Pop the question: the best places to propose in Queensland

Take your relationship to new heights by asking your other half to spend the rest of their life with you atop Brisbane’s most famous bridge. From 80m high, it won’t just be the ring sparkling, but the River City, during the sunset bridge walk. The team at Story Bridge Adventure Climb have experience in crafting the perfect proposal and will ensure you’re the last couple to climb the bridge, so you have total privacy (bar a professional photographer) to pop the question. Just you and Brisbane as your witness.

For picture perfect views to pop the question: hot air balloon

If you’re both early risers, start the day on the right note with a hot air balloon ride proposal. Join one of Queensland’s hot air balloon companies which bring the romance and serenity, so you can focus on getting those four important words out of your mouth - “will you marry me?”. Glide over Mareeba with Hot Air Balloon Cairns, the Brisbane Hinterland with Hot Air Balloon Brisbane or Gold Coast Hinterland with Hot Air Balloon Gold Coast at daybreak, with each operator offering private basket experiences for serious romance factor. With your feet back on dry land and the ring planted firmly on their finger, you’ll have even more reason to toast the champagne and gourmet breakfast that awaits you.

For a proposal set in a luxury outback setting: Gilberton Outback Retreat 

If you’re looking to combine five-star accommodation while sleeping under a million stars, take your proposal plans inland to Gilbertson Outback Retreat. It’ll just be you and your loved one sharing the 88,000 acre cattle station, along with the seventh generation French-family who run it. To muscle up the courage to pop the question, spend your days exploring the station with four-wheel driving, mustering with the French-family, fossicking for gold, or kicking back and relaxing from your private deck. With no phones, TV or internet access, there will be no notifications to distract you from the question and answer ahead – YES!

For a proposal in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef: Cruise Whitsundays 

How many people can say they’ve been proposed to in an underwater floating hotel? Only a handful it turns out since Reef Suite, in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef is Australia’s first underwater accommodation. Getting there is as easy as a helicopter ride to Hardy Reef (over the ever-romantic Heart Reef) or on-board Cruise Whitsunday’s high-speed vessel. Your adventure begins from the minute you touch down on the floating pontoon with snorkelling, diving and swimming on the day’s agenda. After Cruise Whitsunday’s day visitors depart mid-afternoon, you’ll have Hardy Reef all to yourself along with the other Reef Suite guests. After a few glasses of liquid courage to accompany sunset, you’ll be ready to ask the question during the romantic starlit long-table experience on the pontoon’s upper deck.

For a proposal backed by the sounds of a running waterfall: Wallaman Falls

If your idea of romance involves a scenic drive, secluded hike and Queensland’s most iconic waterfall, it’s time you took your loved one to marvel at the tallest single drop fall in Australia, Wallaman Falls. The scenic drive from Ingham sets the scene for your day out, as you wind your way into the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area where you’ll find this thunderous waterfall. Sure you could propose at the top, but the journey is all part of this proposal’s adventure which is why we’d suggest taking the 3.2km trail to see Wallaman Falls from the bottom up – all 268m of it. An ambient moment awaits as you bring out a little box surrounded by waterfall mist.

For a proposal over a long lunch: Rick Shores

With just shy of 7000km of coastline in Queensland, there’s no shortage of places to chew with a view. But if you’re looking for a lunch spot with food as good as the view looks, book a table at Rick Shores on the Gold Coast. Its pan-Asian cuisine is what causes this waterfront hot spot to book out months in advance, with its Moreton Bay Bug Rolls earning their place as the signature dish on the menu. It’s not just us who think it, Rick Shore’s chefs teeter under all their award hats (Good Food Guide, Australian Wine List of the Year and AGFG Hat in 2019 alone), so you won’t be disappointed with the menu. Pop the question between courses, perhaps after the slow cooked beef cheek rendang but before the roasted rice pavlova? Round off the resounding yes response with a long stroll along Burleigh Beach.   

For a proposal with a photo opportunity in mind: flowering fields 

There’s always something blooming in Southern Queensland Country, so if you’re thinking of getting down on one knee in a field of flowers, you’ll need to allow 90 minutes’ drive-time from Brisbane to find your perfect floral display. Time your visit for January to March for sunflower season where the region turns into a sea of yellow, but don’t fret, in winter you’ve got Queensland’s answer to snow season as the regions of the Western Downs and Goondiwindi turn into white cotton snow. In between, it’s really a matter of choosing what colour of the rainbow you’d like in your photos – golden wheat, orange sorghum or purple lavender perhaps?

For a proposal to take their breath away (in more ways than one): Mount Mitchell 

There’s no shortage of bushwalking trails in south-east Queensland, but it pays to have a wet weather contingency plan, which is why we like Mount Mitchell so much. You’ll hike one side of Cunningham’s Gap, part of the Main Range National Park, one of the five national parks that make up the Gondwana World Heritage-listed site. Your reward for climbing to an elevation of 1162m are views over the Fassifern and Millar Vale Creek valleys and a clear panorama, which points to how the Scenic Rim earnt its name with mounts Maroon, Lindesay, Barney and Ballow all in sight. Of course, if it’s raining, this track should be avoided because of its sheer cliff edges, but don’t worry, we have a contingency plan - Spicers Peak Lodge. After seeing Spicers Peak Lodge, we won’t blame you if you decide to skip the hike altogether.

For a proposal inspired by the miracle of life: Mon Repos

Nothing gets the oxytocin pumping quite like watching the miracle of life, which is why loved-up couples should consider a Mon Repos proposal. What makes Mon Repos so special is the fact, six of the seven species of marine turtles found in the whole world concentrate here each summer, with two distinct seasons – one for nesting and one for hatching. After witnessing the miracle of life as marine turtles, despite the odds, return to the very place they were born to birth a clutch of their own. It’s the perfect setting to start planning your next relationship steps asking your loved one to tie the knot. Is it romantic? Turtley.

For a proposal off the beaten track: Cape York

What do you say to a proposal on the peninsula? The Cape York peninsula that is. Join the other 50,000 people each year who make the journey to the top of Australia and reward your 1027km drive from Cairns with a question and answer you won’t ever forget. Get up early to walk the rocky outcrop towards the Cape York sign for a photo opportunity that’s about to be all the more special when you drop to one knee. Just as a proposal requires serious planning, so does this trip to the tip. Get yourself accustomed to what to expect before you go with this guide. You’ll just need to add the ring to your list of packing essentials.

For a private island proposal: Pumpkin Island

While there’s no shortage of luxury island resorts you can pop the question, there’s only a handful you can rent yourself to guarantee you’ll be the only two love birds on the island. For secluded bare-foot luxury, book out Pumpkin Island, the eco-island bobbing off the coast of Yeppoon on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Propose with the peace of mind knowing you’re leaving only footprints in the sand of this island which is powered only by the wind and the sun, earning its title “Australia’s most sustainable hotel” (2018). Between wildlife watching, snorkelling the fringing reef or beach combing, there’s plenty of opportunity to pop the question between popping the bubbly to accompany sundown.