Nestled within the woven basket of a hot air balloon in Ipswich, I discovered a new thing. I’ve named it ‘cloud bathing’. You’ve all heard of forest bathing, right? It’s the same concept, but instead of surrendering to calm by surrounding yourself in trees and nature, it’s a calm inflicted by surrendering to the whims of the wind from a gentle soar in a hot air balloon. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re really missing out.
What to expect on your hot air balloon flight in Ipswich
Before taking off
Every good hot air balloon ride starts with a ridiculously early morning. 45 minutes before sunrise, to be exact. Meeting at the Ipswich Information Centre (there is free parking here), you’ll greet Graeme, the owner and chief pilot of Floating Images Hot Air Balloon, where he’ll send up a small test balloon to check the wind direction and speed. This determines your departure location.
Why so early? Graeme says it’s like baking the perfect croissant. Flying a hot-air balloon calls for certain conditions. Balloons need cool, stable, gentle winds, and unfortunately for those who are not early risers, early morning provides optimal conditions. The spectacular South East Queensland sunrise is just a magical bonus.
You’ll jump in the back of Graeme’s car, and he will drive you to the chosen departure location. Once you arrive, you can help set up the balloon if you wish. The deflated balloon stretches out around 20-30 metres on the ground, with the basket attached off to one side. You’ll be invited to hold the mouth of the balloon open while large industrial fans fill it with air. Once it’s two-thirds full, Graheme will start blasting it with the flame from the burners.
Wooosh!
Take off
Once the right amount of hot air is blown into the balloon, it starts to rise, and the basket starts to upright itself. This is when you all jump in! There are footholds and grab holds in the side of the basket, so you just climb on in.
Once you’re in, a safety briefing is given on how to stand when you land, and a call is made to the appropriate aviation authorities to let them know you’ll be up there.
Graeme’s ground crew hook on a camera that hangs like a trapeze off the balloon for mid-flight photos, and then you’re off. You’ll see the ground crew again when you land.
In the air
In the air it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced. Those who suffer from motion sickness need not worry, I’m a regular sufferer and had zero problems. There is no sway and no feeling of motion, just a feeling of lightness.
You’ll hear the woosh from the burners, feel the warmth of the sun rising over the horizon, and will hear Kookaburras laugh in the distance. Kangaroos bound below and the scenery over the Ipswich, Scenic Rim and Somerset regions is nothing short of stunning.
On our balloon ride, I noticed something in the fog rising to my left. A perfect balloon shadow of our hot air balloon that due to some magical light trickery, appeared to have a rainbow surrounding it. It was surreal. Check it out in our short social clip below:
The flight lasts around an hour and is, in fact, the longest flight time for a balloon in the South East Queensland region. It’s the perfect length of time.
Landing
Fun fact. Balloons can’t be steered left or right like a car. The direction and speed they fly depends entirely on which way and how strong the wind is blowing, so you don’t really know where you’re landing until you’re up in the air. Graeme keeps in contact with his ground crew via UHF and they follow in a car down below.
Our flight landed in the backyard of someone’s rural property, much to their surprise, as they were seated on their porch for breakfast. Apparently, it’s the second time they’ve landed there in the last 12 months.
How long does it take?
The whole experience takes around three to four hours, including passenger meet-and-greet, inflating of the ballon, one hour in the air, landing, deflation and breakfast at a restaurant afterwards.
What should I wear and bring for my hot air balloon flight in Ipswich?
An early morning start means it could be a bit cool, but once the sun rises, it will warm up quickly. The best thing to do is wear a few layers. You’ll need enclosed shoes suitable for long grass and morning dew. So don’t show up in sandals, high heels or open-toe shoes as they’re not allowed. Even though it will be dark when you set out, you will want sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat once the sun rises. Basically, dress like you’re going for an early morning bushwalk. Don’t forget to charge your phone or camera for photos!
How crowded will the basket be?
Floating Images Hot Air Balloons have baskets for two to four and five to ten passengers. This means that what basket you get depends on the numbers booked for that day. On the day we flew, there were five passengers plus the pilot so we used the larger basket and there was plenty of room. You could easily have added five more and still not be squished up.
How high does the hot air balloon go over the Ipswich and Scenic Rim region?
Our flight was around 457 metres (1500 feet), but according to Floating Images Hot Air Balloon, an average flight will experience a maximum of 301 metres (1000 feet) to 914 metres (3000 feet).
Is it colder up there?
No. You have to go a lot higher for it to get colder. Because you’re flying with the wind, this also eliminates the wind chill factor and don’t forget there is a giant flame above you shooting hot air into the balloon, so it’s a little like standing next to a campfire when the burner is on.
Passenger limitations
The Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) stipulates that for safety reasons, all passengers must be able to embark and disembark a balloon basket unassisted and you must be able to stand the entire time. This makes it tricky for those with limited mobility as the wicker basket has no door, only built-in steps to climb in and out.
In addition, there are weight stipulations. This is an important factor in hot air ballooning, so you will be asked your weight when booking. Any passenger weighing over 115kg may attract a 50% surcharge, and unfortunately, due to CASA restrictions, anyone heavier than 130kg can not participate in ballooning.
CASA regulations and Floating Images policy is that pregnant women should not fly in a hot air balloon.
The big question – is a hot air balloon flight over Ipswich & the Scenic Rim worth the expense?
Costing approximately $495 per person, this is not something that you’ll do every weekend. However, as a bucket list item that was thoroughly enjoyable (I’m still floating weeks later), I believe it to be worth the expense. Especially for a special event like an anniversary or birthday!
Read next:
- The best things to do in Ipswich, QLD
- Introducing Watercress Creek Olives and Limes
- Review of the JW Marriott in Surfers Paradise – Is it worth it?
