Balloon Aloft Canberra took CD journalist Lillian Altman for a ride in a hot air balloon as part of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular.
I am a self-confessed night owl, so getting up early to go in a hot air balloon on a workday felt like it would be a struggle.
BUT it was totally worth it!
I wasnโt sure how to feel about being suspended in the air in a basket, but once we launched from John Dunmore Lang Place in Parkes, my worries drifted away.
I was in the safe hands of Hyung Kim (aka Kim), pilot and director of Balloon Aloft Canberra.
It was so lovely seeing the sunrise as the balloon went higher and higher (and lower above Lake Burley Griffin).
The take-off, as well as the entire ride, was much smoother than I had expected.
It was so calming and relaxing floating above Canberraโs icons alongside about 40 other balloons.
It felt so chill, so much so that at times I put my phone away to watch the sunrise and the other balloonsโand Canberra landmarksโfloat by.
The flight, which took place in the purple Goodwin balloon lasted for about 40 minutes, with our balloon the first to return to the ground, landing in Weston Park.
I had never attended the balloon festival, so it was a lovely way to be introduced to the iconic event.
Balloon Aloft Canberra initiated the festival in 1986, with Kim involved for about the past 13 years.
It is the biggest annual balloon fiesta in Australia.
Kim has been a hot air balloon pilot for 27 years and said it was amazing to be part of the festival.
โCanberra is pretty much the only capital city in the world that allows us to fly over. There are not many capital cities in the world you can fly a hot air balloon, so this is very unique,โ Kim said.
โNot only that, but weโve also got a beautiful lake (Lake Burley Griffin), weโve got Black Mountain and many interesting buildings as well.โ
He said during the festival, between 30 and 40 balloons took to the sky.
So, how does it work you wonder?
โA hot air balloon is just a bag of air. The difference in temperature between inside and outside makes it lift,โ Kim said.
โSo, we use the burner, heat up the air inside the balloon, and make it hot and it goes up.
โWe canโt really steer the balloon, the only thing we can do is go up and down, up and down, thatโs the only thing I can do.
โBut generally speaking, different heights have got different speeds and directional windsโthatโs what we use to steer the balloons.โ
Kim said seeing Canberra from above, the view had changed over the years.
โEvery morning Canberra is getting bigger, so I can see the change.โ
To learn more about the festival, which runs until Sunday 23 March, visit canberraballoonspectacular.com
To book a ride, visit balloonaloftcanberra.com.au
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