Mike and Zara Tindall have made no efforts to hide the love affair they have with Australia and return for holidays down under with their three children yearly.
And this year is no different, with the couple spotted at the Magic Millions racing event this week on the Gold Coast.
“Zara and Mike Tindall have arrived at the Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo & Showjumping, ahead of Zara taking to the Polo field for Team The Star Gold Coast ✨” the post on the Magic Millions Polo Instagram read.
According to the Instagram account, earlier in the day, Zara jumped on a retrained racehorse called Paths of Glory.
Annually in January, the family of five makes the pilgrimage from the UK to the Gold Coast to attend the Magic Millions – of which Zara has been an ambassador since 2012 – an Australian thoroughbred racehorse auction house that hosts several star-studded events throughout the year. It is believed that the royal has netted $1.5 million from Magic Millions since she became an ambassador.
Featuring the very best of the Australasian yearling crop, the world-class event attracts horse racers from across the globe as they bid and sell the next generation of racehorse talent.
The event culminates in a major race meeting where all contenders are horses that have previously been purchased at Magic Millions auctions.
Couple denies permanent Australia move
While they’ve previously hinted on multiple occasions that they would consider a permanent move to their “second home” in Australia, Mike has confirmed that it will never happen.
“We go to Australia every year for the Magic Millions racing event, and we try to get back to have lunch at the place where we met whenever we can. We love Sydney and have loads of friends there, so it’s been an important city in our lives,” the father of three shared in a June 2024 interview with Hello!
“Everyone keeps telling us we’re moving there but we’re not. It’s so far away, especially when you have a big family,” he added.
After being unable the event for several years due to the pandemic, the Tindall clan made their long-awaited return in 2023 where Mike revealed to his fellow attendees that it was “lovely” to be in his home away from home once more.
“It’s lovely to have a break from the bleak January in the UK,” the podcast host said at the time.
“It’s nice to come back down and see all our friends again. We love the ambassadors and we love getting together,” he added.
His wife of 12 years shared these sentiments, revealing that returning to the Gold Coast and attending the Magic Millions event was like “coming back home.”
“It really is like a family and it’s been hard not being here for two years,” the 21st in line to the Britsh throne said at the time.
After returning home from their 2024 trip, Mike shed light on whether or not he, Zara, and their darling children would ever make a permanent move to the Sunshine State, telling Hello! at the Legends of Rugby Awards that he “would never say never” to living abroad.
“It’s not on the cards, people try to say we almost did but we never almost did. It’s never been an actual thing where we’ve looked for a house or anything.”
“We love Australia a lot and we love the lifestyle. I think it’s brilliant for kids but whether we could actually move there, we’re not sure.”
Speaking exclusively with New Idea, an onlooker who spotted the husband and wife duo splashing around in the waters of Byron Bay during the trip said that “they looked as if they were having the best time – and they could hardly keep their hands off one another!”
This isn’t the first time that a member of the Tindall clan has spoken publicly about a potential move to Australia, Zara telling the Australian Women’s Weekly in 2019 that it was “on the cards” one day.
“If an opportunity came up we’d definitely think about it,” she said, her husband chiming in that the country was a “great place” that they always enjoyed visiting.
In the same interview Mike added that if they weren’t tied to the UK, they’d “love living” in Australia.
“Living there isn’t realistic because it’s so far away from our families but we do love it. We’ve got a great friendship group in Australia and Zara has one in New Zealand as well. We just love that part of the world and love the pace of life,” he said at the time.
“I love the lifestyle of Australia and the ability to get up so early, [and] go to the beach – especially for the kids, taking them in the ocean is brilliant.”
After returning from their annual summer trip in January 2024, Zara shared with HELLO! that Queensland especially felt like a “second home” for the couple.
“Mike and I both love the vibes and personality of Australia. It really suits us with the outdoor lifestyle and everything that comes with it. What is not to love about being here?” she shared with the publication.
“We have always had a love for Australia and look forward to coming here. It is a second home to us but [we] wouldn’t move here as it’s too far from family, but we continue to get down as much as we can and enjoy it while we are here.”
Given the couple share so many happy memories down under together (including meeting for the first time in a Manly bar in 2003), we wouldn’t be surprised if their visits are more frequent and prolonged.
But for now, the couple currently reside on Princess Anne’s estate, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire.
