activities are more romantic than having a soak with that special someone, all while soaking up a sublime view. From city hotels to remote retreats, you’ll find tubs with the most beautiful views  across the nation. Perhaps top of the list is the wood-fire-heated tub at Bubbletent Australia, where you can sink into a steaming bath while admiring the Capertee Valley – one of the world’s widest canyons, just a three-hour drive from Sydney in New South Wales. 

At qualia resort on Hamilton Island in Queensland, you can step into your window-side tub for two and gaze across the azure waters of the Whitsundays, next to the Great Barrier Reef. 

You can also overlook the ocean from the comfort of a tub at Thalia Haven, a private retreat on Tasmania’s east coast. Here, the outdoor tubs have vistas across Great Oyster Bay in Freycinet National Park. 

And then there’s the alfresco tub at Kingsford Homestead in South Australia’s Barossa Valley – it’s hard to believe this claw-foot bath, surrounded by native bushland, is just an hour’s drive from Adelaide.

Book a suite for your sweetheart

Many of Australia’s city hotels have suites that every romance-seeking couple will want to check in to – and perhaps never leave. Case in point is the Park Hyatt Sydney, where your lodging may come with sparkling views of the Sydney Opera House or Harbour Bridge. Book the Romance Package to receive a welcome hamper of champagne and chocolates, with an indulgent breakfast and late checkout also added to your stay. 

Over in Western Australia, rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Perth can come with views across the Swan River or the buzzy Elizabeth Quay precinct. If the outlook doesn’t make you swoon, the hotel’s couples’ add-ons surely will – the Romance Experience comes replete with bubbles on arrival and an indulgent breakfast before your leisurely departure.

Bond in nature

Being in the great outdoors often boosts your mood, and you can enjoy a double dopamine hit when you head outdoors in Australia with the one you love. Get active together on one of the Great Walks of Australia, a portfolio of guided experiences across the country that unites spectacular landscapes with gourmet food and luxurious lodgings. 

Slightly less effort is involved in sleeping under the stars: for an unforgettable evening, get cosy together on the patio of your villa at Longitude 131°, in the Northern Territory, where the Milky Way casts a dazzle of glitter over the spiritual heart of the country; you’ll wake to the sun rising over Uluru. 

If you want to tick off another bucket-list sunrise together, head to the New South Wales coastal town of Byron Bay, a two-hour drive south of Brisbane. This is most easterly point in mainland Australia, and you’ll be the first couple in the country to welcome the day from your perch at the Cape Byron Lighthouse (you can stay in the Assistant Lighthouse Keepers’ Cottages). 

Over in Western Australia, you can be among the last in the land to see the day disappear when you step onto the sand at Cable Beach in Broome, a two-and-a-half-hour flight north of Perth; the sunsets here are legendary.

Propose in Australia

There’s likely to be a lot going on in your head on the day that you propose. The last thing you want to worry about is the setting. Thankfully, Australia is blessed with idyllic destinations that set a romantic scene. You may wish to choose a place that is symbolic: think popping the question in a helicopter over Heart Reef in the middle of the Whitsundays in Queensland. Or the spiritual: surrounded by the fairy-tale glow of the Field of Light installation at Uluru, in the heart of the country. 

If you want to ensure there’s a celebratory bottle of bubbles nearby, consider proposing in a wine region setting, such as a cottage or a vineyard in the Barossa Valley (South Australia), Margaret River (Western Australia), the Hunter Valley (New South Wales), or the Mornington Peninsula (Victoria). 

And if you’re after seclusion, plenty of private islands await – Makepeace Island, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and Satellite Island, in southern Tasmania, among them.

Plan an Australian wedding

It’s easy to fly in to Australia and get married, even if you aren’t a citizen or permanent resident. You must be over 18 and not already married, and you’ll need to complete some paperwork in the lead-up to your big day, including a Notice of Intended Marriage form, which you must send on to an authorised marriage celebrant at least a month in advance. In addition, you’ll want at least two guests at your celebrations, to witness your union and sign marriage certificates. Other than that, it’s just a case of choosing the wedding destination of your dreams.

Pick your perfect wedding spot

Finding dreamy wedding destinations in Australia is easy – the hard part is whittling your list down to just one location. First, start with your desired backdrop. Many choose to celebrate their special day barefoot on the sand, perhaps unsurprisingly, since more than 10,000 beaches and 8,000 islands lie at your disposal across the country. Equally memorable is the Australian outback, where surreal rock formations and blazing colours create a dramatic setting for photo shoots. Or choose tropical rainforest and waterfalls in Queensland for a celebration surrounded by nature. Alternatively, linger in one of Australia’s cities, where your wedding party can make the most of Australia’s cosmopolitan attractions.

Head out on your honeymoon

From rock to reefs and rainforest to the outback, the Luxury Lodges of Australia offer more than just a comfy place to stay – spend your honeymoon at one of these upmarket retreats and you’ll also get to experience Australia’s unique natural attractions. 

Go off-grid and snuggle into glamping tents at Sal Salis, a retreat on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Here, you can sleep amid sand dunes at night and swim with whale sharks and humpbacks during the day, less than two hours by plane from Perth. 

Or wander into the wilderness in the Blue Mountains, a rugged New South Wales landscape of cliffs, waterfalls and native forest. This is the setting for the award-winning Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley resort, a 2.5-hour drive from Sydney, where romantic escapades range from spa treatments to horseriding expeditions and champagne picnics.

Celebrate a special occasion in style

Whatever you’re celebrating – an anniversary, a proposal, a wedding or the enduring bonds of love – and whoever you’re celebrating with, Australia offers a range of venues that will be perfect for your occasion. 

In the big cities you’ll find slick bars and clubs, jazz lounges and rooftop cocktail outlets. More intimate experiences include hiring out a winery (such as Oddio in Adelaide) or a city garden (such Perth City Farm), to give your event a distinct sense of place. 

Or take over an exclusive space at one of the country’s top art museums and galleries, some of which offer after-hours tours and dining experiences. At the National Gallery of Victoria, for example, your party can sit down to dinner in a room housing one of the country’s most famous paintings, Giambattista Tiepolo’s The Banquet of Cleopatra. 

And that’s not to mention all the far-flung destination lodges, restaurants, retreats and wilderness areas that can be transformed into the setting of your dreams, with the simple addition of you and your love.