Melbourne hot air balloons!

Today we had one of our most exciting adventures yet- experiencing the Melbourne skyline from a hot air balloon!

We started our day with an early wake up at 5am, and were picked up from our hotel by the hot air balloon group. There were three groups of 10 people, spread across three vans(with one balloon towed behind for each). We initially drove to a large park, but as we started unloading the wind shifted, and our group hurried on to another launch area.

The next park we reached had perfect conditions, so our operators started the setup and unloading process. Chris was selected to help hold open the balloon for inflation, so he got a bit of a workout to start the adventure.

Once the balloon was inflated enough, we all hopped in, and took to the skies.

The experience was incredible! A picture is worth a thousand words, and video is even better, so we took lots!

The balloon’s descent is up to the whims of the wind, so we ended up landing in a distant park on the other side of Melbourne. Our follow-on car was there to meet us, so all of the passengers helped put away the hot air balloon(it’s like rolling up a MASSIVE sleeping bag) and then we were shuttled home.

We did some trip planning at the hotel following, before heading out to dinner at Black Prince Pub and Grill(British Indian food, served in a British pub!)

Following this we explored a number of laneways to end the night. Laneways are uniquely Brisbane, and refer to heavily decorated alleys(called lanes) all over the city that are filled with bars and restaurants. Each alley is different and many are themed.

After dinner, we grabbed gelato in one of the laneways, and then explored China Town. Afterwards, we called the night, as tomorrow we fly to Tasmania!Read more