# what is the best long-distance birthday surprise? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-long-distance-birthday-surprise/171065 "2003-04-25T07:26:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phraser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e4f/32.png) [@phraser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phraser)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-long-distance-birthday-surprise/171065/1 "2003-04-25T07:26:11Z")
Ok, so I am in a long-distance relationship. My lover/partner/girlfriend/whatever lives in Sydney (about a 13 hour drive from where I’m based), and her birthday is coming up in early June. I’d really like to go visit her for her birthday, but I’m going to be away on clinical placement for school in The Small Town From Hell, which is of course In The Middle Of Nowhere, and lacks even an internet cafe. Accordingly, I’m trying to make arrangements for something special for her birthday before I go. I had considered just getting something and posting it to her, but that isn’t my ideal option, because it wouldn’t be a surprise, as I’d have to send it almost three weeks in advance. Apart from ringing her on the day, does anyone have any suggestions? If it involves buying stuff over the internet, make sure you can order/deliver to Australia… And relatively inexpensive would be good seeing as I am a poor student ☹ ---
**Author:** ![stringy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@stringy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stringy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-long-distance-birthday-surprise/171065/2 "2003-04-25T07:56:32Z")
Could you get someone else to post something for you? They’d have to be reliable, so that they would be sure to post it on the right day, but I think that could work. Also, [http://www.wishlist.com.au](http://www.wishlist.com.au) has always been good to me. ---
**Author:** ![phraser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e4f/32.png) [@phraser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phraser)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-long-distance-birthday-surprise/171065/3 "2003-04-25T07:58:20Z")
_smiles_ thanks 🙂 i will check out wishlist. I don’t especially want to do the flowers thing otherwise I’d try [http://www.rosesonly.com.au](http://www.rosesonly.com.au) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-long-distance-birthday-surprise/171065/4 "2003-04-25T14:48:48Z")
Depending on how much money you have, buy her a hot air balloon ride. Mail her a lovely poem that she’s not to read until she’s up in the air. My husband bought one for me and it was just the coolest thing ever. I think it cost around $125. I guess you’ll have to find out if there’s a balloon port by her. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-long-distance-birthday-surprise/171065/5 "2003-04-25T17:16:38Z")
Does she have a girlfriend who you could help you? Buy your girlfriend a spa day and make the reservation on her birthday. Then have her girlfriend make plans with her for the same time. Her friend would then take her to the spa and drop her off for her day there. Gosh, I’d love that! Would you call my husband and have him do that for me? ---
**Author:** ![phraser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e4f/32.png) [@phraser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phraser)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-long-distance-birthday-surprise/171065/6 "2003-04-26T07:05:57Z")
thanks Kalhoun and monster 🙂 those are both great original ideas that i would never have thought of.