Overview
Dates can certainly be taken up a notch if you pull a few notes from your piggy bank and put some thought into planning. Fortune, after all, favours a prepared mind. From stargazing in a private inflatable bubble to spending the afternoon wrapped in warm Dead Sea mud — there are myriad ways you can elevate your date and make it extra special. Unfortunately, money doesn't grow on trees, so it's important to be mindful when splashing that cash and to spend wisely. The good news is, you can treat your special someone to a top-notch night out and still keep that piggy bank nice and fat.
To help bring those dream date ideas to fruition, we've pulled together some epic money-can-buy date experiences, while our mates at CommBank have the money tips to help you live money smart when dating or coupled up.
Celebrate more big (or little) life moments together. Learn to budget as a couple and save for those special dates with these helpful tips from CommBank.
Nikki To.
CREATE YOUR OWN GIN AT ARCHIE ROSE
Heading out for a drink is always a great date idea, but why not go one better and make the tipple yourself at an Archie Rose Blend Your Own Gin class. Held onsite at the Rosebery distillery, the session starts with a signature dry G&T followed by an introduction to the juniper-spiked spirit and a rundown of how they make it at Archie Rose. You'll then get the opportunity to blend two gins yourself (200ml each) using a selection of botanical distillates, with options like rose petals, local honey, fresh pear, native blood lime, river mint and more. Classes run every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at $115 per person.
SPLASH OUT ON A DINNER AT THE AQUARIUM
The aquarium is a pretty romantic spot in itself, presenting you with the chance to recreate your best Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet moment. Add in the option of a private dinner among the fish, and you have yourself a pretty hard date to beat. The experience kicks off with a self-guided tour of the aquarium after all the school kids have shuffled on, followed by dinner for two with unlimited drinks served on crisp white linen. And for scenery? Enjoy playful dugongs, vibrant clownfish and blue tang, circling sharks and smiling stingray. The menu includes a main each and dessert platter to share, with options like the pasture-fed Cape Byron scotch fillet with cafe de paris butter, Borrowdale crumbed pork cutlet and a blue swimmer crab linguine (not from the tanks). The experience is priced at $550 per couple.
TRY THE WHITE CORAL AT QUAY
Nothing builds trust in a relationship quite like sharing a dessert, balancing scoops and bites to ensure everything is equal. While many Sydney dates conclude with a cup of Messina's salted caramel gelato (each — no splitting here), if you're looking to step it up a notch, you can't get any more impressive than the new White Coral dessert at Quay. Sculpted in the shape of a porous sea sponge, the jaw-dropping dessert is made from white chocolate ganache that's been aerated under vacuum then snap frozen with liquid nitrogen. Crack open its shell to reveal refreshing feijoa ice cream and a soft, luscious coconut cream. To get to the dessert, you'll need to plough through nine other courses first — so by the time you get there, you won't mind sharing — which brings the bill up to $550 per couple, without drinks.
SPEND THE DAY AT SOL SPA
Replace your daggy dressing gowns with plush white robes for a full day of pampering at the new Sol Spa Vaucluse. Draped in millennial pink with white cane daybeds, lush potted figs and a whiff of lemongrass in the air, the elegant Sol Spa promises a date that won't leave you knackered by the end of it, in fact, quite the contrary. Surrender yourself to warm, oiled hands for five hours of pummelling, polishing and primping. As part of the Ultimate Sol Spa Signature Package, you'll enjoy a Himalayan salt scrub, warm Dead Sea mud treatment, nourishing body souffle cream, an organic facial and a hand and foot treatment. By the end of it, you and your love will definitely be feeling the warm and fuzzies.
STARGAZE FROM YOUR OWN PRIVATE BUBBLETENT
Nestled within world-heritage listed wilderness, this inflatable bubbletent takes your bedroom ceiling and replaces it with a starry night sky. Not your usual A-frame camping experience, here, you'll be able to lie down on a plush queen-size bed and marvel at the magnificent sandstone cliffs and chasms below in Capertee Valley, the world's second largest canyon. The bubbletent comes with a host of romantic features, including a telescope for comet spotting, a swing, fire pit and outdoor wood-fired bath, with cheese and wine included. Choose from one of three tents, with prices ranging from $340 to $660 per night.
Top image: Nikki To.