Australia from a Hot Air Balloon
If you’ve never experienced the magic of hot air ballooning before, your visit to Australia is the perfect opportunity to do so. Whether you’re at the beach or in the outback, seeing Australia from the bird’s eye view of a hot air balloon is an exhilarating experience you’ll never forget.
Where to Go Hot Air Ballooning in Australia
Wherever people go to enjoy the sights of Australia, you can find hot air ballooning. Since hot air balloons require a relatively large and safe take-off and landing facility and no risk of interfering with the flight paths of commercial aircraft, they are usually located outside of city limits. In Australia, a “wide, brown land” with relatively few highly populated areas, there are many opportunities available. Some of the most popular of these include:
- Alice Springs: Seeing Uluru (Ayers Rock) from any perspective is amazing, but seeing it from a hot air balloon is simply breathtaking. Unlike a helicopter flight, silence prevails when you glide in a hot air balloon. One of the great things about hot air ballooning in Alice Springs is that the weather is almost always perfect for it, making cancellations due to inclement weather among the lowest in Australia.
- The Gold Coast: About the only downside to staying earthbound on the Gold Coast is that you can’t get a feel for the incredible geographic diversity of the southern Queensland coast. From a hot air balloon, you get sweeping vistas of the coastline, the highrise tourist mecca of Surfers Paradise, and the rolling hills of the hinterland – all at the same time. Take a sunrise flight and enjoy a champagne breakfast afterward to celebrate your adventure.
- Melbourne: Imagine seeing Australia’s second-largest metropolis from the air. This is easily done, weather permitting, from a hot air balloon. If you prefer more rural scenery, that, too, is easily accomplished in a Yarra Valley hot air balloon.
- The Hunter Valley: The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s premier wine-growing areas. Conditions for hot air ballooning over the Hunter Valley are often ideal and it has to be experienced to be appreciated. Glide over vineyards and wide-open spaces as the sun rises over the glittering Tasman Sea.
- Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges: One of Australia’s most awesome outback attractions is the amazing Wilpena Pound in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. You will definitely want to explore this ancient geological wonderland from the ground, but you will also want to see it from the air, where all of the outback is at your feet.
The best way to go hot air ballooning in Australia is to wait until you arrive and make arrangements with a tour operator after you have booked your Australian accommodation. In some regions, the availability of flights depends largely on the weather. If you do want to book in advance, contact a tour operator and make arrangements with them.
