Wildflowers, saunas and antiques: a local's guide to the Blue Mountains
My partner and I are both creatives. Six years ago we were living in a tiny apartment in Sydney's inner west, and I was paying extra for a studio. It wasn't sustainable so we decided to move to Katoomba, on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Gundungurra people.
I read an article recently saying something like 'skip it, it's not at its best' but Katoomba has a beautiful authenticity, even if it's not quite polished.
Our closest upper mountain towns are Leura and Blackheath. Katoomba is all old-world treasures and beautiful building facades. Blackheath has the incredible Victory Theatre Antique Centre, Gleebooks, Hat Hill Records & Audio and great rock climbing and hikes. Leura has an upscale main drag full of lifestyle and fashion stores, but it gets busy on weekends. I recommend walking the backstreets to see the cute cottages and gardens.
Our favourite place to eat is the award-winning Ates in Blackheath. It serves delicious Mediterranean-style share plates and always feels like a special night out. Much of its food is cooked in its 150-year-old wood-fired oven and there's a greenery-filled courtyard.
On weekends, Tempus Katoomba has a fine-dining menu with an incredible all-Australian drinks list. It's in the old bank and lots of historical parts remain but the interiors are fun and fresh. On weekday mornings it switches to the Tempest Up Early cafe, serving Little Marionette coffee.
We're so lucky to have Black Cockatoo bakery here. It's run by a French expat, Alexandre Rivière, and uses organic Australian flour and Pepe Saya cultured butter. Savoury or sweet, it's all delicious. It's a cool space, too, with custom ply joinery and lots of plants.
We just discovered The Laughing Elephant in Wentworth Falls. It's an Asian grocer but they make amazing banh mi and laksa at lunchtimes.
Fidelity is a new cafe run by two super-warm and welcoming guys with a deep passion for coffee. The seating spills outside with lots of dogs and friendly vibes. I drink decaf and often feel self-conscious but the baristas at Fidelity are like, 'You've got to try this decaf!' The house-made chai is great too. Cassiopeia has great coffee and baked goods too; it roasts its beans in Leura.
Lyrebird Dell walking track in Leura is magical. It's shaded and cool with waterfalls and tree ferns so it's a great in summer. You can detour down to the Pool of Siloam waterhole for a swim. It has a sandy beach and doesn't get too crowded.
Lockley Pylon is a three-hour walk (7.2km return) mostly along a ridge in north Leura. It's known for stunning wildflowers in spring, like boronia and waratah. It's very exposed, so walking on windy or super-hot days is not advised. At the end there's an incredible view over the Grose Valley.
Wentworth Falls Lake Park has a new walkway and a viewing platform along the eastern edge that's pram- and wheelchair-friendly. The area still feels wild in places but there's also a big playground, a cute jetty and ducks. People kayak and canoe here; we like to swim on the north side in the shade of the gumtrees. It's busy on weekends with people barbecuing and picnicking.
Minnehaha Falls in North Katoomba is 2.7km return with some stairs, but the waterhole at the end is a sublime swimming spot. The track follows Yosemite Creek which has loads of scribbly gums and banksia.
I love native plants but I'm also a sucker for the lilacs, tulips and maples at Everglades House and Gardens. The art deco house is a wonderful glimpse into the past and you can do Devonshire tea in the tearoom. The 12-acre garden is manicured in some parts and bushy in others and you can picnic on the lawn.
Down in the Lawson industrial area (15 minutes' drive east of Katoomba) is a quarterly experimental arts event run by SIRC_UIT. It's always a unique experience, with performance and installation, and there's a pop-up bar and food.
Zoe's Blackheath has live music, Italian-influenced pub-style food and a great bar for a casual drink.
Mountain Culture Brewpub in Katoomba is in a rambling 1900s building. The co-owner is originally from North Carolina; it has won many awards for its beers. There's great views and yummy burgers and fried pickles.
