With the period of good weather due to hold for at least another 3 or 4 days Terje and I took the opportunity

to take a ride in a hot air balloon, something neither of us had done before.

Terje had created a tick list of must do’s and this was another high on his list.

In the event we had superb conditions, a hard frosty morning, clear blue skies and little wind...Perfect flying conditions.

Getting the balloon inflated, check out the pilot inside to get a better idea of the scale of the balloons

The balloon is first inflated using cold air and then hot air to create the lift.

Cast off....the balloon was surprisingly controllable and the pilot eased the basket over the nearby trees and then let the balloon

sink down to drift slowly over the lake beyond

The double cone ski fields seen from about 4,000ft. We eventually climbed to over 6,500ft only being stopped from going higher

by the arrival of Air New Zealand 737 flights wanting to land at the nearby Queenstown runways.

The high Peaks of the Aspiring range see from about 6,000ft

The early morning sunshine created some great shadows and gave us a birds eye view of some fabulous houses..

This one was owned by a retired Admiral who created this aircraft carrier shaped house...an eyesore when seen from ground level

when we landed in his garden. He had died recently so was not arround to complain!

The team about to deflate and pack the balloon after a memorable flight.