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The best 50th birthday present ideas are the ones the birthday person hasn't tried yet: a sunrise balloon flight over wine country, a tasting-menu dinner in a botanic garden, a night in a tent at a zoo. Each one gives them a story for the party and gives you something that won't need wrapping. Pick the one that matches how they'd spend a free day.
By 50, most people own what they need. What they haven't done yet fits into a morning over the Yarra Valley in a balloon, a long lunch on Sydney Harbour or a night camped inside Melbourne Zoo. The ideas below are grouped by how the birthday person likes to spend a day, so you can match the gift to them.
A balloon flight starts early and ends with breakfast, which makes it an easy gift to hand over at a birthday dinner the night before. The Melbourne flight finishes with a champagne breakfast at the Sofitel on Collins, and the Yarra Valley balloon tour ends with a buffet breakfast at Yarra Valley Lodge. In the Hunter Valley, the weekend balloon flight for two lands before a breakfast with sparkling wine at Peterson House. On the Gold Coast, the balloon flight and buffet breakfast is served at Akoya Restaurant, The Langham, after a flight over the Scenic Rim. Barossa Valley has its own sunrise flight with a cooked breakfast.
Food gifts work best when the setting does some of the work. The Luke Nguyen lunch at Botanic House is a shared tasting menu with wine inside Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden. On the water, the Melbourne river cruise with a four-course dinner and the Sydney Harbour cruise with a three-course lunch give two people a table with a view. For a train ride with dinner, the Q Train first-class compartment serves a five-course degustation between Drysdale and Queenscliff. A three-course steakhouse dinner with wine is also available in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.
A night away answers the question of what to do on the actual birthday. The Overnight Zoo Safari at Werribee Open Range Zoo puts two people in a luxury tent on the savannah with an African-inspired dinner and breakfast, and the Roar n Snore sleepover at Melbourne Zoo camps you in the old Elephant Exhibit. In the city, the Hotel Windsor overnight getaway is a short walk from Fitzroy Gardens and the theatre district. For a slower day, Alba Thermal Springs and Spa has more than 20 geothermal pools, a sauna and a steam room, with a two-course meal at Thyme.
Some people turn 50 and want to go faster. The weekend tandem skydive over Wollongong gives them up to 15,000 feet and a view of the coast and escarpment, with return Sydney transfers. The Sydney jet fighter flight has a flight suit, a helmet and a pilot who does the manoeuvres. In Perth, the V8 race car drive comes with a race driver coach, and you choose a sedan or a ute.
The choice depends on who's giving. A partner can book a stay or a dinner for two, a group of friends can look at the zoo sleepovers and balloon flights, and an adult child may want something a parent can do at their own speed, like a day at Alba or a long cruise lunch. Matching the idea to the relationship usually narrows the options quickly.
Timing is the other worry, because a 50th rarely lands on a convenient weekday. A RedBalloon gift voucher can be handed over at the party, and the birthday person books a date that suits their diary and the people they want to bring.
Experiences the person wouldn't book for themselves tend to work best. Good options include a sunrise balloon flight over the Yarra Valley, a tasting menu at Luke Nguyen's Botanic House, a night at Werribee Open Range Zoo or a day at Alba Thermal Springs and Spa.
A day or night away gives the birthday more weight than a dinner out. The Windsor stay in Melbourne and the Q Train degustation near Geelong both build a whole evening around the person, and Alba suits anyone who'd rather spend the day soaking.
For him, the V8 race car drive in Perth, the Sydney jet fighter flight and a skydive over Wollongong are popular adrenaline choices. For her, the Alba bathing and dining experience, a balloon flight or a high tea suit a quieter day. Plenty of people would pick either list, so go by the person.
Many are written for two: the Hunter Valley weekend balloon flight, the Overnight Zoo Safari, the Roar n Snore sleepover, the Hotel Windsor getaway and the Melbourne River Cruise with a four-course dinner. The birthday person brings a partner or friend, so you only need to choose the setting.
Skip the balloons and skydives. The dinner cruises, the Q Train degustation, Alba Thermal Springs and the hotel and zoo overnights all happen at ground level, and most run later in the day.
A party suits someone who wants everyone in one room, and an experience suits someone who'd rather have a few people and one good day. For a bigger celebration, look at group celebrations and celebrations and party ideas, then give an experience on top.
For other milestones and styles, browse birthday gifts, unique birthday gifts and popular birthday experiences. If the plan is a day with mates, guys day out and girls day out have group-friendly picks, and luxury experiences cover the bigger occasions.