Aqua Ignis is a new sauna and bathhouse in Blackheath that's open until 9pm. It has magnesium baths and a herbal steam room; it's such a restorative evening. Blue Mountains Sauna in Leura has been around longer; it's a more traditional Nordic-style space with regular 'clothing optional' sessions.
Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba is a crucial stop for art lovers. It features touring shows, such as the Archibald prize and the Wynne prize, as well as exhibitions from renowned local artists such as Claire Healy, Sean Cordeiro and Nick Stathopoulos. There's also an immersive permanent video installation filmed in the national park.
I'm a mural artist, and the encouragement of street art here is so nice. Me and four other female mural artists painted the Froma Lane walkway that connects Katoomba Street to the centre.
Beverley Place was really dilapidated 10 years ago before it was transformed into the Katoomba Street Art Walk. When a wall mural fades a new artist is invited to paint it. It's a really cool space to walk through. The cultural centre runs short street art tours or you can use a self-guided map.
Landslide Gallery in Wentworth Falls was once an old flour mill. It runs an Australia-wide and international artist-in-residency program and its exhibitions showcase the incredibly diverse mediums of Blue Mountains artists, from ceramics to sculpture, paintings and textile art. Day Gallery is a commercial gallery in Blackheath; the couple behind it, Helen and Vincent Day, are legends. Their roster of artists is truly inspiring. During Covid lockdowns, renowned local painter and musician Claire Nakazawa (from the band Haiku Hands) created a mural on the external wall as her response to the landscapes after the black summer fires.
The area around the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba is getting so vibrant. Katoomba Civic Centre's gardens are re-landscaped with tree ferns and banksias, and it's a lovely stroll through the Carrington hotel's garden down to Katoomba Street.
The Blue Mountains Co-op is near there and has a kiosk with the most amazing soups. The co-op market garden is next to the cultural centre and the Carrington hotel. It's run by Farm it Forward, which makes unused pieces of land productive. This patch was long abandoned and now it has a head farmer and the co-op sells its seasonal organic produce. I painted a produce-inspired mural on an adjoining heritage-listed wall to bring some joy and to revive the space.
The Carrington (from $230 a night) is an old-world beauty and I love looking at the historical photographs of how Katoomba began, with just the Carrington at the top of the hill and this rickety train line.
The Kyah (from $190 per night) is a very cool renovated motel in Blackheath. It has a great restaurant called Blaq, gardens, a tennis court and a hot tub.
Chalets at Blackheath (from $1,300 a night; sleeps two) are very high end and dreamy. There are four freestanding chalets with bushland views. They have fireplaces, bathtubs and a sundeck; you're really immersed in the environment and birdsong.
Cloud Parade (from $1,095 a night; sleeps 10) is an Airbnb in Leura with lovely interiors and stunning valley views. It's only a 15-minute walk to the town centre, which is impressive, because often places with views this good are a fair hike from the shops.
Nastia Gladushchenko is a Ukrainian Australian artist and interior designer
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The Guardian
12 hours ago
- The Guardian
Wildflowers, saunas and antiques: a local's guide to the Blue Mountains
My partner and I are both creatives. Six years ago we were living in a tiny apartment in Sydney's inner west, and I was paying extra for a studio. It wasn't sustainable so we decided to move to Katoomba, on the traditional lands of the Dharug and Gundungurra people. I read an article recently saying something like 'skip it, it's not at its best' but Katoomba has a beautiful authenticity, even if it's not quite polished. Our closest upper mountain towns are Leura and Blackheath. Katoomba is all old-world treasures and beautiful building facades. Blackheath has the incredible Victory Theatre Antique Centre, Gleebooks, Hat Hill Records & Audio and great rock climbing and hikes. Leura has an upscale main drag full of lifestyle and fashion stores, but it gets busy on weekends. I recommend walking the backstreets to see the cute cottages and gardens. Our favourite place to eat is the award-winning Ates in Blackheath. It serves delicious Mediterranean-style share plates and always feels like a special night out. Much of its food is cooked in its 150-year-old wood-fired oven and there's a greenery-filled courtyard. On weekends, Tempus Katoomba has a fine-dining menu with an incredible all-Australian drinks