After a splash in the sea, Mike wrapped Zara up in a blue striped towel and she couldn’t resist cheekily patting her husband on the bottom as he drew her in for a hug.

Meanwhile Mike, who famously wore budgy smugglers during his time on I’m A Celebrity  – opted for black shorts, but showed a hint of trunks that matched his wife’s under the shorts.

Zara and Mike cuddled up together as they enjoyed bobbing around in the sea while getting some January sunshine

The king’s niece, 42, today sported a £30 flamingo and palm print bikini from Budgy Smuggler

Packing on the PDA! Zara couldn’t resist giving her husband a cheeky pat on the bottom as he drew her in for a hug

Zara’s ‘Shelly’  bikini is from Aussie brand Budgy Smuggler – and named after Shelly Beach in Manly, Sydney.

It’s perhaps no surprise Zara opted sporty two-piece, as the brand previously collaborated with Mike for his own line of trunks which were sold for charity.

Nacho, who also works as model and the face of Ralph Lauren alongside his polo career, wore black shorts while Delfina opted for a burnt orange string bikini.

The two couples are close friends and are believe to have met through their mutual love of all things equestrian.

Zara and Mike aren’t working royals and don’t take money from the Sovereign Grant and fund their lifestyle through various brand deals.

In 2012, Zara was announced as the first Magic Millions Racing Women Ambassador.

She now travels to Surfers Paradise in Queensland every year for the Gold Coast Yearling Sale, seven days of auctions which culminate in a major race meeting where all contenders are horses bought at previous Magic Millions auctions.

Brand experts have said Zara could be netting ‘millions’ from the deal.

The mother-of-two who is in Australia to promote the Magic Millions racing festival enjoyed some downtime at the beach in Byron Bay

Showing off her athlete’s figure, the royal splashed in and out of the water with husband Mike

Giles Kenningham,  Founder of PR & Public Affairs Consultancy Trafalgar Strategy and former Number 10 Head of Press said that Zara and Mike are cementing themselves as the biggest earners in the royal family as Harry and Meghan have become ‘tarnished’.

‘Zara and Mike are sports stars in their own right so have more cachet than other members of the royal family,’ he told Femail.

‘They both have big followings, Mike with his podcast and Zara with her equestrian career so have more credibility than others.

‘They’re often pictured out with their children and seem more like a normal family than a royal one, making them relatable and marketable.

‘Harry and Meghan have become somewhat tarnished which makes them the premier royal couple when it comes to deals’

She was joined by her cousin Harry’s best friend Nacho, and his wife Delfina on the idyllic beach

The mother-of-three and Olympian splashed around in the water with her rugby pro husband

‘This is an ongoing partnership that sees Zara attend events every year to present gifts to the winners,’ Mischa Jolin, Managing Director of Influencer, PR and Branding agency, Edencancan previously told MailOnline.

‘She is an integral part of the brand which empowers women within the equestrian field.

‘I would anticipate this partnership is worth circa £125k per year’.

This would mean she will have earned around £1.5million over 12 years.

Other lucrative deals include a £500,000 partnership with Musto, a £200,000 deal with Landrover.

Mike also has deals with Domino’s and Amazon, as well as stunt on I’m A Celebrity thought to have earned him around £150,000.

Delfina, Nacho and Zara are all ambassadors for Magic Millions, and were first pictured together at the event – on Australia’s Gold Coast – in 2019.

The quad rung in New Year 2020 together in Sydney – alongside actress Rebel Wilson – almost a year later.

Nacho has also become one of  Prince Harry‘s closest confidantes and even posed with Princess Eugenie.

Dubbed the ‘David Beckham of Polo’, he has travelled all over the world with his polo teammate Harry, and seems to be getting just as close to Zara.

Mike appeared to be sporting a matching pair of budgy smugglers under his black board shorts

Zara looked in her element on the New South Wales beach with husband Mike

In September 2019, Nacho – who witnessed the early days of the couple’s romance and was later a guest at their wedding – appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ show to announce that he would ‘defend his friends’ with his life.

The millionaire appears totally at ease with mentioning his friendship with the royal in interviews, for in that same year, he told Town and Country magazine: ‘What I like the most about [Harry] is how real he is and how serious he is about improving life for kids that have not had the blessings that we’ve had.’

Zara is an ambassador for Magic Millions at Doug Jennings Park at Main Beach. The cousin of Prince William and Harry has travelled to the event most years since 2013, only taking a break during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Magic Millions Racing Women Achievement Awards celebrates ‘outstanding national success and achievements by women in the thoroughbred industry’.

Zara is one of five judges on the panel for the racing awards, which were presented to winners at the dinner.

She’s previously said she loves escaping Down Under in winter months as the UK is ‘bleak in January’.

The mother-of-three showed off her natural beauty with a make-up free look on the beach

Zara looked ready for a day at the beach in a blue striped towel and sporty bikini

The Tindalls, who are parents to daughters Mia, nine, and Lena , five, and son Lucas Philip, two, have made no secret of their love affair with Australia.

They first met at the Wharf Bar in Manly, Sydney, when Mike was drowning his sorrows after being cut from the England squad during the 2003 World Cup ahead of the semi-finals.

Zara, who was on a gap year at the time, was introduced to the fly-half by Prince Harry, who was in Australia to cheer on the England squad.

Since marrying marrying in 2011, the couple have visited Australia almost every year, only taking a break between 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Speaking to The Australian Women’s Weekly in December 2019, a month before Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties, Zara revealed she was considering trading life on her mother’s estate in Gloucestershire for sunny Australia.

They were joined by glam socialite Delfina, who wore a burned orange bikini

The group of four remain close after bonding over all thing equestrian

Zara, an accomplished equestrian and Olympic silver medalist, said: ‘Probably not while I’m still competing. It would be a little bit hard commuting. But after that… yes, I think if an opportunity came up we’d definitely think about it.’

‘Early January is bleak over here [England] so it’s nice to go and have a bit of sun. I love the lifestyle of Australia and the ability to get up early, go on the beach – especially for the kids, taking them in the ocean is brilliant,’ added Mike.

The couple, who are not working royals and do not hold titles, keep a relatively low profile despite their status as professional sportspeople – and the laid-back lifestyle Down Under seems to suit them.

The Tindalls are currently on the Gold Coast, Queensland, as Zara is an ambassador for the Magic Millions equestrian event.

Zara was announced as the first Magic Millions Racing Women Ambassador in 2012, and now travels to Surfers Paradise every year for the Gold Coast Yearling Sale, seven days of auctions that culminate in a major race meeting where all contenders are horses bought at previous Magic Millions auctions.

The Tindalls previously rang in the 2020 New Year in Sydney with an A-list crowd, including Rebel Wilson and Prince Harry’s best friend Nacho Figueras.