UP UP AND AWAY AND AWAY!!!
so I finally did it! I went up in a hot air balloon!! Not only that...I enjoyed it soooo much that I did it again...isnt that what they say...do the fun things twice?
Well my first Hot Air Balloon experience was in melbourne on the 20th of may. We gathered at the langham hotel by the yarra for a 5am start. We were taken to the launching field where after a quick weather test, we then helped roll out this humungous balloon and watch it being inflated while freezing our butts off in the 4 degree frost filled morning...im not complaining but for those of you who are going to go dont forget to dress warm and double explorers for the feet!!
so I finally did it! I went up in a hot air balloon!! Not only that...I enjoyed it soooo much that I did it again...isnt that what they say...do the fun things twice?
Well my first Hot Air Balloon experience was in melbourne on the 20th of may. We gathered at the langham hotel by the yarra for a 5am start. We were taken to the launching field where after a quick weather test, we then helped roll out this humungous balloon and watch it being inflated while freezing our butts off in the 4 degree frost filled morning...im not complaining but for those of you who are going to go dont forget to dress warm and double explorers for the feet!!
As soon as the balloon was fully inflated we all jumped in and before we knew it we were airborne.
I really have no other way of describing it but magical...it truley was an experience like no other.. floating above peoples houses waving at the children below making their way to school it all just felt a little surreal but cool...i mean i was in the sky in a giant picnic basket full of people with nothing but the wind and hot air to guide us!
We travelled through the outskirts of the city as we watched the sun come up in the horizon it was just beautiful.......so beautiful I was already planning my next flight!
Fast Forwrd to July 1st 2011....My best friend Kathleen and I are all booked in for a hot air balloon flight over the Yarra Valley!
We left home and started our 3 hour road trip into the yarra valley,All rugged up and with milo in hand we were sure to have a great day.
We arrived at the winery to meet the rest of the thirill seekers and then took off on a 20 min drive to the launch site which this time happned to be a Cow paddock!
This in itself was quite an experience, walking through the wet long grass in the dark while trying to avoid stepping in cow poop is quite a challenge but we came out unscaved!(however we did learn that the limit of explorer socks should be doubled in the yarra valley as its even chillier up that way!) Again we helped set up the balloon and soon we were up.
This exerience was extreemely different to the city balloon flight as the scenery in the yarra valley was just breathtaking. The sunrise was just amazing and seeing mobs of kangaroos below is something I will never forget.After an hour of breathtaking scenery we landed safely and were taken back to the winery for a champaigne breakfast.
Im proud to say that I have ticked another item off my list not only once but twice and am now a fully qualified Aeronaut:p
