Summer Bay sweethearts: Home and Away's 30 greatest couples of all time

Is there anything more truly Australian than heating up the barbecue, opening open a packet of Tim Tams, and watching Home and Away on TV in the background?

If you grew up in Australia, you’re probably familiar with the beautiful tones of the classic Australian soap’s theme song, which begins with those five tragic words: “You know we belong together…”

Oh yes, yes we do know.

So much so that we decided to take a look back at our favorite couples from Home and Away, counting down from 30…

So who will be number one? Keep scrolling to find out!

Scott & Dani

Dani Sutherland (Tammin Sursok) was instantly smitten when she first saw Scott Hunter (Kip Gamblin) riding his horse on the seashore in 2003 – and so did we. The presence of Scott’s alcoholic sister Kit caused an early stumbling block in their relationship. Scott proposed to Dani, but they broke up after he discovered she was having an affair with a book publisher.

Tom & Pippa

Pippa (Vanessa Downing) and Tom Fletcher (Roger Oakley) arrived in the Bay thirty years ago with their five foster children. After purchasing the caravan park, they’d left the city to start a new life for their family. They quickly rose to prominence as one of television’s most popular parent couples. When Tom died of a heart attack in 1990, his fans were saddened.

Carly & Ben

When attractive soldier Ben Lucini (Julian McMahon) arrived in the Bay on leave from the army, they first met in the Diner. They started dating because Carly Morris (Sharyn Hodgson) loved what she saw. The couple married in 1990 and relocated to Perth shortly after.

Marilyn & Donald

No one in Summer Bay anticipated Donald Fisher (Norman Coburn), the straight-laced principal of Summer Bay High, to fall for vivacious beautician Marilyn [Emily Symons]. Despite the fact that Donald was old enough to be Marilyn’s father, the strange pair shocked everyone by getting engaged. Marilyn and Donald welcomed a baby son called Byron after their wedding in 1996.

Irene & Ken

Ken Smith (Anthony Phelan) and Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger) had a romance, but it didn’t endure. Irene had a hunch that her fiancé would die, and her worst dread came true in 2000 when a car collided with the technician at work.

Meg & Blake

Blake Dean (Les Hill) fell head over heels in love with Meg Bowman (Cathy Godbold) despite the fact that she was only in Summer Bay for a few months. When the kid learned that Meg was dying of leukemia, he was distraught. In his arms, the adolescent eventually died.

Leah & Dan

Fans were ecstatic when Leah fell for schoolteacher Dan Baker (Tim Campbell). They married in 2005, despite his ex-wife Amanda Vale’s (Holly Brisley) attempts to disrupt their wedding. Dan tragically died in an abseiling accident.

Steven & Selina

Their love as students and teachers was scandalous to say the least! Steven Matheson (Adam Willits) was fired from his position as a teacher after having an affair with a teen named Selina Roberts (Tempany Deckert). Selina relocated to another country, but they later reconciled and married.

Tasha & Robbie

H&A fans loved Tasha Andrews (Isabel Lucas) and Robbie Hunter (Jason Smith). The couple fled the Bay in 2006 for a quieter life in Boston after an HIV scare, an involvement with a deadly cult, a murder charge, and a pregnancy.

Bobby & Greg

Greg Marshall (Ross Newton), the father of her foster kid, Sam, gave Bobby a second chance at love. Their bliss, however, was cut short when she perished in a speedboat accident in 1993.

John & Marilyn

When Marilyn Chambers (Emily Symons) and John Palmer (Shane Withington) started dating in 2013, they ultimately found they’re happily ever after. When John was identified as the Summer Bay arsonist and sentenced to prison, they faced difficult times. While things were going well after his release, the couple’s relationship has unfortunately come to an end, but we still think they’re iconic.

Dexter & April

April Scott (Rhiannon Fish) and Dexter Walker, two pupils, fell in love at a young age (Charles Cottier). They did, however, have their ups and downs, such as Dex being caught kissing someone else and April falling for Heath Braxton! The couple finally reconciled and married in 2013, before relocating to Paris.

Scott & Hayley

Hayley (Bec Hewitt) was unsure whether Scott Hunter (Kip Gamblin) or Kim Hyde was the father when she became pregnant in 2005. A love triangle arose, but Hayley ultimately chose Scott, who also happened to be the baby’s father.

Aden & Belle

From Aden’s (Todd Lasance) emotional breakdown to Belle’s (Jessica Tovey) painkiller addiction, this couple has been through a lot in their relationship. However, Belle’s unexpected cancer diagnosis and devastating death just four weeks after their wedding in 2009 left the community in tears for days.

Pippa & Michael

It’s hard to think Pippa Fletcher (Debra Lawrance) had to grieve for two spouses, but that’s exactly what she had to go through when her second husband Michael Ross (Dennis Coard) died in 1996 while attempting to save Sam (Ryan Clark) from a catastrophic flood.

In real life, Debra and Dennis have been happily married since 1992.

Will & Gypsy

Who didn’t adore Gyspy Nash (Kimberley Cooper) and Will Smith (Zac Drayson) as a couple? Will was there for Gypsy during the aftermath of her kidnapping, even delivering their baby Lily on the side of the road when Gypsy went into labor in 2001. If only their love had lasted a little longer…

Travis & Rebecca

Travis Nash (Nic Testoni) and Rebecca Fisher (Belinda Emmett) said “I do” on the beach in 1997 on a stormy and windy day, yet their surprise wedding was stunning. Before sailing out on a tall ship to start a new life in Canada, the happy couple became foster parents for a spell.

