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Hot Air Balloon Flight on Cairns

John CarJohn Car
in Grand Australia and New Zealand
I'd be interested in feedback from previous travelers on this tour as to their experience with the optional balloon ride in Cairns. Did you enjoy it? Is it worthwhile to get up early to travel an hour to the liftoff site or should we sleep in that morning? We would be interested in your opinions before we book the optional tour. Thanks.

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    Golly GeeGolly Gee
    Hi John,
    I was on the tour last March and took the hot air balloon flight. It was my first balloon flight and was spectacular.
    It is an early rise, but, for what could have been a once in a lifetime experience, it was worth it. I am always up for a new adventure. I figured I could always catch on on sleep.
    The sunrise was spectacular. About half of our group went.
    I know your tour of Australia and New Zealand will be fabulous.
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    PF606590PF606590
    The balloon ride was awesome, we could see for miles and it was awesome. I certainly recommend it.

    We stayed at Silky Oaks, and there was indeed an early morning, but it is an expeienceyou should take

    Franklin MA
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    John CarJohn Car
    Thank you. I appreciate your response - looks like we are neighbors!
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    RichardbRichardb
    We travelled on this tour from England (both in our 70's) and my wife took the balloon trip. Yes, it was a well worthwhile early start and she thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular views and talked about it for days afterwards. I got up at the same time and walked around near the hotel taking pictures of the sunrise in the stunning surroundings.
    You should certainly do that one.
    Richard
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    libteachlibteach
    We just got back on Sunday. The balloon ride was wonderful! It was well worth the 4 am departure!
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    beverlydbeverlyd
    We just got back home on Saturday too...Balloon Ride was well worth the early time.
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    AliceDAliceD
    We were on this tour last November and we thought the hot air balloon ride was a highlight of the trip. It was our first balloon ride, the scenery was breathtaking, enjoyed watching a field of kangaroos. I would not miss it!
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    John CarJohn Car
    AliceD wrote:
    We were on this tour last November and we thought the hot air balloon ride was a highlight of the trip. It was our first balloon ride, the scenery was breathtaking, enjoyed watching a field of kangaroos. I would not miss it!
    Thank you for your feedback. From the other positive comments - it looks like most people enjoyed this excursion.
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    WallarooWallaroo
    Well, let me voice a sonewhat different response than most. My wife and took a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey, two years ago. It was the absolute highlight of our trip through Turkey. We were hauled out to a spot where there about 20 balloons in various stages of inflation. We got into our basket and started to lift off watching the others around us going up. As we went higher, we saw more balloons coming up from behind a close-by mountain. Then more from another mountain, then more. All told there were eventually over 150 balloons coming up from behind different mountains. The scenery, mountainous Cappadoica, was surreal. We watched the sun come up coloring the surrounds and the 150 balloons. What a FANTASTIC experience!!!

    Then there was our balloon experience in Cairns. ehh.

    We had a total of three balloons lifting off. We we got airborne, we were joined by two more from a different launch site. The scenery ... well, it wasn't awesome mountains, but more like flat cow pastures.

    If you've never done a balloon ride, it might be worth it. But, to me, it was a lot of money for a very mundane experience.

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    BritishBritish
    Interesting! There was no balloon flight on our Tauck tour of Australia, but that is exactly the scenery I would have expected to see, it's a bit like a balloon flight over the African plains, minus the odd elephant. It's the experience, the peacefulness, that is the experience. The balloon flight in Turkey sounds scarey to me.
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    WallarooWallaroo
    Scary? Naw. AWESOME. Particularly when our balloon captain was able to land the balloon right back on the trailer pulled by the pickup truck that had been chasing us for miles. Impressed the heck out of me.

    In speaking about our Cairns experience with another couple on our tour, they regaled us with their story about ballooning in Africa. They were on a Great Migration tour of Tanzania, did the de rigeuer balloon ride to watch the Wildebeests below, and, after their balloon had a problem, came down right in the middle of the thousands of migrating wildebeests. Now THAT would be scary.

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