Axe-throwing set to sharpen up Valentine's Day

9:06 am today

From couples' axe-throwing to an R-rated zoo exhibition, Aucklanders are finding romance in some strange places this Valentine's Day.

While some couples planned to stick with flowers and dinner dates, others were being seduced by less conventional activities.

Annie Dundas from Auckland Council's Cultural and Economic Agency, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, said event organisers were getting more adventurous.

"Some of our industry and tourism sector have become quite inventive," she said.

"So, 'Love at First Throw,' the Valentine's Day axe-throwing ticket gets two of you to sling some axes. I'm particularly keen on, of course, watching the Princess Bride [movie] down at Silo Park, a free event put on by Auckland Council."

Another event was Auckland Zoo's 'Valentine's Late.'

Experience manager Zoe Firth said it would be an evening for grown-ups, punctuated by food, music and talks on animal lovemaking.

"It's an adult-only R18 event, so it's a great child-free night out, some live music playing, so we've got a string quartet and we've got lots of keeper talks on," she said.

"They're going to be a bit different too, so they're going to focus on the weird and wonderful world of animal culture, so a bit of a R18 keeper talk, which will be great."

A giant tortoise (Chelonoidis elephantopus), in the Galapagos Islands.

The mating habits of the Galapagos tortoise will be centre stage at one event. Photo: AFP/ Andrey Gudkov

Reptile keeper Don McFarlane was eager to share some wild facts about one of his favourites, the Galapagos tortoise.

"There is some nibbling of the legs by the male to the female to let her know of his intentions," he explained.

"There is some anecdotal evidence, and bearing in mind that we're still discovering this stuff all the time in the wild, there is some evidence that she will lift her hindquarters to receive the male."

It may not fit human standards of romance, but he said the reptiles had their own approach to love.

"The female stores sperm for up to seven years, so you wonder who the dad was," McFarlane said.

"Of course, in a zoo setting, we know who that is, but with hundreds of tortoises in some of the islands of the Galapagos, who was the dad when you can store the sperm for seven years?"

Whether that signature zoo smell would ruin the vibe, Firth said it was a matter of taste.

"It might hamper or add to...Depending what people are into," she said.

Dundas was thrilled to see operators try something new.

"It's pretty traditional to go and have a lovely meal out with your partner, but maybe it's fish and chips on Mission Bay Beach, or maybe it's throwing your partner off the Sky Tower, or the Auckland Harbour Bridge, as a bit of fun," she said.

"So I think people are, you know, their tastes vary."

Couple sharing a meal and a glass of wine.

Photo: 123rf

Wining and dining

For restaurants, Valentine's Day was an opportunity to court some big spenders.

Restaurant Association President and restaurateur Mike Egan said the industry was ready for the big day.

"The biggest problem is for restaurants, they don't have enough tables of two to seat everyone, yeah, which is a good problem to have," he said.

"They'll reconfigure tables and if they've got like a really big long table, they'll put two at one end and two at the other."

He had seen his fair share of awkward dates, and urged couples to give each other plenty of attention.

"It can be quite awkward. The most disappointing thing is when you see the Valentine's couple and then they're just both on the phone for the whole date," he said.

"It's sort of like, really? Sometimes you do see that and you sort of think, are they just ticking a box? 'I've got to take him or her out to Valentine's Day,' but they're not really in the moment."

Whether it was an adventurous day out or a quiet night in, Aucklanders searching for a memorable date had plenty to choose from.

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