Up up and away in my Beautiful Balloon

If EVER you have the opportunity then this is the family outing of a lifetime!

Situated in the heart of the Kalahari Dessert near the "place of great noise" tucked away at a quaint oasis, Augrabies backpacker's, is the launch pad of Kalahari Andrew's Hot Air Ballooning adventure.

Hot and High.

The slogan that makes you stop and think twice, encapsulates this experience nicely.
The noise from the jets as they filled the balloon with hot air added to the excitement while keeping us warm on a typically cold Kalahari winter morning. The sight of the huge balloon filling up and finally lifting up and wafting us away is nothing less than awe inspiring.

"I want one" I exclaimed to Amanda as our ground crew shrank to the size of ants below us.

Sunrise over an Orange River Tributary

Fitting snugly in our 5 man basket, drifting along the air currents one can only marvel at the new paradigm this perspective affords you.

Sailing over strikingly patterned vineyards, some in excess of 20 years old, and waving at the farmers below as they laboured on the future raisins and table grapes, created some friendly bantering.

Talitha's desire to pick a leaf from the tree tops as we skimmed over them was only frustrated by the fact that most were thorn trees.

See through shadow?

Flying above the Kalahari along a couple of the Orange River's tributaries, Captain Andrew flew his craft with great skill and expert precision setting us all at ease, especially Alythia who confessed to having a slight fear of heights which was quickly forgotten as we skirted the Augrabies National Park's borders and saw the mists of the falls bellowing out from the breathtaking eighteen kilometer gorge as water torrented over the fifty-six meter Augrabies waterfall.

Mists of the Mighty Augrabies Falls

18Km Augrabies Gorge

 
And as the saying goes, "What goes up, must come down", we too had to start looking for a place to touch terra-ferma once again. With his now clearly demonstrated skill and finesse Andrew plonked us down safely with all limbs in tact and a memory to write home about.

If you'd like to experience this amazing adventure...


You can contact Andrew via his Google profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/andrew.hockly or Facebook him on http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=654977105&ref=ts
Tell him you heard about him here and who knows... maybe he'll throw in an extra beer ;-)