Up, Up & Away!

Monday 5 May

Apologies in advance… but Jeremy took me flying in his new hot air balloon Dutch Oven, in front of the snow capped Southern Alps at dawn… there are a LOT of photos!

We set off at 6.15am, after a false start (boggy field) we stood up Dutch 🇳🇱 Oven

and the rainbow 🌈 coloured Ballooning Canterbury rig at the Hororata Domain and at around 7.30am we had lift off.

Although the glow of sunrise had shone along the horizon as we prepped and inflated the balloons, the final moment of the sun popping up waited until we were airborne - and at one point, the BC balloon caused a sunrise eclipse - absolutely stunning.

Meanwhile, on board Dutch 🇳🇱 Oven we were basking in the sun's early rays - the golden light was beyond beautiful and the sun quickly warmed the air up here so I soon abandoned my bobble hat and let the wind ruffle my hair - magical! Jeremy was our pilot and Mario from Canada was also flying with us. Mario was as inspired as I was by this morning adventure and he too took about a million photos!

We soared high over the Canterbury Plains with a perfect clear view of the Southern Alps to the west and all the way out to the Banks Peninsula beyond Christchurch to the east.

The shadows cast on the ground below us as the sun climbed higher, the braided river beds, the meandering stream, the patchwork fields, the irrigation circles, the undulating topography, the tiny dots of sheep & cattle - all gave such a different perspective on the landscape we have been living in for so many weeks & months as we floated over it.

Absolutely stunning!

Louis, Abby and Mario’s partner Annabelle were our chase crew and we spotted them on the road below us at one point. After an hour and a half we touched down in a paddock not far from where we were staying and the crew checked permission with the lovely farmer then came in to help us pack up and tow the basket and balloon envelope back to base (via the Hororata Cafe for coffee, hot chocolate & breakfast - of course!)

After our fab morning and a wee siesta, Louis and I headed into town (swim, odd jobs and op shopping) before spaghetti bolognese for dinner in Banjo where we were joined by Ettie, freshly returned from her honeymoon in Jamaica, and then an early night for the next dawn outing!