My Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride In Melbourne
I have always been fascinated by a hot-air balloon at sunrise in Melbourne. On my solo travel adventures in Australia, I witnessed many hot-air balloons floating gently over the most diverse and picturesque landscapes. Finally, I was lucky to tick this off my bucket list and go on a hot-air balloon ride over Melbourne.
Hot air balloon rides in Melbourne: What to know
Ballooning is not something you can take for granted. There is no guarantee you can fly, and its success depends much on the wind conditions. So you may not know where they will operate this flight until the very last minute.
The ideal time for hot air balloon flights is early morning before sunrise or later afternoon before sunset. I was booked into the sunrise hot air balloon ride over Melbourne between 6.00 and 6.30 a.m.
I had to check with the pilot a few times: in the evening before and early in the morning for his final confirmation. So at 4.30 in the morning, the pilot confirmed the flight! How exciting!
What to expect from a hot air balloon flight
For every hot-air balloon ride, where will the wind take us? Our small group gathered at Pullman on the Park in Melbourne, where we visited the launch site. On the way to the launch site, the pilot pulled up to recheck the weather and wind conditions. He inflated a small balloon and let it float up in the air.
From the flashing strings hanging out of the little box, he could see in which direction the aircraft was going, and this helped him choose the launch site and the instructions for our hot-air balloon flight.
Getting ready for the launch of the balloon flight over Melbourne
As an outdoor activity, hot air ballooning can be great fun if everyone actively participates. Once we got to the launch site, we were asked to help with the hot-air balloon set-up. There were 11 people, and we all helped out, so it didn’t take long to unfold the aircraft (it’s enormous).
After the crew inflated the balloon with cold and hot air, we were ready to jump on board the hot air balloon basket (it’s tiny, but it feels safe). After receiving landing and safety instructions, we were ready to take off the ground. YAY!
View details of my sunrise hot air balloon ride over Melbourne
It’s about the Experience
I was impressed with how smooth a hot air balloon ride is. As the balloon slowly floated up, I hardly noticed any movements. It floated around gently so we could take in the fantastic view of Melbourne from the sky. Because of the wind conditions, we couldn’t get into Melbourne City and could only fly over the city’s North-Eastern suburbs. However, it was not disappointing!
The highlights of the sunrise hot air balloon ride in Melbourne
What impressed me was the profound silence that reigns up in the air. As we floated over Melbourne’s suburbs, it felt as if the buzzing life from the ground was muted. An entirely new perspective of the city.
We could watch the traffic on the expressways branching out and follow the Warrigal Road traversing the town down to the ocean. That morning, three more hot air balloons were soaring over the same area.
We could see the green areas of Melbourne’s surroundings, with its many beautiful golf courses.
We could marvel at Melbourne’s skyscraper silhouette at sunrise, waking to a new day.
After nearly an hour of floating, the sun’s rays started to warm up the places with brighter colours, and we slowly approached our landing site. On our descent, we could discover more exciting sites from the air. This is another excellent view over Melbourne’s eastern suburbs with the magnificent Port Phillip Bay’s backdrop.
We could spot the Spirit of Tasmania anchored in Port Melbourne and the Caulfield Race Course closer to us.
The Ballooning Fun comes by landing
After about 1 hour of gentle hot air ballooning, we landed at Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs. The landing was smooth initially but a bit bumpy towards the end, but we safely landed “sideways” on the ground. It was unexpected, but it was good fun!
I was lucky to be the first to come out of the basket so I could take photos of the rest of the group stuck in the cubicle. The sideways landing seems to be the standard landing.
Would I go ballooning again?
Yes definitely. Despite waking up early and being cold for a while, I loved every minute. Yes, I would do it again. Indeed, I was lucky to have experienced a Hot Air Balloon Ride on the Gold Coast.
How To Book Hot Air Balloon Rides in Melbourne
The trip is not cheap, but I would go for it if you want to experience Melbourne especially. Our basket suited 12 persons, but larger hot-air balloon baskets fit larger groups with 24 people.
Book this hot-air balloon flight in Melbourne
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More blog posts about Melbourne:
The best things to do in Melbourne
Best Places to eat in Melbourne
Discover the best Street Art in Melbourne
First published in 2015, last updated in April 2024
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De'Jav
May 28, 2015 @ 9:58 am
Hot air ballon sounds like a good time. Was it ever too cold when up in the air?
Rocky Travel Blog
May 28, 2015 @ 10:22 am
Not at all. You don’t feel much of the wind. Every 2-3 minutes the burners go on for a few seconds to keep the balloon floating, so you feel the heat that they radiate. Very pleasant!