Andrea Watson

We were due to go interstate for the Christmas and New Year break. We live in Katherine and were going to drive up to Darwin on the Monday morning to catch our lunchtime flight. About a week before we were due to leave, Tim told me we needed to go up on Sunday morning instead because there was a work breakfast he wanted to attend. Not thinking much of it, I went along.

Tim arranged for me to hang out at one of my friend's places while he was at his ‘do’. When we arrived in Darwin, he dropped me off at my friend’s house, but before leaving he called me back to the car and handed me a bunch of envelopes, telling me to open the one he'd labeled 'start'. 
The letters turned out to be a 'game' to which I had to follow the rules and was not allowed to open the next envelope until the current task had been completed.
At 9.30 am a limousine picked me up and drove me into the city for a two hour treatment of my choice at the Tropical Spa. After being pampered and feeling totally relaxed, I opened the next envelope to find money and instructions to get myself something to eat (we had been up since 5 am to get to Darwin) but I had to wait until 12.45 before I could open the next letter. Torture! 

The next letter contained a gift voucher telling me I had an appointment booked for a manicure and deluxe pedicure - I was feeling pretty spoilt by this stage! After the nail treatments, the next letter told me I had to kill time and 'window shop' or grab a coffee until 2.30 pm when I could open the next envelope. 
Luckily for my sanity, Tim sent me a text message and I was allowed to open it early. Inside was more money and instructions to get a taxi to Skycity where I was to pick up my next set of instructions from reception.

 I received a room key and instructions that my sweetheart would be waiting for me in the room. I walked into the room, which was scattered with beautiful rose petals, to find Tim and my final letter at the end of the bed waiting for me. I opened this last letter and inside found a set of instructions and another envelope. 
The instructions said I had to give the enclosed envelope to Tim to read out what we were doing that night. He started reading, and it turned out to be a poem he had written himself. At the end of it he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. 

After bursting into tears I managed to squeak out a 'Yes!'. I could not have imagined a more perfect proposal.

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Andrea Watson