26 Sept 2014: What a magic morning out on Lake Burley Griffin. We had crystal blue skies, hovering mist, super glassy waters and to top it all off the Questacon balloon launched amongst a golden sunrise and drifted off into a gorgeous Canberra morning.
Canberra you have done it again!
22 Sept 2014: The Questacon, European Union and RAAF balloons lit up our CBR sky in spectacular style this morning. There is never a dull moment in Canberra during spring. Apart from spectacular sunrises and sunsets there is our annual flower festival Floriade, cycle races and fun runs along with cultural theatre and arts events. The addition of the New Acton restaurant and gallery precinct and the Kingston Foreshore strip are making Canberra a trendy place to visit.
“A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air.” This quote by Eric Sloane sums up autumn in Canberra perfectly as it has been absolutely stunning this year. So beautiful, I decided to put a compilation of my favourite autumn experiences. I have been treated to many gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and even bedazzled by hot air balloons drifting on LBG during the balloon festival. Canberra has been amass with a wonderful spectrum of colours as we have transitioned from summer into winter. I hope that you enjoy my photostory of autumn.
7 June 2014: What a beautiful morning in Canberra. The calm conditions made for very relaxing and peaceful paddle on LBG. I hope that you enjoy the photostory. Have a great weekend 🙂 
Continue reading
15 March 2014: The balloons didn’t launch over LBG this morning, so ‘Mother Nature’ stepped and put on an stunning performance to light up our skies. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a sunrise open with deep mauves and swirls of pinks. Then to end show she had liquid gold dance on the waters surface to create a wonderful finale.
13 March 2014: The balloons certainly added a huge splash of colour and lit up our overcast skies this morning and once again the pilots put on a spectacular performance. There were plenty of people watching both from the water and the shoreline as the balloons tethered and drifted across Lake Burley Griffin. The festival has been absolutely fantastic, I hope that you get the chance to experience it.
11 March 2014: I was totally mesmerised this morning as a gorgeous sunrise combined perfectly with brilliant balloon display to produce an amazing spectacle. Simply stunning is the best way to describe my experience on the lake this morning. I even latched on the basket of the ‘Capital Chemist’ balloon and was taken for (at least) a 100 metre ride as Justin Galbraith glided the balloon on the water surface. I think I will be floating for the rest of the day…..It just doesn’t get any better than this!
10 March 2014: Fantastic, brilliant, excellent, hilarious, loads of laughs, what a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was sensational, everyone was laughing, the mood was one of sheer excitement as the pilots turned on a spectacular flying performance. Balloons were casually basket dragging their way across the lake while taking the time out to have a chat to a crowd of kayakers and paddle boarders who were on the water hoping to have a close up experience. The balloon festival has been absolutely brilliant, I sincerely hope you have the opportunity to experience it.
What an awesome experience, what a fantastic festival, what a brilliant atmosphere.
9 March 2014: WOW WOW WOW…words can’t begin to describe how good it was this morning. Initially the balloons were silhouetted in the Canberra skies, but it quickly transformed into a truly wonderful spectacle as a HUGE rainbow formed perfectly on cue as the balloons were hovering all around the National Museum. There were balloons sailing across the lake dancing amongst the rainbow and at one point I was playing a game of chicken with a hot air balloon as it drifted directly towards me. I was having conversations and saying hello to everyone in the baskets. I could’ve just reached out and high fived a few of them as they cruised by me while I were sitting in my kayak. The scene was sheer perfection as the sun illuminated the vibrant colours of the balloons and the Canberra landscape provided a fantastic backdrop and then to top it all off, it was perfectly framed by a glorious rainbow. How good is this, I have been waiting all year for this festival and I’m loving it!
It just doesn’t get any better than this!
8 March 2014: The Canberra Balloon Festival kicked of in sensational style this morning with balloons dotting our skies to produce a spectacular Canberra landscape. The ‘Capital Chemist’ balloon that was piloted by Justin Galbraith ‘The Drifting Guru’ dropped out of the skies at a huge rate of knots to pin point perfection and nestled on the water directly beside me on Lotus Bay….now that was TOTALLY EXCELLENT!
At one point I thought that he was going to park the basket directly on the nose of the ‘Red Chilli’, then he preceded to basket drag the waters surface for hundreds of metres while calmly having a chat and snapping a few shots himself. Even at one point he ran out of gas, but this wasn’t a problem at all as he casually changed over the LPG cylinder and then it was back to putting on a magnificent show.
The balloons are a brilliant sight in our skies and I’m so excited to see what the rest of the festival will bring. I hope you enjoy the shots.
Balloons balloons and more balloons
kayakcameraman 