Kane & Kirsty

When it was found that Kirsty (Christie Hayes) was dating Kane Phillips (Sam Atwell), the bad boy who had sexually assaulted her elder sister Dani, the Sutherland family was ripped apart (Tammin Sursok). Despite her family’s protests, the besotted adolescent couldn’t stay away. In 2004, the couple eloped, but in front of their family and friends, they confirmed their wedding vows.

Alf & Ailsa

Alf (Ray Meagher) and Ailsa Stewart (Judy Nunn), one of Australia’s most famous television couples, were the heart and soul of Summer Bay. Ailsa’s no-nonsense demeanor could handle Alf’s rage, and their strong bond endured everything, from Ailsa’s postnatal depression to her nervous breakdown following a violent hold-up at the Diner. Alf tragically lost his girlfriend Ailsa in 2000 when she died of a heart attack.

Rachel & Kim

We liked unstable doctor Rachel Armstrong (Amy Mathews) and gorgeous Kim as a couple even if their marriage collapsed – especially after Kim Hyde (Chris Hemsworth) fathered baby Archie with Kit (Amy Mizzi). Their wedding was one of the most memorable events of the year.

Romeo & Indi

The lovely love story of Indi Walker (Samara Weaving) and Romeo Smith (Luke Mitchell) won many hearts. However, tragedy struck them, as it had so many other couples before them. Romeo fled the Bay in secret after being diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2013 to spare his young wife the anguish of his death. We’re still in tears…

Martha & Jack

This pair had two marriages and was faced with Martha MacKenzie’s (Jodi Gordon) breast cancer and alcoholism, yet nothing seemed to be able to separate them. When Jack Holden (Paul O’Brien) died in 2008 when Angelo Rosetta (Luke Jacobz) inadvertently shot him, fans were shocked.

Bianca & Heath

Who can blame Bianca Scott (Lisa Gormley) for being smitten by bad boy Heath Braxton (Dan Ewing)? Their loving connection reached new heights after they married in 2013 and then plummeted to new depths after their baby Rocco died of SIDS. However, one of our all-time favorite couples has always had an unshakable bond.

Hayley & Noah

Noah Lawson (Beau Brady) and Hayley Smith (Bec Cartwright) fell in love when Noah rescued Hayley from some thugs outside a nightclub. On Hayley’s 21st birthday, Noah proposed to her, and the two married. However, tragedy came in 2004 when Noah was fatally shot by psychopath Sarah Lewis (Luisa Hastings-Edge).

Vinnie & Leah

Vinnie Patterson (Ryan Kwanten), a larrikin lifeguard and part-time dancer, looked unlikely to settle down until he met Leah Poulos (Ada Nicodemou). Leah became pregnant shortly after the couple’s spectacular Greek wedding and gave birth to VJ in 2001. Vinnie, on the other hand, was arrested for fraud just hours after his son was born. He was given a two-year term but regrettably died while under witness protection.

Charlie & Brax

Brax [Stephen Peacocke] was enthralling, dangerous and well-known to the cops. So it appeared that the River Boy gang boss would finally be tamed when he fell for gorgeous local cop Charlie Buckton. Their love was doomed because they were the quintessential soap couple. When Charlie was shot by deranged thief Jake Pirovic, Brax and Charlie were planning to move to the city together (Fletcher Humphrys). In 2012, Brax was forced to turn off Charlie’s life support, putting an end to one of the Bay’s most famous love stories.

Bobby & Frank

Bobby Simpson (Nicolle Dickson) and Frank Morgan (Alex Papps) had terrific chemistry from the minute they first debuted on television together in 1988. Of course, being teenagers meant their relationship was fraught with complications, particularly because of the nasty Roo (Justine Clarke), who desired Frank for herself. However, the two became inseparable and finally married.

Sally & Flynn

Sally Fletcher (Kate Ritchie) is wary of partnerships after a run of disastrous relationships. However, handsome doctor Flynn Saunders (Joel McIlroy) swiftly won her heart, and the two married in 2003. When Leah (Ada Nicodemou) offered to be a surrogate, the newlyweds were overjoyed, and they welcomed a baby girl named Pippa.

When Flynn was diagnosed with cancer and given only three months to live, their world fell apart. Sally and Flynn danced to their wedding song in his final hours.

Brax & Ricky

Darryl “Brax” Braxton (Stephen Peacocke) had almost given up hope of finding love after the devastating loss of Charlie (Esther Anderson). However, the advent of Ricky Sharpe (Bonnie Sveen) completely changed his life around. Of course, their love was never easy. Brax was imprisoned for a murder that he did not commit. He was able to flee, but he chose to fake his own death in order to protect others he cared about. Ricky married Dr. Nate Cooper after believing Brax was dead (Kyle Pryor). Brax returned to Summer Bay when her marriage to Nate fell apart.

He was exonerated of all criminal accusations and once again gained Ricky’s heart. In 2016, the couple, along with their infant child Casey, left Summer Bay and finally formed a family.

Shane and Angel

The stormy love story of Shane Parrish (Dieter Brummer) and Angel Brooks (Melissa George) will be remembered by H&A fans for more than 25 years. When runaway girl Angel showed up in the Bay and sold Shane fake concert tickets, the two had a difficult start, but soon fell hopelessly in love. They were on the verge of breaking up when Shane realized Angel had a son she hadn’t told him about! Angel was hit by a car and paralyzed in the days leading up to their 2005 wedding.

However, on their wedding day, she suddenly rose from her wheelchair and walked down the aisle. Fans will never forget that moment. Shane unexpectedly succumbed and died of septicemia a year later, leaving Angel – and viewers – distraught. Sob!

Summer Bay sweethearts: Home and Away’s 30 greatest couples of all time