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The challenge, should I choose to accept it; Spend a whole weekend within the SKYCITY complex trying out the different activities and dining experiences.
This is the kind of dare I’m up for even if it meant I had to do the Sky Jump (something I swore I’d never do). After all, how bad could it be? And surely staying in a luxurious hotel would more than make up for the terror?
Read my diary of what was possibly one the best weekends of my life…
Friday
2pm: Check into the SKYCITY Grand Hotel. I have a serious hotel fetish so I was in heaven in my gorgeous luxury king room at the Grand. I rushed around like a fool (hey, I was by myself!) checking out the mini bar, the fluffy bathrobes and the cute pack of toiletries before I flopped down on the world’s biggest, comfiest bed. Bliss! The view across to the Sky Tower itself and out to the Harbour Bridge is the sort of vista you could happily watch all day. Then there were the little extras that make a five star hotel stand out from the rest. When the maids came around to do the turndown service not only did they leave cookies on the bed but they also offered me hot chocolate with marshmallows – and was it soooo tasty! Cost: Luxury King Room from $195.00
4pm: Private Poker Lesson. I abandoned my amazing room and met the girls from work in the lobby. We headed across to the casino and got settled at a poker table where we were set up with lots of chips and taught the rules of the game. This was hilariously fun (and I’m not just saying that because I won, even though I totally did). We drew a bit of a crowd of guys who were somewhat blown away by our extravagant bets, until they realised we weren’t playing for real. Anyone can book one of these lessons, which are for up to six people. It’s definitely worth chipping in with some friends, you’ll have such a laugh. Cost: From $150 p/hour
7.30pm:Dinner at dine by Peter Gordon. I’ve read so many rave reviews of dine so I was stoked to check it out for myself. This is fine dining at its best and, as my fiancé kept saying, the best food he’d ever eaten. I stuffed myself stupid on the warm pear salad, the pan roasted kingfish and the sorbet and icecream selection, kicked off with one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had and accompanied by complementary wine. The boy was so impressed that I think he’ll definitely take me back - score! If you have a special occasion that’s worth a bit more than a curry at the local BYO Indian then make a booking and prepare to have your tastebuds blown away. 1.30am:Midnight Feast. Despite all that rich decadent food I still got an early morning craving for hot chips (I blame the cocktails!). Luckily your every whim can be satisfied in a hotel and mere minutes after picking up the phone, room service delivered a tasty meal to our door, which I guilty ate while watching a movie. Hmmm… those were the best chips ever!
Saturday
9.30am:Breakfast at The Terrace. A large part of my hotel fetish is due to my love of buffet breakfasts and the one at the Grand is definitely the best early morning spread I’ve ever experienced. Delicious pancakes, perfectly cooked eggs benedict and the most beautifully presented fruit salad and yoghurt selection I’ve ever seen gave me eyes bigger than my stomach! Despite knowing I had about an hour before I did the Sky Jump I stuffed myself stupid... bad move! Cost: $30 (pre-booked) or $35.00 (no booking)
10.30am:SkyJump. As I got in the elevator to go up the Sky Tower and do the Sky Jump, dressed in my sexy jumpsuit and loaded up with harnesses, I started to regret the second helping of breakfast. My stomach was jumping all over the place and I was so relieved Vicky, nzgirl’s marketing assistant, had agreed to do it with me, cause I definitely needed a buddy to keep me calm. I don't like heights, so throwing myself off a tall building was never something I planned to do. Despite the sheer terror of stepping off the ledge (I was a screamer – sorry to all those in the Victoria St vicinity!) this was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. When I got to the bottom I wanted to do it again so I could take it all in properly. If you want to push yourself out of your comfort zone try it you’ll feel so great after (aaah adrenaline… love it!) Cost: $195.00 or $175.00 students or backpackers with ID
12.30pm: East Day Spa Still shaking from my Sky Jump I headed to the best place for me…East Day Spa. My best friend Amanda joined me and we were escorted to a gorgeous calming room where we both enjoyed the ‘Veda’ massage from our excellent therapists. We were given a selection of beautiful smelling oils to choose between and before long the room was filled with gorgeous scents and I was fighting the urge to fall into a deep sleep. Sadly the hour of pure bliss was over before I knew it, but the zen-ed out feeling lingered on for the rest of the day. Cost: The ‘Staying in Touch’ package, which is for two people, is $220.
1.45pm: Gold Class Cinema Stepping out of East onto a blustery city street was a bit of a shock to our senses, but we were quickly ensconced in our seats at the Queen St SKYCITY Gold Class Cinema, enjoying a screening of the very funny Knocked Up. This was my first Gold Class experience and I don’t know how I’ll ever go back to a normal theatre again! Being able to recline my seat to the perfect position, having plenty of legroom and the wait staff on tap is something you get used to pretty quickly. Cost: Tickets, which include popcorn and soft drink, are $30.00 each.
6.00pm: Cocktails at Bellota The Spanish definitely have some great ideas about food and new tapas bar Bellota (prounounced bey-otta) certainly emphasises this point. Amanda and I enjoyed tasty cocktails and went nuts ordering tapas. Everything we ate was divine and before long we’d filled ourselves up to the brim on the tasty bite sized morsels. We particularly rated the deep-fried fritters with sweet tomato jam, my mouth is watering just thinking about them! The cosy booths make this is a great place to head with your girlfriends for a post-work catch-up or kick off a romantic night out with the boy (although don’t copy the couple in the booth opposite us and make out like teenagers... it’s distracting for other diners!).
8pm: Show at the SKYCITY Theatre You really can’t run out of things to do at SKYCITY. After stuffing ourselves at Bellota we headed to the theatre to check out a play called Who Wants to Be 100. Although aimed at an older demographic (I swear we were the only people there who didn’t have grey hair!) this was a very clever, very funny production… it did leave us feeling a bit freaked out about ageing though! A quick detour back through the casino (we didn’t win a cent) and it was bed for me… talk about an exhausting day! (Yep, it’s a hard job but someone’s got to do it).
Sunday
10am: Brunch at Orbit After my Sky Jump yesterday taking the lift up to Orbit was a breeze and I didn’t feel the least bit frightened by being so high. Because it was the Sky Tower’s 10th birthday we were given a complimentary glass of bubbles, which was the perfect way to toast an amazing weekend. Good coffee, tasty food and an amazing view (the sun even came out) finished off my luxurious, decadent experience.
It’s amazing how you can spend a whole weekend less than 15 minutes from home and still feel like you’ve been on holiday. I returned to my house on Sunday afternoon feeling refreshed, relaxed (at least 5 kgs heavier from all the delicious food!) and bursting with fantastic stories.
For more information about booking any or all of these SKYCITY experiences head to www.skycity.co.nz
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weekend within the SKYCITY complex trying out the different activities and dining experiences.
4pm: Private Poker Lesson. 
As I got in the elevator to go up the Sky Tower and do the 
Still shaking from my Sky Jump I headed to the best place for me…
The Spanish definitely have some great ideas about food and new tapas bar 
After my Sky Jump yesterday taking the lift up to