Alice Springs Hot Air Balloon Tours

"Pre-dawn briefing in the dark, then twenty minutes watching the envelope inflate while the burner threw heat over the whole basket. Alice Springs hot air balloon tours lift off just as the MacDonnell Ranges turn copper, and that first light spreading across the spinifex is what stays with you. Bring a fleece, because July mornings out there sat close to freezing."

"We drifted low over mulga scrub and counted nine kangaroos scattering beneath the basket, close enough to see the dust they kicked up. Our pilot kept the burner quiet for long stretches so we could hear the desert, which was mostly nothing at all. The chase crew had the packing-up down to a science."

"We sorted our alice springs hot air balloon tours tickets the week before and had no trouble at check-in. Ground level was still dark when we arrived, and the whole basin was pale gold by the time we came down beside a dry creek bed. Sparkling wine at the landing felt a little staged, but nobody minded."

"Our first attempt was scrubbed for wind and moved to the next day, which the operator handled without fuss. The flight ran shorter than expected because of the breeze, though the view out toward Simpsons Gap made up for it. Weather calls in the Red Centre are genuinely out of anyone's hands."

"The alice springs hot air balloon tours tour I joined had ten passengers across one basket and it never felt crowded. Between burner bursts there was no sound whatsoever, just red plains and the thin braid of the Todd River below us. No vibration at all, so even handheld photos came out sharp."

"Watching the shadow of our own balloon slide across the sand was the part I had not expected. Ballooning over the Red Centre gives you a sense of scale a car window never will, because the horizon simply keeps going. Hot tea at the landing site while the crew rolled the envelope was a nice touch."

"I have lived in the Northern Territory for years and still found the alice springs hot air balloon tours tours revealing, mainly for how the ranges fold together in a way you cannot read from the ground. The January morning air was warm and hazy, so we were up very early. Wear closed shoes for the landing paddock."

"Our basket compartment was tight with four adults, so I spent a while shuffling to find a gap for the camera. The desert light about forty minutes after launch was the best of it, all long shadows and dry watercourses. A sunrise balloon flight over Alice Springs is still one of the better things we did up here."

"Cool clear morning with no cloud, and we could see well past ANZAC Hill to the ridgelines beyond. Alice Springs hot air balloon tours put you above the desert at exactly the right moment, when the ground shifts from grey to orange in about ten minutes. Our pilot pointed out a wedge-tailed eagle working thermals off to one side."

"Ours felt over almost as soon as we had settled into the basket and found our footing. The crew were professional and watching the inflation on the ground was interesting in itself. A pleasant morning over the desert, though I had expected a bit more time in the air."