This February (2008) Kay and Jonathan spent the gift certificate
for a balloon flight for two that Jonathan gave Kay for her
birthday (2006). It was a thoroughly spectacular event.
It seems Hamilton is good for balloons... perhaps this is the
climate, perhaps it is the absence of natural balloon hazatds, like ocean,
nearby. In any case, the climate was balloon-perfect this day.
We arrived about 6AM. The balloon is a 6000 cubic metre envelope with
a basket capable of lofting 10 passengers plus its pilot and fuel.
When we lifted off it was light, but not yet dawn.
Andrew is the pilot, and ballooning is his business and his life.
He does know what he is doing, but he was impressed when Jonathan
calculated the balloon's lift---1500kg---when told that the
envelope is capable of running at 120C.
("Are you a physicist or something?")
These flights run between 1000 and 2000 feet altitude, last about
an hour, and typically cross Hamilton from the South-East
to the North-West.
Soon after liftoff, and before dawn, we crossed over the real
railway shunting yards and also the shunting yards of
Hamilton Model Engineers
where we ride our smalltrains.
You can see the rails running about the trees.
In the misty distance we could just make out the university.
We floated dead across the line of the main street through Hamilton,
as it runs parallel to the river and through the CBD.
You can see the yellow light as the sun rose above the horizon
catching the steam issuing from various chimneys.
We saw rowers on the river, with one of Jonathan's students in the first fours.
He saw us overhead but claims he cannot be in any of these sculls... the
oars don't have the right markings. Uh-huh.
Our house is out there somewhere. Kay looks towards Pirongia, the
mountain we see from our kitchen window. The sun is high enough to cast shadows now.
We drifted directly over the house in Clarkin Road where we stayed
when we first arrived. That is it with the pool. Nice looking, hideous inside,
pool leaked.
Looks can be deceptive.
Still misty to the North, and very picturesque.
As the sun rose Hamilton drifted away into the distance.
Looking over the CBD you can see lake Rotoroa, from where we
took off. The university is somewhere behind Kay's head,
still shrouded in mist.
The rising sun made everything come alive.
Landing is, of course, quite an adventure in an unpowered craft.
We skimmed noveau suburbs for a while until we found some open land.
Lots of people come out of their houses and wave at you, kids
stare up.
We settled in some housing track that had roads but not yet houses---perfect.
Here you can see Jonathan helping pull down the envelope.