The gods are smiling

I felt from the moment the bus driver said, "Umm, you guys are the only ones who opted for the half hour trip, so we'll take you for the full hour at no extra cost," that the day was going to be a ripper! Let's face it, I wasn't going to be jumping out half way through a balloon flight!  After three locked gates and some bumpy roads we finally reached the launch place.  "Get on, get on," was the cry as the wind began picking up.  As I heard the pilot swear I started to think our luck had turned.  'Whiskers' tapped me on my white knuckles as I clung to the landing and launching ropes and smiled reassuringly as we waited for lift off.  Maybe he was starting to doubt his choice of being my support person!

I hadn't ever wondered about the take off of a balloon, but it can be a little rocky.  When I saw the land-rover the balloon was tied to moving around the paddock I wondered if I'd really made a wise choice, or if I too should have gone with the 'No motor, no steering wheel, no me rule' employed by Will. 

But once we were soaring I knew I'd made the right decision.  It was noisier than I had imagined, perhaps because my spot was right under the burners, however, I figured that also gave me a more stable position for take off and landing.

The view was magnificent.  We caught the end of sunrise, saw the East and West MacDonnell Ranges in all their glory, had a peak at Pine Gap, spotted a few roos and a herd of cattle too as we passed over a paddock of The Owen Springs Station.  We saw the shadow cast by our balloon laid out against the red of the outback and I watched a flock of birds fly past in the distance.  And then I breathed and relaxed.  It was magical. 

Four hours after touch down and the smile is still on my lips.  Maybe the traditional champagne after a balloon flight has a little to do with that but I think it's more the memories of a truly special hour and the glow of the feeling that the gods have smiled upon us since leaving home for this wonderful holiday.

Back on solid ground