From 5 to 35

A chilly 5 degrees in Campbelltown

Bec's Birthday Surprise

After many work trips together our first holiday!

She has no idea what she is in for

One of the birthday puzzles, match the
hawker centre food picture with name

Amazing flying over Central Australia
and then the clouds over the ocean

The Jewel at Changi airport that just opened,
the biggest indoor waterfall in the world

Using the Hilton Honours app to enter room

First glimpse of city lights

Its 35 degrees now, Marina Bay Sands
looks like a spaceship from the future

It’s a balmy 5 degrees and time to get on the train that takes me to the plane. I am heading north but first a stopover in Brisbane to pick up my travelling buddy, Beck. It's her birthday and we may have a surprise or two in store for her. 

We are off into the big blue sky and first need to cross Australia, through outback Queensland we go, then across the centre, everything is red, with salt pans and strange rivers its all quite magical. 

But I can't keep looking out the window as there are ‘presents’ to unwrap. What do you give a girl that has everything and you need to keep her occupied for 8 hours? Well, weeks in the planning with help from the rest of the Step Two crew Beck has to roll a dice and unwrap each present challenge:

• Share a story from her 21st birthday
• Watch the movie Crazy Rich Asians (set in Singapore, we actually did not get time to watch it)
• Learn three words in Shinglish
• Match the hawker centre meal with the name

….and on it goes…..

The plane trip has many firsts for Beck including, birthday flight, holiday totally planned by someone else (she could live to regret that), overpacked and more.

By now the Qantas staff are clued into the birthday celebrations and we get lots of attention and gifts including bottles of wine, pj’s, amenities packs. That was a very quick 8 hours and before we know it we land. 

My big first for today is this is the closest I have ever been to the equator. The funny thing is only 10 months ago I was the furthest I have ever been from the equator, at the top of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. And the temperature was the same that day - 35 degrees!

We check in, dump bags and head out to explore, lots of happy relaxed people, shops, shops, shops, magical lights around the bay, boy racers in fancy cars, can't wait to explore more.

Finally, we get back to our blissfully air-conditioned room and find a cake with Happy Birthday, the day that just keeps giving.