Hot air adventure

The thought of getting up at five on a freezing winter morning was horrifying. Four hours later, however, and 5000 feet (1524 metres) up in the air I'm glad I didn't give in to my inner sloth.

We're floating slowly above the Canterbury plains in a ZK-MET 10-person hot-air balloon. It's too hazy today to see the ocean, but our pilot, Dean Ragg, says that often you can see across the plains and out to sea. An incredible view in the other direction, of the snow- covered Southern Alps, will have to do instead.

Our day starts in the frost- bitten dark at the Aoraki Balloon Safari's offices in Methven. Our small group of nine is bundled up against the cold saying little, either because it's too early or we're too nervous.

A mix of Kiwi, English, Australian and Japanese visitors, none of us has been ballooning before.

Dean and his dad, Paul, who are partners in the business, record our names and weights, give us some rubber overshoes to wear - "in case we land in a particularly muddy cow-pat covered field" - and then send up a small helium balloon equipped with little flashing LED lights to check which way the wind is blowing.

The winds are favourable so we all climb into the truck and head for the launch spot - a paddock in the middle of nowhere.

Ballooning is only a spectator sport once you are up in the air: before then there is work to do.

Grabbing some material that pokes from a large bag, Dean starts to run across the field and, like the magician's trick, pulls out a never-ending ribbon of coloured nylon. We're then instructed to all grab on and walk backwards, pulling the balloon outwards until it lies in a puddle like a melted rainbow in the golden dawn light.

Once the basket is hooked up, the burners are fired up and giant fans drive the hot air into the balloon. Within minutes the puddle inflates and is suddenly the height of a 10-storey building - and straining at the ropes that keep it tethered to the truck.

We have a safety briefing, climb in the basket, smile for a photo and then we're floating away.

Once the burners stop there is total silence. It's quite spiritual, drifting on the breath of God over some of the world's most beautiful countryside.

The early morning sun gives cows, hedges and trees weird shadows. Fields are abstract art with panels and squares of different colours, winding tractor tracks swirl through paddocks.

Dean breaks our reverie with instructions to practise our landing positions which means crouching down and holding on tight. I feel sorry for my skinny compartment buddy who is wedged between my thigh and the side of the basket.

Suddenly the trees are bigger, the cows are closer and scores of rabbits are fleeing the incoming balloon.

With some expert manoeuvring, Dean jumps us over an electric fence and settles on a paddock. We reverse the morning's unravelling ritual and tuck the balloon back up into its bag.

Meanwhile, Paul emerges from the truck dressed in tails and top hat. He hands round glasses of bubbly and jam and cheese croissants before Dean recites the Balloonist's Prayer and daubs us with a bubbly-soaked cork.

Although the winds definitely welcomed us with softness, it is good to be back safely on earth.

Balloon rides for the Premier Plains Flight start at $385 per person. Contact Aoraki Balloon Safaris on 0800 CLOUDS (256 837) or visit nzballooning.co.nz.

* Kim Triegaardt travelled to Methven courtesy of Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism. See christchurchnz.com for more details.

- © Fairfax NZ News