list. It's in the old bank and lots of historical parts remain but the interiors are fun and fresh. On weekday mornings it switches to the Tempest Up Early cafe, serving Little Marionette coffee. We're so lucky to have Black Cockatoo bakery here. It's run by a French expat, Alexandre Rivière, and uses organic Australian flour and Pepe Saya cultured butter. Savoury or sweet, it's all delicious. It's a cool space, too, with custom ply joinery and lots of plants. We just discovered The Laughing Elephant in Wentworth Falls. It's an Asian grocer but they make amazing banh mi and laksa at lunchtimes. Fidelity is a new cafe run by two super-warm and welcoming guys with a deep passion for coffee. The seating spills outside with lots of dogs and friendly vibes. I drink decaf and often feel self-conscious but the baristas at Fidelity are like, 'You've got to try this decaf!' The house-made chai is great too. Cassiopeia has great coffee and baked goods too; it roasts its beans in Leura. Lyrebird Dell walking track in Leura is magical. It's shaded and cool with waterfalls and tree ferns so it's a great in summer. You can detour down to the Pool of Siloam waterhole for a swim. It has a sandy beach and doesn't get too crowded. Lockley Pylon is a three-hour walk (7.2km return) mostly along a ridge in north Leura. It's known for stunning wildflowers in spring, like boronia and waratah. It's very exposed, so walking on windy or super-hot days is not advised. At the end there's an incredible view over the Grose Valley. Wentworth Falls Lake Park has a new walkway and a viewing platform along the eastern edge that's pram- and wheelchair-friendly. The area still feels wild in places but there's also a big playground, a cute jetty and ducks. People kayak and canoe here; we like to swim on the north side in the shade of the gumtrees. It's busy on weekends with people barbecuing and picnicking. Minnehaha Falls in North Katoomba is 2.7km return with some stairs, but the waterhole at the end is a sublime swimming spot. The track follows Yosemite Creek which has loads of scribbly gums and banksia. I love native plants but I'm also a sucker for the lilacs, tulips and maples at Everglades House and Gardens. The art deco house is a wonderful glimpse into the past and you can do Devonshire tea in the tearoom. The 12-acre garden is manicured in some parts and bushy in others and you can picnic on the lawn. Down in the Lawson industrial area (15 minutes' drive east of Katoomba) is a quarterly experimental arts event run by SIRC_UIT. It's always a unique experience, with performance and installation, and there's a pop-up bar and food. Zoe's Blackheath has live music, Italian-influenced pub-style food and a great bar for a casual drink. Mountain Culture Brewpub in Katoomba is in a rambling 1900s building. The co-owner is originally from North Carolina; it has won many awards for its beers. There's great views and yummy burgers and fried pickles. Aqua Ignis is a new sauna and bathhouse in Blackheath that's open until 9pm. It has magnesium baths and a herbal steam room; it's such a restorative evening. Blue Mountains Sauna in Leura has been around longer; it's a more traditional Nordic-style space with regular 'clothing optional' sessions. Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba is a crucial stop for art lovers. It features touring shows, such as the Archibald prize and the Wynne prize, as well as exhibitions from renowned local artists such as Claire Healy, Sean Cordeiro and Nick Stathopoulos. There's also an immersive permanent video installation filmed in the national park. I'm a mural artist, and the encouragement of street art here is so nice. Me and four other female mural artists painted the Froma Lane walkway that connects Katoomba Street to the centre. Beverley Place was really dilapidated 10 years ago before it was transformed into the Katoomba Street Art Walk. When a wall mural fades a new artist is invited to paint it. It's a really cool space to walk through. The cultural centre runs short street art tours or you can use a self-guided map. Landslide Gallery in Wentworth Falls was once an old flour mill. It runs an Australia-wide and international artist-in-residency program and its exhibitions showcase the incredibly diverse mediums of Blue Mountains artists, from ceramics to sculpture, paintings and textile art. Day Gallery is a commercial gallery in Blackheath; the couple behind it, Helen and Vincent Day, are legends. Their roster of artists is truly inspiring. During Covid lockdowns, renowned local painter and musician Claire Nakazawa (from the band Haiku Hands) created a mural on the external wall as her response to the landscapes after the black summer fires. The area around the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba is getting so