Choose another map, showing:

• Papua New Guinea
• Australia
• Oceania
• Eurasia, Africa & Pacific
• The World

Other entries in Kuranda

The Balloon Ride

The bus was coming to pick us up at 4:25am, so we got up at the ungodly hour of 3:45am. We were ready when the bus came ( I don't remember how we did it as I think I was still asleep ). The drive took an hour into and through the rainforest up to the Atherton Tablelands. That's where there is a lot of farming and agriculture.

Anyway, when we got there there were 3 balloons being set up. One was bright yellow and blue and had a map of Australia on it, another was bright yellow and had a reddy orange kangaroo on it and the other one was bright yellow with the word Australia sprawled acrossed.

It turned out we were going in 'Roo (the one with the kangaroo). 18 of us got in the balloon + the pilot. The baskets were big, padded on the inside and the interior was covered in a kind of suede. Very comfortable, but it was a little squishy with all of those people.

At 6:15 it was finally time for take off. Just prior to leaving the ground we were all taught the landing position, everyone holds onto handles and slightly bends there knees. You really are bracing yourself for impact.

The balloon ride itself was magnificent. We watched the ground wake up below us. In the balloon, you don't really get a sense of movement, but there is a floating sensation. It was very calming and a little scary when you start thinking about just how high up you are.

We were in the balloon for half an hour, then it was time to land. The balloon company has agreements with certain farms to land in their fields - specific fields. Our pilot had a little problem with the wind on landing and we landed on the corner of a field that had crops in it still.

The landing itself wasn't what I would have expected. I thought the landing would be much softer - I'm not sure why. Instead, we hit the ground with some force and then the balloon continues to bounce you off the ground and drag the basket along for a little while. The basket itself is almost perpendicular to the ground and I felt like I was going to be tossed out, along with everyone else, at any moment.

But we didn't and we were fine. Apparently, it was a normal landing. Well not the landing in the crops part, but everything else.

After we got out of the basket, we all were asked to help dismantle the balloon. It was dewy and mucky. Everyone got dirty and weren't too happy about it. It didn't tell you in the brochure that you could get that dirty and remember, that this is at 7am, we still had the rest of the day to spend in the dirty clothes as our bus wasn't taking us back to our hostel until 1pm.

At one point, everyone is lined up on either side of the balloon folding it into the middle and getting the air out of it (it's now lying on its side on the ground). One of the guides decides to move the truck, not realizing that the basket and balloon are tied to it. He takes off and drags the rest of us behind him for a couple feet. No one got hurt, so its funny now.

Our next stop was back to Tjapukai for breakfast... it was great. They actually had crispy bacon - a rarity here - and they had fresh brewed coffee. I was in heaven!!!! Usually the only type of coffee served is the instant kind and it's not very good.

After breakfast, Patrick and I were driven back up to Kuranda, a little village that is up in the rainforest that was originally a hippie commune. They have markets where you can buy jewellry etc. Patrick and I had a tarot card reading. Mine said that I was protected and that this year I would be working very hard in an area that is to my liking. That there would be a lot of travelling and may be a relocation. It said that I most likely will not be wealthy, but will get a lot and give a lot to/from the community.

Next we took the Skyrail down. Now that was impressive and scary. It's a cable car that runs over the top of the rainforest. The views were incredible! I almost enjoyed it more than the balloon ride.

At 1pm we were picked up at the bottom of the Skyrail and taken back to our hostel. There was a big 3-day cricket match coming to conclusion so we watched the last day's game when we got back. It was between Australia and India.... India won.

Tomorrow we're going to Alice Springs.

Photos / videos of "The Balloon Ride":