NSW women want an Emerald escape for Valentine’s Day
Want to get lucky this Valentine’s weekend? This data revealing NSW’s romantic hot spots — plus frank advice on what the state’s women really want — could be just what you need.
Relationships
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Fellas, listen up. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but NSW women say the best gift to woo them with this Valentine’s Day is the Emerald City itself — and your undivided attention.
A weekend away in Sydney came out top in a survey of romantic destinations and activities, beating interstate locations like the Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef and Great Ocean Road.
The finding comes as relationships experts urge couples to ditch cliched gestures and distractions, especially phones and social media, to focus on making their other half No1 — this week and beyond.
Matt Garrett of Relationships Australia said while overnight or day trips are a great way to reconnect, it doesn’t have to be about splashing buckets of cash to impress your lady.
“In some ways the whole going out to dinner, the red roses, the box of chocolates has become a bit passe and really commercialised,” he said.
“The challenge is to do something a bit different. Our women say to us ‘I don’t want chocolates, I don’t want flowers, I don’t want fancy jewellery, I just want to spend more time together’.
“It doesn’t have to be bells and whistles, it has to be authentic and come from the heart.”
The trend towards time over things is backed by experience and gifts company Red Balloon, who told News Corp Australia there has been a large shift towards customers buying activities — from outings to high-adrenaline sports — to share rather than traditional physical presents.
Women are the key purchasers of experiences for Valentine’s Day, said the head of consumer marketing Matt Gudge, driving 65 per cent of transactions from February 1-14 last year.
Activities including horse-riding, glamping, ballooning and wine-tasting feature among the top loving activities in research by romance publishing house Mills & Boon of almost 1,000 female fans.
The survey showed that while women in NSW view Sydney as their top destination, those interstate put the Blue Mountains, Byron Bay and Hunter Valley ahead of it.
Mr Garrett encouraged couples to get into Valentine’s Day but said they need to “press repeat” throughout the year, warning that couples often intend to spend time together and talk the talk “but it falls out of their mind — then the other feels neglected”.
TOP TIPS TO RECONNECT
By Matt Garrett, Relationships Australia
– Ditch social media and your devices
– Go somewhere without family, friends or kids
– Look into each other’s eyes, even if you don’t say anything
– Don’t be complacent
– Press repeat through the year
HOT IN THE CITY
Read an exclusive Mills & Boon short story set in Sydney.
SPECIAL OFFER
To help readers reignite the flame, Mills & Boon are offering the chance to win a romantic escape package at the Fairmont Resort & Spa Blue Mountains, MGallery by Sofitel and Novotel Sydney Darling Square.
Enter at www.romance.com.au/contest/valentines2020 Terms and conditions apply
Originally published as NSW women want an Emerald escape for Valentine’s Day
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