It’s been well over a year since Arthur Green and Matilda Rice won each other’s hearts, but theirs is a tale of true love that continues to delight their fans. Not a day goes by that The Bachelor New Zealand’s enduring couple aren’t stopped in the street by star-struck admirers.
But in the hustle and bustle of New York, where the happy couple recently enjoyed a fabulous city break, Art and Matilda grabbed the chance to enjoy some anonymity.
“I’m not a massive fan of PDA back home,” tells a bashful Art, 28, who fell for Matilda on the TV3 reality show last year. “I know people recognise us, so I’m a bit uptight about it. But in New York, we weren’t ‘Art and Matilda from The Bachelor’. We went unrecognised and we loved it! We turned into one of those annoying couples who hold hands on the street and kiss in public – and we’re not even sorry about it.”
With so much to see and do in the Big Apple, it was a whirlwind ride for the touchy-feely travellers, who had just seven days to tick off all of the tourist must-dos on their US adventure.
Art and Matilda, 25, waved a foam finger at a Yankees baseball game, devoured chilli dogs, clapped eyes on the Statue of Liberty and watched Aladdin on Broadway – not to mention making time to pose up a storm at our exclusive Woman’s Day photo shoot in iconic Central Park.
“We were constantly on our feet exploring,” says New York novice Matilda of her first trip to the States. “At the end of one day, we checked Art’s Fitbit and we’d walked about 20km!
“When it came to our daily missions, Art was the logistics manager and I was the little puppy dog that followed him around, trying not to get lost. If our relationship wasn’t so strong, he’d probably get fed up with how useless I am, but we have too much fun to get annoyed with each other.
“Back home, the best time in my day is coming home from work because I know I get to see Art again. So being on holiday is like getting that giddy feeling all week long.”
Having visited New York before, intrepid traveller Art was excited to show his gorgeous girl around the city. While he hadn’t reserved much time for romance in their busy schedule, the loved-up duo found serenity in the simplest of things.
“We traipsed all around town experiencing amazing sights and eating delicious food, but it was the most unexpected activities that really took our breath away,” says Matilda.
“One of my highlights was just lying on the rocks together in Central Park after we’d been on a run. We chatted away as the sun was shining and the city skyline was in full view.
“Another was when we walked the Manhattan Bridge at sunset. We basically had the bridge to ourselves and beneath our feet someone had written in chalk, ‘Will you be my prom date?’ I remember seeing that, looking at Art and thinking, ‘I must be the luckiest girl in the world.’”
Art muses, “Having some time away together is a little like putting another log on the fire. We don’t need to travel the world to know how much we love each other, but it’s good to inject a bit of spark into the relationship, leave the daily grind behind and make new memories.”
See more of Art and Matilda’s tour of New York here
We caught up with the lovebirds during their romantic getaway in New York.
The loved-up duo say their time away has deepened their bond. “It’s good to inject a bit of spark into the relationship,” tells Art.
Matilda persuades Art to take a break from pounding the pavements as they prepare to tour the city in one of its infamous big yellow taxis!
The couple – who famously fell in love on season one of The Bachelor New Zealand – have relished being unrecognisable faces in New York.
“I’m not a massive fan of PDA back home,” tells a bashful Art, 28. “I know people recognise us, so I’m a bit uptight about it.”
“But in New York, we weren’t ‘Art and Matilda from The Bachelor’. We went unrecognised and we loved it!”
“We turned into one of those annoying couples who hold hands on the street and kiss in public – and we’re not even sorry about it,” he reveals.
With so much to see and do in the Big Apple, it was a whirlwind ride for the touchy-feely travellers, who had just seven days to tick off all of the tourist must-dos on their US adventure.
Art and Matilda, 25, waved a foam finger at a Yankees baseball game, devoured chilli dogs, clapped eyes on the Statue of Liberty and watched Aladdin on Broadway.
The couple also took time out of their busy holiday schedule to pose up a storm at our exclusive Woman’s Day shoot in Central Park.
“When it came to our daily missions, Art was the logistics manager and I was the little puppy dog that followed him around, trying not to get lost.”
“If our relationship wasn’t so strong, he’d probably get fed up with how useless I am, but we have too much fun to get annoyed with each other,” Matilda adds.
Check out Art talking about the possibility of an engagement in the next video.
Is Art Green planning a proposal?
Having visited New York before, intrepid traveller Art was excited to show his gorgeous girl around the city.
While he hadn’t reserved much time for romance in their busy schedule, the loved-up duo found serenity in the simplest of things.
“We traipsed all around town experiencing amazing sights and eating delicious food, but it was the most unexpected activities that really took our breath away,” says Matilda.
“One of my highlights was just lying on the rocks together in Central Park after we’d been on a run. We chatted away as the sun was shining and the city skyline was in full view,” Matilda tells.
Art muses, “Having some time away together is a little like putting another log on the fire. We don’t need to travel the world to know how much we love each other, but it’s good to inject a bit of spark into the relationship, leave the daily grind behind and make new memories.”
Relive season one of The Bachelor New Zealand in the next video
The Bachelor NZ Season 1 mashup
The couple definitely made the most of their New York holiday!
