Hot Air Balloon Ride – A Scenic Flight with a Twist.

Jul 29

[UPDATED JULY 2022]

Take your kids skywards in a Hot Air Balloon and watch their eyes fill with wonder at the pure magic of the experience.

Hot Air Ballooning Atherton Tablelands @adventuremumma.jpg

From the very start of our Hot Air Balloon Ride my kids were completely entranced. But is it something you should try with very active children? Here’s a rundown of our recent experience…..

Dragging them out of bed at 4 in the morning - Not fun!

But we managed to bundle them straight into their transport with pillows and blankets and the pure excitement of doing something ‘special’ in the middle of the night was enough to keep them happy and upbeat.

Hot Air Balloon Adventures Atherton Tablelands @adventuremumma.jpg

Having them ‘wait’ around until the Hot Air Balloons were unloaded, prepped and fully inflated – Not a problem!

There was so much going on in the pre-dawn light that our kids were completely fascinated. The sights and sounds of the burners slowly filling the Balloons up with hot air was a spectacle in itself. You could see the kid’s excitement growing as the Balloons did. And there was lots of squeals when the inflated balloons looked like they were about to topple down on top of us

Getting them to ‘hop’ into the basket at quick notice – Very easy!

It’s amazing how quick a kid can scramble into a wicker basket compared to an adult. They made my efforts look quite lame but in retrospect I was lugging all the camera equipment.

Coping with the sound and heat of the ‘burners’ – This got easier as we went along.

Having done a Hot Air Balloon ride before I was aware that my son’s sensitivity to noises could be a problem. Thankfully at the ripe old age of 10 years he was old enough to comprehend that the blast of noise and heat was for a reason. After initially covering his ears on each blast I saw him get more and more used to it as the ride continued.

Hot Air Balloon Adventures Raging Thunder @adventuremumma.jpg

Taking off from the ground – Fun! Fun! Fun!

This is where you get to see your kids being totally blown away be the whole concept of rising upwards. Their eyes were as big as saucers when we drifted close to the tops of trees and they were more than thrilled when we got close and personal with the clouds.

Being up high and taking in the scenery – Surprisingly well!

On road trips you can often find my kids squabbling in the back regardless of what amazing scenery might be just out their window. With no glass to thwart their view the kids showed a certain amount of fascination with this birds eye view of the landscape. The good thing about a Hot Air Balloon Flight is they are not overly long either - 30 minutes was long enough to keep my kids happy and occupied. Anything longer and we could have been pushing things.

Hot Air Scenic Balloon Flight @adventuremumma.jpg

Landing – Even more Fun!

This was probably one of the highlights for my children. Coming back down towards the ground and skimming along the treeline until our pilot found the perfect landing spot – you could see they were totally enjoying the thrill of the unknown. And then on touchdown having the basket slowly tip over on its side put them into a fit of giggles. Maybe it was the silliness of seeing all us adults lying sidewards with them and watching our ungainly struggle to get out of the basket at the end.

Hot Air Scenic Balloon Flight Atherton Tablelands @adventuremumma.jpg

Pack up – Totally involved and Participating!

How many kids do you know throw themselves into the final pack up? Not mine normally BUT deflate a huge balloon and lay it out on the ground for everyone to fold up and my kids were totally into helping out. They particularly liked the part where they were thrown on top to help ‘pack’ the balloon down into its ‘carrry’ bag.

Hot Air Balloon Ride Atherton Tablelands @adventuremumma.jpg

SO, if you’re looking for something to get your kids focused on the scenery that surrounds them then you can’t beat going high into the sky on a Hot Air Balloon ride.

Good Things to Know:

The minimum age for hot air ballooning in Australia is 3 yrs old and above according to the aviation laws. All children must have had their third birthday and children under the age of 17yrs old must be travelling with an adult.
Baskets are 1.2 meters in height. At 130cm my daughter was the perfect height to see over the basket’s edge – anything smaller and you would need to assist your child to see the view below.
My partner isn’t a big fan of heights either and yet he coped amazingly well with being high in the air on a Hot Air Balloon.
The Mareeba Valley on the Tablelands is protected from coastal winds by a mountain range, and has over 300 days of sunshine each year. This allows the hot air balloons to fly even when it may be raining in Cairns.
Ballooning is not suitable for anyone who is pregnant as the basket can tip on landing, which is loads of fun but not when you’re pregnant.
You can take the following on your flight: Cameras, video cameras, sunnies and a hat. Anything else can remain on the coach until after your balloon trip.
Ballooning isn’t a cheap family activity BUT if your kids are old enough to fully appreciate it, it will be an experience that rates high for its value for bucks.