is in the air Love

LOVE LANGUAGE: Quality time

Is there anything better than a day by the pool with your loved ones, followed by a spa treatment? If this is your love language, then the Oaks Port Douglas Resort ticks all the boxes. There’s a lagoon-style pool to enjoy (with a swim up bar) and an onsite spa where you can indulge in a couples retreat. If you’re travelling as a family, you can even enjoy an indulgent treatment at the same time as your child! After all that relaxation, head downstairs to one of the three onsite restaurants for a romantic dinner a deux. Rooms are large and spacious, so that couples can still find the space they need to share some romantic moments. oakshotels.com

At just 5.4 hectares in size – as big as five football fields – Wilson Island is a micro bump on the Great Barrier Reef and is just a 40-minute slow boat ride from Heron Island Resort. The island cradles nine glamping tents plus a central long house serving fresh Australian cuisine and an honesty bar. The island is so remote; every visit comes with a digital detox so that you can fully focus on each other. There’s just you, your partner, a good novel, conversations, fresh food, rest, nature and sunshine. And enough power to chill the wine. The island’s surrounding waters are home to healthy coral reefs, rainbow-coloured fish and a host of marine creatures. Quality time? Here, time stands still. wilsonisland.com/

LOVE LANGUAGE: Words of Affirmation

Nothing says ‘I appreciate you’ like a complete break from your everyday responsibilities. Sal Salis, an off-grid eco-resort in the furthermost point of the Northern Territory is ideal: you can forget all your responsibilities while uncovering your adventurous side in the great outdoors. Just a few steps from your luxurious safari tent lies Ningaloo Reef, where you can snorkel with creatures of the deep or head to the outback to discover the sweeping plains. All experiences are designed to suit your requirements. Even better, after a day of exploring you can return to your chefprepared meal under the stars, or indoors beside the library or campfire. salsalis.com.au/

LOVE LANGUAGE: Receiving gifts

If the sight of a well-wrapped gift gets your heart racing then a shopping break may be the perfect present for you. Shop till you drop with a city break with Spree with Me, a new way to connect with a local style expert for an individually curated, fashion styling experience or a private, guided shopping tour with a personal stylist. Choose from a Brisbane City, Paddington or James Street spree for some serious label love. All you need to do is select a Spree based on your preferences, such as fashion style, type of experience and price. hq.spreewithme.com/

Stuck for a Valentine’s Day gift or a present just to show you care? Book a weekend at the romantic off-grid glamping Bubble Tent in Tenterfield, Northern NSW (even the kids can stay in a tiny Bubble Tent in a tree). Savour the jaw dropping views of the Mount Mackenzie Nature Reserve and surrounding New England as you enjoy a sunset drink by the campfire, followed by a night show of shooting stars and meteor showers visible through your clear roof. mirumirububbletent.com.au

LOVE LANGUAGE: Acts of service

Feel smug and loved by choosing a break that gives back to the environment or local artists. Those who visit the Great Barrier Reef can contribute to citizen science projects through Eye on the Reef and ReefSearch to help monitor the Reef’s health. Anyone who visits or has visited the Great Barrier Reef can contribute to its long-term protection by sharing photos of their sightings. This information is collected to understand the bigger picture and helps inform how the Reef is being managed. Travellers can get involved by downloading the free Eye on the Reef app to record reef health, animal sightings or incidents. Dozens of Great Barrier Reef tourism operators contribute to the Eye on the Reef program with many offering guest to help with the research efforts during guided snorkels. gbrmpa.gov.au; reefcheckaustralia. org. Other organisations include Earth Watch, Ocean 2 Earth Volunteers, International Volunteer HQ.

A little further afield, you can give back while pampering yourself and your favourite people at one of ÀNI’s all-inclusive private resorts. Ideal for multi-generational family holidays or adult-only group vacations, they accommodate up to twenty to thirty people across ten to fifteen suites. Each resort is unimagined luxury with sweeping views of the ocean and private swimming pools. To offset any lingering guilt, guests are invited to give back to the local artists through a visit to the local art academy where they can purchase their artwork to take home. aniprivateresorts.com

LOVE LANGUAGE: Physical touch

At the Crystalbrook Byron Bay, their two-night Relax and Retreat encourages couples to lie back and nourish mind, body and soul through yoga, massage, healing treatments and infrared saunas. Choose the WellTuned Chakra Healing massage – which combines massage, essential oils and healing crystals to stimulate healing in the body and mindfulness in the head. This transcendental balancing session will realign the ‘chords’ of your seven main chakras to harmonise your body, heart and soul, with yourself and your loved one. Afterwards dine to your heart’s content in the award-winning restaurant, Forest, which offers tasty local ingredients. Nestled in 45-acres of magical subtropical rainforest, their guest suites offer privacy and luxury, overlooking the lush Byron landscape. Mother Nature never felt so good! crystalbrookcollection.com