vibrant. Katoomba Civic Centre's gardens are re-landscaped with tree ferns and banksias, and it's a lovely stroll through the Carrington hotel's garden down to Katoomba Street. The Blue Mountains Co-op is near there and has a kiosk with the most amazing soups. The co-op market garden is next to the cultural centre and the Carrington hotel. It's run by Farm it Forward, which makes unused pieces of land productive. This patch was long abandoned and now it has a head farmer and the co-op sells its seasonal organic produce. I painted a produce-inspired mural on an adjoining heritage-listed wall to bring some joy and to revive the space. The Carrington (from $230 a night) is an old-world beauty and I love looking at the historical photographs of how Katoomba began, with just the Carrington at the top of the hill and this rickety train line. The Kyah (from $190 per night) is a very cool renovated motel in Blackheath. It has a great restaurant called Blaq, gardens, a tennis court and a hot tub. Chalets at Blackheath (from $1,300 a night; sleeps two) are very high end and dreamy. There are four freestanding chalets with bushland views. They have fireplaces, bathtubs and a sundeck; you're really immersed in the environment and birdsong. Cloud Parade (from $1,095 a night; sleeps 10) is an Airbnb in Leura with lovely interiors and stunning valley views. It's only a 15-minute walk to the town centre, which is impressive, because often places with views this good are a fair hike from the shops. Nastia Gladushchenko is a Ukrainian Australian artist and interior designer
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- The Guardian
Why can't you catch a train or tram to Sydney's beaches – and are we dreamin' to think new rail lines could be built?
Michael Caton enjoys living a short walk from Sydney's Bondi beach, but when the actor needs to venture into the heart of the city for an appointment, he knows to never schedule anything before late morning, well after peak hour. 'You wouldn't dream of taking the bus in the morning,' the 82-year-old says on speaker phone while taking his Toyota RAV4 for a drive. 'They're all full. They just don't really do the job.' When it comes to telling Australians about dreams, Caton has form, of course. His character Darryl Kerrigan in the classic film The Castle coined the catchphrase 'tell him he's dreamin''. Caton also fronted a 1998 campaign by Bondi locals opposed to a controversial plan to extend Sydney's Eastern Suburbs railway line from Bondi Junction to the beach. 'It will be the end of the line for Bondi,' Caton proclaimed at protests against the privately led train extension, the ABC reported at the time. Crowds chanted back at Caton in response: 'Tell 'em they're dreamin'.' Sydney's expansive rail network is Australia's busiest, but it's almost impossible to catch a train to a beach to catch some waves. That's despite a long history of proposals to extend lines to the city's world-famous beaches. Unlike Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, New York's Coney Island and even Melbourne's Brighton beach, residents and tourists can't catch a train to Sydney's globally recognised Bondi or Manly – or indeed any ocean beach in the eastern suburbs or north of the city. (Cronulla beach, 20km south of the city centre, can be reached by train, but the trip takes an hour.) Instead, beachgoers are forced into often-crowded buses or cars, the latter being expensive and difficult to park on busy days. Roads in summer can be heavily congested. Why Sydney's beaches remain inaccessible is explained by how the city expanded, as well as a mid-20th-century decision described as 'organised vandalism' and persistent efforts by beachside locals to limit public transport and a perceived influx of 'outsiders'. It might be hard to imagine today, but rail was once the main mode of transport to the city's beaches. Railways were first built in New South Wales primarily to send agricultural products from rural areas into Sydney, says Dr Geoffrey Clifton, a senior lecturer in transport and logistics management at the University of Sydney. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Heavy rail lines were gradually extended and, as Sydney expanded, so did the train network. By the late 1800s, light rail – or trams – emerged as an alternative. 'Trams made more sense in the east of Sydney, where distances were shorter and the land was already developed,' Clifton says. But rural politicians and leaders with interests – commonly land speculation – in the comparatively underdeveloped western suburbs continued to support heavy rail. 