Balloon Spectacular in Canberra

A lovely  Saturday morning I drove down to Canberra, the Australian Capital city of Sydney. It is a 3 hours drive and I had the great company. Little did I know I was in for a spectacular surprise on Sunday morning.

Canberra boasts of interesting locations for tourists, but their annual Hot Air Balloon Spectacular event was being held from 10th to 18th March 2018. Dozens of hot air balloons from across the globe are floated in the early morning from the Old Parliament House grounds. This creates a picturesque view across the background of the city landmarks. The hot air balloons are colorful and of various fun shapes and sizes.The balloons “splash n dash” into Lake Burley Griffin. Thousands gather at different spots in the city to view the balloons. While some view the balloons, there are others who book balloon flights.

Wanderer’s Tip:  If you plan to get a Balloon Flight during Balloon Spectacular Event, an advanced booking is essential

We reached on Kings Edward Terrace at Old Parliament grounds around 6.30 am and found that we were late to the party. There were a lot of parking spots in the Parliament zone, so taking the car was a good idea. There was a jovial, fun crowd of thousands and huge balloons were being readied for their flights. Pictures and videos were happening.

We joined in the fun moved around from one balloon to other taking pictures in the light morning chill. Gradually pilots started floating the balloons and the crowd cheered each takes off.

Kerbie the frog was the most popular and parents and kids were flocking to get pictures.

The Hummingbird balloon was another cute and colorful one.

I loved this smiley though

Once all the balloons took off by 7:05 am, we were planning to drive to see the view from the lookout. The traffic was busy as many people had the same plans and we could not get to the car and then drive to Arboretum. We did not even look for hot breakfast options though it was said to be available.

It was 7.20 am by the time we reached the Canberra Nara Peace Park.  We missed the “splash n dash” of hot air balloons into Lake Burley Griffin.  Still, we saw the hot air balloons floating above the library and the river. It was spectacular.

We ended the morning with a lovely and huge breakfast from Lonsdale Street Cafe. still reeling in the effects of the day;)

Practical tips for visiting Balloon Spectacular :

The entire event lasts for over an hour from 6.15 am to 7.30 am including preparations and floating in the air. You need to prepare and plan well on where you need to reach and how to get there.

Weather

If the weather conditions are not good, the hot air balloons will not take off. Please check “visitcanberra” on Facebook or #balloonspectacular for twitter updates, before you start.

Getting there: There is car parking available in the Parliamentary zone. But there is a bit of a walk from the parking sites to the gardens, so plan accordingly, especially with kids.

Parking

New Parliament Parking – Walk to old parliament grounds

Parliament zone – There are many parking spots near the garden in the early morning.

Booking

For balloon flight bookings, check Ballon Aloft or Drawn Drifter. Free viewing for spectators.

Best Vantage Points 

Kings Edward Terrace

Old Parliament Gardens

Canberra Nara Peace Park

National Arboretum Canberra

Food

There is hot breakfast available at the grounds, though I did not even look for that.

More information is available here

If you are in Sydney, go in for the coming weekend. If you are in Canberra, go daily guys 😉