Battistones Abroad: Alice Springs and Hot Air Balloon Ride

Here we are arriving at the airport in Alice Springs...temperature 27 and no rain!

Happy snap with our aussie cousins.

Our accommodations in Alice Springs with pool.

Luisa is displaying native art available to purchase from an aboriginal co-op where the proceeds go to the artist as well as to the co-op that funds activites for the native peoples.

The resident peacock at the Crowne Plaza was very bold and use to people.

Here I am feeding rock wallabies and this one has a joey in it's pouch.

rock-wallabies

Sun is rising over the outback, I forgot to mention we got up at 4:00am.

Kym is heating up the ballon with a very fierce propane burner....stay away from the fan he yells out.

Hot air balloon rising....the vehicles are dwarfed beside it.

All clear and everyone is waiting for the call to jump in.

All safely onboard, quick get the camera for a last happy snap.

Sun rise over the outback.

The heat this burner emitted was warming up our cold bodies.

Up...up and soon the ballon is off the ground. I was taken by how quiet it all was except for the blasts from the furnace.

The outback is massive as far as the eye can see.

The landscape scarred by trails and roads.

The sun is up and we are brushing over tree tops.

Maria and Bryan our aussie cousins. Good morning Maria....good morning Bryan.

Look over what can you see?

....a kangaroo!

Kym our pilot is educating us on the art of flying a balloon, he was concerned about the wind speed this particular morning so we couldn't go higher than 200 metres and we were picking up speeds of 20km.

Cousin Luisa is thrilled because we are heading over in the direction of a state prison...she may have put a few clients in there so she would rather avoid landing there.