'It was a competition between those who saw trams as the future and those who believed in trains.' Tram lines sprang up across Sydney's north shore and eastern suburbs, including to the beaches. Sydney developed one of the largest tram networks in the world and services were fast – in many cases speedier than the few modern lines resurrected 100 years later. The expression 'shoot through like a Bondi tram' was born. But Sydney, like much of the world, was then changed by the car. 'Firstly, after world war one, returning soldiers who'd driven trucks in the war bought themselves bus licences, and that drove suburban development away from trams and started the sprawl of Sydney,' Clifton says. 'After world war two, everyone was buying cars, patronage started to drop off, and by that stage the tram network needed serious investment and renewal.' Instead, leaders chose to tear up Sydney's tram network and replaced it with buses, most of which still run today. The decision was popular at a time when buses were cheaper to run and could cope with demand, but it is now seen as foolish by many transport experts. Mathew Hounsell, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, describes the destruction as 'the largest organised vandalism in our nation's history'. In the decades since the last service on Sydney's original tram network concluded in 1961, there have been campaigns for new train lines and extensions to beachside suburbs. A 1970s study proposed building a heavy rail line from North Sydney station to the farthest of the northern beaches. Half a kilometre of tunnel was constructed towards Mosman, but the plan never progressed, mostly because of local opposition and challenges in acquiring land and traversing difficult terrain. There were plans to extend rail through Sydney's eastern suburbs – including further than the limited Bondi beach proposal that Caton objected to in the late 1990s. The Eastern Suburbs line to Bondi Junction in the 1970s was a rare example of a rail line built to an already densified part of Sydney in the post-tram era. During construction, about 100 metres of tunnel was built beyond Bondi Junction towards the beach. But it has since been repurposed to turn trains around. There were also proposals for extensions to Maroubra and Malabar that failed to materialise. The resistance to adding rail infrastructure to already settled suburbs was evident in Woollahra, where a partially constructed station on the Eastern Suburbs line was never completed. Partially built platforms remain visible but unused due to resident objections in the 1970s. Recent calls to finish building Woollahra station go to the heart of the nimby v yimby ('yes in my back yard') tension. Generally, increased housing density has been the basis for new train lines being laid in Australia 'A lot of the problem with why these proposals go nowhere is because these suburbs are already well developed, there's already higher density and apartments,' Clifton says. 'So there's less incentive for governments to spend the money without the potential to get an uplift in housing, a return on investment.' The transport academic says this philosophy dictated development in Sydney well before the current Minns government's transport-oriented development program. 'The problem for beach suburbs is that they already had the rail investment when they were growing, and while they've only become denser since, the tram lines have been torn up,' Clifton says. Despite the lack of a train station at Bondi beach, people still flock there. Traffic and parking woes have intensified in the decades since locals successfully defeated the rail proposal. Buses that have filled the void are among Sydney's busiest. Annual ridership on the 333 'from the city to the sea' bus route, which runs as often as every three minutes, has exceeded 8 million in recent years, significantly more than some of Sydney's heavy rail lines such as the T5. Caton is frustrated when catching a crowded bus that has to contend with traffic snaking up the hills of Bondi towards the city – but he doesn't regret campaigning against the train line. 'The train did absolutely nothing for the locals, sure, it was good for getting more people to Bondi, but it didn't do anything for us,' Caton says. His opposition was based on the proposal's lack of additional stations to serve residents along Bondi Road or the north of the suburb. Having just one station at the beach would have led to chaos, he insists. Caton says his anti-trains stance was not nimbyism but admits that in the years since he has rallied with fellow residents against several other proposals regarding local traffic and moves to reduce street parking. 