Five unique and romantic couples experiences hiding just outside Sydney

An often-overlooked coastal enclave of NSW is quietly vying for the couples' holiday crown. Just an hour from Sydney, the Central Coast has emerged as a Valentine's favourite - intimate, indulgent but also relaxed and unpretentious.

Here are five unique experiences to celebrate love.

About 50 of us, mostly couples, gather at Sydney Oyster Farm Tours ($219 per person for the Immerse Yourself tour) beside a boat ramp in Brooklyn on a rainy Sunday morning.

As skippers Bob and Tom point out a white-bellied sea eagle circling overhead, we sit four abreast in bulky rubber waders and wind our way down the mighty Hawkesbury River, a waterway shaped by deep time and rich Aboriginal storytelling.

Then it appears, rising from the dark water: rows upon rows of intimate, beautifully set tables - champagne, serviettes, a bowl bulging with oysters, lemon and a homemade vinaigrette so good it's soon to launch in major supermarkets.

After a quick shucking explainer - "jiggle, twist and flick" - we get eating and drinking, ably assisted by the friendly staff. (Did you know restaurants flip oysters to make them look nicer, "not like a dog's breakfast", Braydon tells us as he whips through the shells.)

Is there anything more romantic than indulging in oysters - famed for their aphrodisiac effect - so fresh you can taste the cream, while sitting beside the very oyster farm they've been pulled from?

"Would you like to take some Chardonnay back to your room," asks Kylie as we gather our things after a long, delicious and meandering dinner at Pretty Beach House ($2650/night). "No? Well, call us anytime for anything you desire."

It's one of many signs of the above-and-beyond service at this prestige, adults-only retreat perched above the aptly named Pretty Beach, not far from Killcare (population 517 at last count), which boasts one of my favourite beaches.

Nothing is too much trouble for the deliciously over-qualified staff. Kylie is ex-GM of Quay and all three chefs boast impressive CVs. Even the deceptively simple cauliflower soup is best-you've-ever-had good, the nduja pangrattato so melt-in-your-mouth we lick the plate.

With just four sumptuous villas, and no outside guests allowed ("not even to look", says Kylie), the chefs cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for a maximum of only eight guests at any one time.

We stay in Hideaway Pavillion - intimate and cosy, with a plush bed overlooking a generous lounge and dining space that spills onto a sun deck with day beds and a private pool. Beyond it, the national park hums with birdsong, as we tell one another that this must be Australia's most luxurious and naturally perfect couples' accomodation.

The Flannel Flower walking track has everything couples want from a hike: wildlife, views, secluded nooks to stop and admire the horizon - and two beautiful, almost-always-empty beaches.

Located in Bouddi National Park near Wagstaffe, the track runs between Tallow Beach and Lobster Beach and clocks in at just under three kilometres return, winding through a towering angophora forest dotted with old-growth trees. In spring, it's carpeted with white-petalled flannel flowers, and when we visit just ahead of Valentine's Day, there are still a few holding on. Pack a picnic and settle beneath the spotted gums - one of the few remaining ecological communities of this endangered native tree - or spend the day splashing in the clear aqua water of Lobster Beach, which you're almost guaranteed to have to yourselves.

Step inside Kondou and it feels worlds away from its industrial-estate surrounds. The oversized former warehouse in unassuming Kincumber has been transformed into a deeply calming wellness space, inspired by Japanese beauty philosophies.

We're here for the Connected Ritual ($420 per couple) - a shared full-body massage and deeply hydrating facial designed to restore, relax and reconnect. The fascia sculpt facial eases blockages and boosts circulation, leaving us both a little woozy afterwards - but in the best possible way.

Lingering over herbal tea later, we agree: it's always lovely to treat yourself. It's even better to do it together.

John Singleton has been married seven times, so he likely knows a thing or two about love. He also has a famously clever instinct for design style and hospitality.

When we visit Saddles Mount White on a Tuesday afternoon, it's heaving - couples and families lingering over lunch, ducks and swans paddling across the dam below. Singleton isn't in today, but staff tell us he visits regularly and devours the apple and rhubarb crumble for "breakfast, lunch and dinner".

Head chef Jeremy Pace is passionate about paddock-to-plate dining, changing the menu every couple of weeks to suit loyal locals and passing travellers alike - many of whom find this picturesque spot the perfect pitstop on the drive north from Sydney, or south from Newcastle and the Central Coast.

The exquisitely decorated Barn opens for weekend coffees and private events, while across the road Singleton is completing a collection of 20 luxury villas, along with a spa and sauna, due to launch later this year.

The writer was a guest of Central Coast Tourism