Above Queenstown: The flight of the dragon

“Pre flight procedures”

Queenstown, New Zealand. April 2019. (15 photos)

This is Part 1 of my New Zealand 2019 photo series.

…..

In 2017 I visited the Queenstown region of New Zealand.

In 2018 I visited the Auckland region of New Zealand. My post only appeared a couple of weeks a go. I apologise for my tardiness.

A few weeks ago I returned to the Queenstown region. This is the first in a short series of posts about my most recent trip there.

…..

In April this year, just before Easter, I returned to Queenstown for a long weekend trip because there were a couple of things I wanted to see and do that I missed out on last time I was there. Bungy jumping was NOT one of those things.

After booking the flights I was looking through some tourism websites looking for a hiking tour when I saw a description about ballooning in Queenstown. After considering it for a while, two days before arriving in New Zealand I contacted the ballooning company and asked for a reservation if there were a space available. Kind of hoping they would say no, in fact they said yes. Then I had to contact them at 6am on the morning of my flight to confirm the weather conditions were suitable for flying. Again, hoping they would say no, they said yes. So I rugged up for the near freezing outdoor conditions and ventured out for my first ever balloon flight.

This is my flight above Queenstown: the flight of the dragon.

In the photo above two of the other passengers volunteered to hold the balloon open so two fans could inflate the balloon. It was about 1 degree Celsius out but that was perfect for ballooning as it is easier to attain the appropriate temperature differential to achieve and maintain flight.

“Inside the balloon”

Our pilot doing an inspection inside the balloon.

“Fire in the hole”

“Up, up and away”

Whilst looking at the other balloon, I almost didn’t realise we’d actually taken off.

“Above Lake Hayes”

For this first timer, the first couple of hundred metres or so up were the most concerning, because I figured that if the balloon suddenly plummeted I might actually survive but be incapacitated. From higher than that, I assumed instant death from a fall which is actually a less nervous proposition and so I was able to simply enjoy the flight.

“Flying high”

“Sunrise over Queenstown, Otago”

“Snowfall around Queenstown”

Snow from a recent Autumn coldspell on the mountaintops around Queenstown.

“View from the basket”

According to my souvenir certificate, we reached approximately 6500 ft, or 2 km, above land.

“Above Middle Earth”

That’s Queenstown Airport in the middle of the photo. Not the longest runway in the world.

Just behind the airport is Deer Park Heights which I visited and posted about before. This Park is now closed to the public but was the site of filming for many of the scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

To the extreme left is The Remarkables Mountain Range which I flew up to in a helicopter and posted about previously as well.

“Above Queenstown: the flight of the dragon”

The Shotover River on the left is where many of the adventure jet boat rides take place.

“Looking down”

Since I was up there anyway, I stuck my head and camera over the side and looked straight down.

“Shadowplay”

“Back on solid ground”

“Cheers”

It’s a ballooning tradition to enjoy a champagne (in this case, a champagne breakfast) after a flight…

“It is said that back in the early days of ballooning in France, local farmers believed that hot air balloons that were landing in their fields may have been dragons descending from the skies. To soothe the farmers’ fears and make peace, the hot air balloon pilots would share a bottle of champagne with the farmers whose land they have disturbed.”

Dragons descending from the skies. Kind of ironic isn’t it?

…..

I envisage another 3 or so posts in this short photographic series, although the posts won’t appear for a while and won’t necessarily be in consecutive order.

Why?

Well, in the title for this post I do mention “the flight of the dragon” and in fact I do have a northbound plane to catch later this week. I’ll be back after a short break, although I do realise that my definition of short may not necessarily match yours. I might try to drop a postcard along the way.

…..

This is Part 1 of my New Zealand 2019 photo series.

Part 2 of this trilogy is Milford Sound and Sights

Part 3 of this trilogy is Otago and that Wanaka Tree