'We are fighting all of these changes, but it's because they're stupid decisions; they don't consult the people who live here.' He says a train to the beach would make more sense elsewhere, such as at Maroubra. For now, Sydney must make do with low-capacity buses. An articulated bus such as those that run to Bondi can hold about 110 passengers compared with an average Sydney train service that moves 1,200 people. Buses also have a bumpier ride, are susceptible to traffic jams and aren't always accessible for older passengers, people with young children and those with disabilities. The lack of trains makes getting to beaches in Sydney harder but the nimby campaigns haven't made the city's sand exclusive. 'There are no gatekeepers,' says Louis Nowra, the author of a biography of Sydney. He notes that the bus between Bondi Junction and the beach only adds 10 minutes to the journey for people travelling from western Sydney, for example. 'If you live in Bondi, you have to put up with crowds and cars. I don't see a train system alleviating that,' Nowra says. Many people prefer less busy parts of Sydney, argues Nowra, who was turned off Bondi after attending a recent literary festival. 'I found the crowds claustrophobic, so I think Bondi has reached saturation point without more fucking visitors.' Asked if it's more difficult to live in Bondi in 2025 compared with 1998, when the rail extension was proposed, Caton is frank. 'Oh God yes, but a train would have turned Bondi into Surfers Paradise.' Given the transport-oriented development focus of the current NSW government, hopes for new rail infrastructure to the beaches are subdued. Clifton says extending existing light rail from Randwick to Coogee beach and from Kingsford to Maroubra beach are the most plausible options. But it would need significant support and campaigning from the local council and community, with Clifton pointing to the City of Sydney mayor Clover Moore's continued lobbying for the George Street light rail. 'If local communities want that, they should be developing plans and … advocating to government for those extensions,' Clayton says. The Randwick council mayor, Dylan Parker, says he would welcome government investing in such extensions. However, the council has not been actively lobbying for them. Guardian Australia understands the incline on Coogee Bay Road has been identified as a barrier to extending the light rail to Coogee beach. While trams historically travelled that route, the gradient could be problematic for the larger rolling stock in use today. Outside of extending light rail, future projects in Sydney are for driverless Metro trains, with the era of extending Sydney's heavy rail network, which has been hamstrung by maintenance problems and union disagreements, considered over. The NSW government is considering potential eastern extensions of the Sydney Metro West line set to open next decade. Proposals include running trains from the CBD to Green Square, the University of New South Wales and on to Maroubra and Malabar – which Randwick council supports.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Meet the VERY glam British & Irish Lions WAGs… including stunning blonde who underwent jaw-dropping body transformation
THEY'RE the sporting superteam made up of the finest rugby players from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. The British & Irish Lions only come together once every four years to compete in a world tour - which kicks off tonight with a match against Argentina in Dublin before moving to Australia for Test matches in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. 19 19 The talented squad are followed by a legendary group of fans - known as the "Sea of Red". But their biggest supporters are closer to home - and will be cheering them from the touchline as they take on the Wallabies down under, as well as playing seven pre-Test matches. Here we look at the loyal WAGS who celebrate every try alongside their very own Lionhearts. Emma Canning and Finn Russell, Scotland Former Scottish heptathlete, Emma Canning, 28, has been dating Scottish rugby player Finn Russell, 32, since 2017. They had a brief split in 2021 but have since patched up their relationship and now share two daughters, Charlie, three, and Skye, one. The family currently live in Bath, but prior to moving and becoming a mum, Emma was a promising track and field athlete. Unfortunately, she suffered a stress fracture to her shin when she was just 19 which impacted her training and performance and led to an operation to put a metal plate in her leg. In 2018, she took the decision to have the plate removed because she was "training in pain" but she was forced to take a lengthy break from competing, which left her admitting she "struggled mentally, emotionally and physically." This year she has returned to competitive athletics and recently hit back at a troll who commented: "Must be invigorating to know your only talent is to be in a relationship with a talented person.' She replied: 'Actually – there's room for two Scottish athletes in our relationship. Lol,' accompanied by a video of her