ZARA AND MIKE MAKE WAVES

Devoted couple Zara and Mike Tindall head to Australia for their winter break and enjoy romantic moments on the beach

- REBECCA RUSSELL

The Tindalls only had eyes for one another on a recent trip to Australia’s Gold Coast as they packed on the PDAs during a beach trip to Byron Bay. Following a dip in the sea and a stroll on the sand, the loved-up pair appeared in high spirits as they hugged and shared some cheeky intimate moments.

Having ditched the plunging temperatures back in Britain, Zara, 42, and Mike, 45, have been soaking up the sun while attending the Magic Millions equestrian festival. The couple, who will mark their 13th wedding anniversary in July, regularly spend the start of the year down under, something that is clearly an important part of their relationship.

“They met in Australia, and that’s just one reason why it holds such a coveted place in their hearts,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells OK! “It’s the lifestyle and the relaxed mood that appeals to them most.

“Mike has said he loves the fact that Australians don’t take themselves too seriously and enjoy a bit of banter, which is just up his street. They are very sporty, outdoor people, which matches well with the Australian way of life.”

Zara and Mike have three children, Mia, who is 10 on 17 January, Lena, five, and two-year-old Lucas, and apparently left their brood at home, a move Jennie says is another key to their marital success.

“They can’t take the children all the time because of school, so it’s also a really important break for the two of them and probably another reason why their marriage works so fantastically well,” she says.