Queensland women want the best of our state for Valentine’s Day

Want to get lucky this Valentine’s weekend? This data revealing Queensland’s romantic hot spots — plus frank advice on what the state’s women really want — could be just what you need.

• Queensland summer lovin’: a short story

Fellas, listen up. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but Queensland women say the best gifts to woo them with this Valentine’s weekend are white sand, red dirt — and your undivided attention.

An overnight escape at the beach or in the Outback came out top of all romantic destinations and activities in a survey, with Queenslanders overwhelmingly picking to stay in the Sunshine State.

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 — both next week and beyond.

Fellas ... just don’t be lame.

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.

Looking for love ... can you spot it from up there?

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 women in Qld view the Whitsundays, the Outback and the Great Barrier Reef as their dream destinations; while online travel company Booking.com said Queenslanders travelling domestically for the past two Valentine’s weekends have specifically favoured Cairns, Townsville, the Gold Coast and Toowoomba.

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

Wear your heart on your sleeve ... or somewhere else visible.

ISLAND LOVE

Read an exclusive Mills & Boon short story set in the Whitsundays.

SPECIAL OFFER

To help readers reignite the flame, Mills & Boon are offering the chance to win romantic escape packages interstate 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