long jump competition. Beth Dolling and Marcus Smith, England 19 London-based fashion model Beth Dolling, 25, has been dating English rugby player Marcus Smith, 26, since 2019. The brunette beauty has appeared in campaigns for online fashion giants such as PrettyLittleThing, Missy Empire, Rebellious and more. She has 37,000 followers on Instagram and frequently shares photos of her model shoots, her lavish lifestyle and her life with Marcus. Last month she posted a loved up snap of the couple with the caption: "5 years together with the loml! Love you with my whole heart." As well as modelling she is also budding singer, occasionally showing off her vocals to fans on TikTok. Dina Celina and Blair Kinghorn, Scotland Nutritionist Dina Celina, 32, is originally from Norway and is the fiancee of Scottish ruby player Blair Kinghorn, 28. The pair revealed their engagement in November last year after three years of dating. The proposal took place during a romantic break at the posh Gleneagles Hotel and the date has been set for August 25. Dina has a BSc Honours in Nutrition from Queen Margaret University with a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) accredition. She maintains that gut health is the main driver of health and posts videos of the healthy, anti-inflammatory meals she makes for Blair when he is in recovery from injury. The couple now live in France, where Blair plays for Toulouse. Sophie De Patoul and Josh van der Flier, Ireland Dublin born Sophie de Patoul tied the knot with her long term boyfriend Josh van der Flier, 32, at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin in 2022. The happy bride shared a picture with the caption: "Got to marry my best friend." The pair have been together since 2019 but Josh didn't pop the question until 2021. Back in her college days, Sophie attended Muckross Park College before attaining a BA in Business and Spanish at Technological University Dublin. She also spent time studying at Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko in Spain where she brushed up on her Spanish. Sophie, who is also Belgian, worked part time as a waitress and as a sales adviser at Brown Thomas. Now, she works as a digital marketing freelancer. Nika van der Merwe and Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland 19 19 Edinburgh-based content creator Nika van der Merwe, wed Duhan, 30, in 2023 at a stunning venue in South Africa. As a content creator and "social media expert", Nika frequently shares work updates and glimpses into her personal life to Instagram. Nika is also the founder of social media agency, Sound Colour Social, and the women's hiking club, She Wanders. She also owns two adorable French bulldogs called Moosie and Ziggy. In the past, fans have referred to her as the "queen of the wags". Chloe Rose and Luke Cowan Dickie, England 19 Chloe Rose, from Cornwall, is wife to English hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, 31, and regularly supports him at games. The couple welcomed their son Arlo during the 2020 Six Nations, just weeks before the 2019 World Cup. Sharing the news on social media, Luke wrote: 'So this is my little man, Arlo Cowan-Dickie, and he is already my [world]. Thanks for the kind messages – him and mum are doing great.' The couple had been dating for two years before Arlo was born. Chloe has recently been on her own fitness journey and often shares snaps of her herself flaunting her incredible body transformation, looking honed and toned. Mimi Fall and Maro Itoje, England 19 19 Maro Itoje popped the question to his now wife Mimi Fall during a holiday to Nigeria and Ghana in August 2024. Mimi revealed the engagement via social media captioning a picture of her shiny ring "Mrs I to be." They tied the knot last month in a glamorous ceremony in London's Mayfair, with Mimi posting: "We cried, laughed and danced - yes I had 5 outfits because life is for living." The pair, who are also models, allegedly met during a photo shoot. Today, Mimi models for W MODEL MGMT and Boom Models Agency. She is also a talented artist with her own dedicated page @mimifallart. Mimi is also a lover of food and shares artsy snaps of her dishes via her page @comedinewithmi. Katherine Egan and Dan Sheehan 19 Irish beauty Katherine Egan is Dan Sheehan's, 26, long-term girlfriend. The pair have shared adorable pics together over the years with one snap dating back to 2017. . While the Dan has made his name in rugby, Katherine has sporting pedigree in her own right as a hockey player with UCD, where she also studies Medicine. Ever supportive of one another, they attended the 2022 Leinster Rugby Awards Ball where Dan won LAYA Healthcare Men's Young Player of the Year. The pair also seem to love travelling together to a variety of exotic destinations such as Bali and Santorini.
