Whether it’s from your car window or from your seat at the door of your favorite cellar, the view of wine country is always beautiful. So you can imagine what you will see from a Hunter Valley hot air balloon ride?
It is 3.30 am. The temptation to hit snooze is strong, but excitement keeps our eyes open.
Today, we fly!
For the first time, Christina and I make Phileas Fogg* and jump into a hot air balloon to explore Hunter Valley from the sky.
After a hurried coffee in our room (thankfully the pod machine where we stay at The Lane Retreat understands the importance of an espresso this early) we make our way to Rydges Resort Hunter Valley to meet our pilot from Beyond the Balloon for this morning’s flight!
*In Jules Verne’s book Around the world in 80 days Fogg never actually travels in a hot air balloon, but for some reason, his epic journey is synonymous with lighter-than-air travel.
Watch our video from our first hot air balloon ride!
WIN! A 3-night stay in the Hunter Valley that includes this hot air balloon ride, as well as fine dining, in-room massages, picnics and more!
We’ve teamed up with Bimbadgen to offer lucky winners 2x romantic Hunter Valley getaways for two—see our post here for details or click here to enter the contest and fly high above the vines!
What is it like in a hot air balloon?
We arrive and check in at Rydges, where Beyond the Balloon based and divided into our different groups. There are four groups of us this morning, based on numbers and weight.
It’s still dark outside when we head to our minibus that takes us to our departure point: a farmer’s field just down the road.
The team at Beyond Ballooning bring out the giant wicker baskets we travel in and explain how to get inside. Ours is huge — it can fit 20 people. At first we worry that being in such a large group and in such a large basket will kill the romantic feel of the experience, and then the pilot drops the bomb on us.
They have the tiny two-person balloons for private rides, but their main drawbacks are how much more they move in the wind and how they bounce on landing.
The big ones that most people travel in are much more comfortable and because you are in your own little section you hardly notice the other passengers so the romance is not lost!
After the exhilarating process of inflating the balloons is over, we climb into our basket and before we know it, we are flying away on the early morning breeze.
I’m amazed at how quickly we gain altitude, soaring over forests and valleys, vineyards and farms as if they were models in a toy store.
Why such an early start?
There are a few reasons why these balloon rides start before dawn. One is that the air is cooler, so the warm air inside the balloon rises more efficiently.
But the air is also calmer before the sun comes out. As the sun heats the air, it creates convection which in turn causes wind and turbulence, disturbing the air layers. This makes the flight less predictable and less smooth.
Finally, there is a simple logistics reason. Fewer people around means less disturbance caused by taking off and landing in fields, many of whom work on farms and wineries. Not to mention light planes and helicopters, common in the Hunter, don’t generally fly in the dark.
What happens during the flight?
After take off, which can be a bit noisy and hot with the burners on, the balloon floats peacefully in the breeze leaving you to enjoy the magnificent view.
The sun rises adding even more drama to the view – we even see a rainbow at one point.
You can only admire the view of one of Australia’s best wine regions below you, with the Broken Back Range visible in the distance. It is really beautiful and very quickly you forget that you are only floating in warm air.
And although the pilot has no real control over the direction of the balloon, he is aware of different air currents blowing at different levels and directions, and harnesses those winds to guide the balloon to the landing zone.
Our pilot Nathan flawlessly guides us to our landing, past the golf course at Rydges and the tree line surrounding a field at Calais Estate. It was a journey of about 17km and he lands with a thump (and then a few more thumps) to see us safely on the ground.
What happens after the flight?
Once we stop moving, we get out of the basket and Nathan takes us inside the deflating balloon. It’s almost as exciting as the ride itself. You feel like you’re in a giant inflatable airplane hanger.
We help pack the balloon and then return to the minibus for a short ride back to the Rydges and breakfast.
In one of the function rooms here, Beyond Ballooning has laid out a long line of bain maries filled with all the makings of a solid hotel buffet. We grab coffees from the cart in the hallway, but then Nathan comes in with a sparkling bottle of Bimbadgen. How could we say no?
So is the Early Start worth it?
In a simple word: yes.
Once you’re up in the sky with the landscape spreading out all around you, you forget how tired you were when you first woke up. And breakfast at the end really sweeps away any remaining cobwebs.
Two pro tips:
– Because of the summer season, shorter days and cooler mornings, winter means you won’t have to get up as early.
– Bring a hat. The burners on the balloon put out a lot of heat and can be uncomfortable in the basket, especially if the pilot needs to do a long burn.
– Wear comfortable clothes. It might be cold for one thing, but getting in and out of the basket is a bit of a struggle too. No short skirts and sensible shoes are a good idea.
