The Most Romantic Place in Australia?

The Most Romantic Place in Australia?

It was my girlfriend’s first helicopter ride. She’s my fiancé now, so the helicopter must’ve been really impressive. We flew out of Townsville on the Queensland coast, over Magnetic Island, the Aboriginal-only Palm Island, and about two-dozen other’s I’d be happy to call home. But, as soon as Orpheus Island came into view … I felt that certain ripple that breeds romance without trying. And, let’s be honest. Arriving almost anywhere by helicopter makes an impression.

But the arrival was only the first light caress of romance. The resort sits on a quiet beach and even though resort was full, it felt like we had the island to ourselves. And, whatever they put in the breeze at Orpheus has an immediate impact on stress, eliminating it immediately.  We checked into our one bedroom villa on the beach, complete with private outdoor shower, then quickly headed up the hill for afternoon tea with a view meant to melt the knees. We could see whales passing in the distance, manta rays sweeping past just under the surface and in the distance, the hills of the mainland dusted in the orange and yellow and purple’s of the sunset.

Then came a series of coup de grace moves. Candlelight dinner at the end of the dock — the warm-cool breeze swirling around us like touches of silk. Firelight from the torches and the fierceness of the stars in the night sky. Although dinner, fresh caught local seafood, was mouthwatering, the setting was so exquisite that they could have served burritos and beer, and my heart would not have swelled any less. My love, across the table from me, had a light in her eyes and I didn’t want the moment to end.

The next day, we grabbed a tinny, a small boat to head off for a private beach picnic. Along the way, two mantas circled our boat like graceful angels. The picnic picked up where the dinner left off. The beach, perfectly framed with granite rocks, felt like we were at the far edge of the world. After a day playing out a real life Blue Lagoon moment, neither of us wanted the world to change.

I’ve been all around Australia and this land of endless adventure has always fired my imagination and curiosity, but Orpheus made me feel expansive. And, few places in the world have so effortlessly wrapped me in romance and nature and swept me away fully. The overused term travel writers employ, “pure magic,” does not even begin to capture the experience.

My digs: Orpheus.com.au.

Helicopter service: Nautilus Aviation, nautilusaviation.com.au