What to do this Valentine’s Day

Heart Reef in The Whitsundays

Got your sights set on a big romantic gesture? Like, say, a highly literal (and Instagram-friendly) visual cue? Take your love to the skies in a seaplane adventure over The Whitsundays’ sandy shores and heart-shaped coral reef. tourismwhitsundays.com.au

Embla

For booze and grilled snacks in a moody interior, this fresh-faced Melbourne wine bar from the guys that brought us The Town Mouse has everything you need to score a second date. embla.com.au

Sky Zone

It’s time to limber up in your active wear at Sky Zone, the first indoor trampoline park to hit Australia. Inside you’ll find more than 100 interconnected trampolines which will have you and your Valentine throwing caution to the wind. skyzone.com.au

Paddleboarding

Save dress-ups for dinnertime. This year Valentine’s Day lands on a Sunday so why not reach for your cossie and hit the beach? Paddleboarding is quick to pick up, plus you’ll get a great view of the coast (and your partner in crime, ahem). supb.com.au

Milkwood course

Got a budding interest in permaculture? Curious about beekeeping? Learn a new skill in good company with one of Milkwood’s courses in growing, designing and building. milkwood.net

Adelaide’s Cellar Door Festival

Local vintners, brewers, cheese-makers and chefs unite for Adelaide’s annual cellar door festival. This year’s line-up includes an afternoon “wine down” with Aria sommelier Matt Dunne and a supreme cheese experience. Tickets from $25, 26-28 February, cellardoorfestival.com

March Into Merivale

Pick your poison. Merivale’s annual food and wine festival kicks off on Valentine’s Day ahead of five Fridays of “Guilty Pleasures” parties in Sydney. Opt for a “chocsessive” lesson with GT contributor Lorraine Godsmark or a Chandon mystery dinner for two. 14 February to 20 March, for the full line-up see merivale.com.au

National Portrait Gallery Crimes of Passion tour

Calling all fans of fatal attraction. Immerse yourself in the dark side of love with the Crimes of Passion tour of the National Portrait Gallery, a curated twist on the Sideshow Alley: Infamy, the macabre and the portrait exhibition. portrait.gov.au

The Old Clare

Forget the trail of rose petals, Chippendale’s newly transformed Old Clare is spicing up this Valentine’s Day weekend with its Valentine’s package. Besides the rooftop pool and some of the best bites in town, it has everything you need for an inner-city escape: a complimentary barber service so you can look your finest, and an in-house sexologist offering private sessions. Packages from $819, 12-14 February, theoldclarehotel.com.au

Life art class

Learn to contour and tone the human figure from an artist’s perspective. You and your Valentine can tap into your creative sides at an intimate life-drawing class. the-art-room.com.au

Spa retreat at Como Perth

It’s time to get down-and-dirty with an invigorating pumice and volcanic clay body exfoliation, or an emu-apple facial. The Shambhala day spa in the first Australian Como will help you obtain a radiant glow. Prices vary, comohotels.com

A bucket at Belle’s Hot Chicken

Here’s plan B for all the hopefuls that failed to nab those golden tickets to Noma Australia. Next-best and, for Sydneysiders, next-door, is Belle’s Hot Chicken. A bucket of “really hot” fried chicken will bring serious sizzle to your evening, whatever else happens. belleshotchicken.com

MakerSpace & Company class

Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore made the pottery wheel look damn sexy in Ghost, and now it’s your turn. The newly opened MakerSpace & Company in Sydney’s Marrickville has its own ceramics studio and workshop, and offers a host of beginner’s classes in everything from floristry and leatherwork, to metal, welding and yes – ceramics. For the full program see makerspace.org.au

Flour and Stone

Heading for a picnic on Sunday? If you’re in Sydney, do your sweet shopping on Saturday when Flour and Stone bakery pops up northside at Williams-Sonoma in Chatswood. What’s more romantic than Nadine Ingram’s colourful iced gingerbread? Her panna cotta-soaked lamingtons dusted with toasted coconut flakes, that’s what. Flour and Stone Valentine’s Day pop-up, Saturday 13 February, 10am-2pm, Williams-Sonoma, 345 Victoria Ave, Chatswood, NSW.