How to spend Valentine’s Day in NZ: The country’s most romantic spots

How to spend Valentine’s Day in New Zealand: The country’s most romantic spots.

You don’t need to fly to Paris or the Greek Islands for an idyllic Valentine’s Day, writes Ewan McDonald. You may be looking for love in all the wrong places.

I’ve heard it said that Kiwi men aren’t romantic. Usually to me, and quite often at this time of year, around February 13 or 14 and, on a couple of memorable occasions, February 15.

In the face of this urban – possibly also suburban and more than likely rural – myth, it’s time to atone for the perceived sins of myself and New Zealand’s 2,598,199 other, similarly socially challenged, chaps.

As dawn rises on Valentine’s Day 2024, I have discovered that – contrary to rumour – Aotearoa is quite possibly the most romantic place on Earth. If you know where to look and put a little effort into the planning, but isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all about?

So take that bottle of Lindauer out of the fridge, arrange the service station bouquet in the jam jar, unwrap the Whittakers, and prepare to be wooed. Oops, wowed.

Islands

The cliché:

The Greek islands like Santorini, Hydra and Crete are known as destinations for romance: relax on the beach, take in the sunsets and feast on mouthwatering Greek cuisine.

The Kiwi:

Hate to be a killjoy, but have you noticed something about Valentine’s Day? It happens on February 14 every year, when the Greek islands are cold (average daily high 14C) and rainy. The Aegean can be very windy at this time of year so be prepared for stormy sailing, and the water is far too cold to swim comfortably. Fortunately, the weather is – almost literally – the polar opposite in Aotearoa, especially in and around the million hectares of sparkling blue waters dotted with emerald islands known as the Hauraki Gulf. Our playground of 50+ islands playground has wineries, volcanoes, spectacular seafood, walking and biking trails, boating and watersports – and I’ll betcha can’t see whales from the cliffs of Santorini. Dozens of options for day or longer cruises. Show us what ya got, Greece…

Aotearoa has 50+ islands in the Hauraki Gulf, offering wineries, volcanoes, seafood, and more. Photo / 123rf

Canals

The cliché:

Venice, birthplace of Casanova, drifting down dreamy canals, a gondolier crooning O Sole Mio, feeding the pigeons in St Mark’s Square, gorging on Amarena cherry gelato…

The Kiwi:

Whitianga has canals too. And plenty of water. Okay, the houses may not be quite as old as Venice’s (the 230ha Whitianga Waterways development began in the late 1990s) and there are none of those fancy stone bridges. But you could drift romantically along the waterways at dawn or dusk in a kayak and sing O Sole Mio (while keeping an eye out for cabin cruisers). And you can sit on the beach eating fish’n chips and feeding the seagulls, or licking a hokey-pokey ice cream. And the water is safe to swim in. Try doing any of those in Venice.

Whitianga has plenty of water to frolic about on, and it's clean too. Photo / 123rf

Taj Mahal

The cliché:

The enduring symbol of undying love, Shan Jahan’s white marble mausoleum in Agra, India, was built in the 17th Century to house the tomb of his beloved fifth wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

The Kiwi:

Wellingtonians of a certain age (yes, that includes me) well remember the city’s own Taj Mahal – the bizarre, domed, Indian-influenced building in Courtenay Place that housed … not a tomb, but public toilets for tram staff and passengers until 1964. Threatened with demolition, it was saved by a public outpouring of support; local poet Stephen Oliver penned The Ballad of the Taj Mahal. In 1978 it opened as a teashop and gallery and now houses The Welsh Dragon Bar. Lovers wanting to replicate Diana’s famously wistful portrait on a bench in front of the lake in front of the original Taj would probably find the best spot is the weather shelter in the middle of the pedestrian crossing outside the Embassy Theatre.

Sunrise

The cliché:

Climb Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town, and be dazzled when the sun lights up 180 degrees of the horizon just after 6am with every conceivable shade of orange, yellow and red.

The Kiwi:

Oh puh-lease! The most romantic spot on the planet is the summit of Maunga Hikurangi, the first point on the Aotearoa mainland to greet the morning sun. (Not the first place in the world since Samoa cunningly tweaked the International Dateline in 2011). You will need iwi permission to go on the mountain; to be there at daybreak, hike four hours to the hut the day before, get up at 4am to climb the last two hours to the summit by 6.20am. Dunno how you’re going to keep the bouquet of red roses fresh, but Valentine’s Day is all about commitment, right?

Sunrise at Maunga Hikurangi in Tairawhiti Gisborne. Photo / Strike Photography

Sunset

The cliché:

New York, the classic sunset from the observation deck of the Empire State Building, when the sun’s fading rays cast gentle orange tones across the Manhattan skyscrapers. This being the US of A, you’ll have to buy a ticket. Well, two.

The Kiwi:

But not in NewZild. And you’re spoiled for choice – the lakes and mountains of Wanaka from Roys Peak; the soon-to-be dark skies of Lake Tekapo / Takapō (tip: avoid the crowded beach and head to the hot springs or the church); or, appropriately, the crashing waves of driftwood-covered Sunset Point, Hokitika Beach. You will need to organise your Valentine’s evening picnic before heading to most of these places. Suggestion: drive along the Otago Peninsula to the Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head, watch the sun go down just after 9pm, then head to the beach to see the penguins come home after a long day’s fishing – and amble back to your hotel for a nightcap.

New Zealand offers stunning sunset views from various locations, including Roys Peak and Hokitika Beach.

Weddings

The cliché:

Viva Las Vegas, where a Valentine’s evening’s entertainment could include taking a gamble on the slot machines, roulette wheel, or a quickie wedding in an Elvis chapel, and dealing with the consequences of option one, two or all three in the morning.

The Kiwi:

But not in the Land of the Long White Veil. Here, we have government officials to save couples from rash decisions that may follow the rush of amour, intoxicants or hormones traditionally accompanying February 14. You must apply for a marriage licence by filling out the romantically named BDM60 (Notice of intended marriage form) online or in person. One of you needs to make a formal statement saying there is no legal reason why the two of you shouldn’t marry, that all your details are true, and that you and your partner are not too closely related, which must be signed in front of a Registrar of Marriages. You need to arrange the licence at least three working days before the wedding and it expires after three months (yes, even a WOF lasts longer). You can only have the ceremony in the place(s) you’ve put on the application. The Government does these things for your own good, you know.

City of Love

The cliché:

Paris, the City of Love™. Beautiful, historic, the classic romantic getaway, strolling along the Seine, past the nearly rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral, shake hands with Venus de Milo in the Louvre, climb Montmartre and dine on or under the Eiffel Tower.

The Kiwi:

It’s beautiful. It’s historic in its own way. It’s got waterfronts to stroll along, more than one river, a couple of cathedrals, an art gallery, a bridge, Maungawhau and Maungakiekie, 51 more hills, and a tower you can dine on or under. Which does light shows just like the Eiffel, or better. Not only that, but the locals are friendly, they won’t look down their nez at you if you don’t speak française and the waiters will actually chat with you and explain the menu. City of Love? Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) can be translated as “Princess Tāmaki, desired by many”, or “City of 100 Lovers”. Do try to keep up, Paris.

Auckland is beautiful and historic in its own way. Photo / 123rf