Celebrating the Romance of St Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day goes back to the days of the Roman Empire when February 14 was a holiday in honour of Juno, the goddess of women and marriage. It is also the day that St Valentine was martyred in 269AD – legend holds that he left a note for the jailer’s daughter signed “From your Valentine”. Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and St Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was marked by sending poems and flowers, and there was often a social gathering or a ball.
Nowadays Valentine’s Day is a day for celebrating romance, with flowers, wining and dining, and romantic getaways the focus for showering attention on loved ones.
This year, why not do something a bit different? Wherever you are in Queensland on February 14, there are wonderful opportunities for making that special person feel loved and adored – take a leisurely cruise, go for a romantic bushwalk and have a picnic in the rainforest, take time out to smell the flowers or spend the evening star gazing. The possibilities are endless…
Start the day with Breakfast with the Birds at
Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, just 6km from the heart of
Port Douglas. Enjoy a typical Queensland tropical buffet breakfast complete with champagne, while immersed in a wetlands environment that includes the exotic sounds and colour of birds and wildlife as they wander freely among the guests.
Visit Queensland’s fabulous
Gold Coast for a day packed with things to share. Thrill at a theme park, be seduced by Australia’s largest shopping complexes or fall in love with some cute wildlife at a wildlife park. Better still, escape for the day to your very own piece of paradise on a secluded beach on
South Stradbroke Island.
Sail the day away in the
Whitsundays on a maxi with a race-winning pedigree and a professional crew – sailing, swimming, snorkelling, diving and a delicious lunch makes for a day that’s hard to beat.
Hold hands as you climb to the top of the Story Bridge.
Brisbane's Story Bridge Adventure Climb starts at Kangaroo Point and takes two and a half hours to complete. The highest points are 80m above the water, with awesome 360 degree views of the city, the river and the surrounding mountain ranges.
Pop the question in a hot air balloon high over the Lockyer Valley, then celebrate with a delicious champagne breakfast. Spend the day exploring the historic villages and sampling the produce of Queensland’s "salad bowl" region and finish off with an authentic high tea at Peppers Hidden Vale near
Grandchester.
Renew your vows in the beautiful garden settings at Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens, either in the city or at the foot of Mt Coot-tha. Both botanic gardens have tranquil areas for functions and picnics, and the Gardens Café (city) and Lakeside Café (Mt Coot-tha) are the ideal places for that intimate lunch or dinner.
Take some quality time with your partner in the
Sunshine Coast hinterland – soak up the spectacular mountain scenery bushwalking in the
Glass House Mountains National Park and relax at the markets and day spas. Have a romantic stopover at a B&B or guesthouse.
Rediscover the Romantic era with the works of the impressionists Rembrandt, Monet, Degas and Klimt at the Queensland Art Gallery at Southbank, Queensland’s cultural heart.
Spend the day in the "rainforest village" of
Kuranda. Enjoy a romantic tropical breakfast on the world famous
Kuranda Scenic Railway as it climbs past the breathtaking Barron River Falls to the top of the range. Explore the many nature-based attractions, browse for art and craft and Aboriginal artifacts at the markets, have lunch in a sidewalk café and glide home over the rainforest canopy on the
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
Go star-gazing with your lover – the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium Observatory is open until 8.15pm every day. Afterwards, drive on up to the Mt Coot-tha Lookout for dinner under the stars and gaze at the lights of Brisbane twinkling below.