It all starts with arising at 3:30 a.m., not one morning but 3 mornings. A call is made by us (as ordered) at 4 a.m. each morning, to a number where we will hear a message.
Messages:
Day 1: Mission is aborted due to high winds
Day 2: Mission is aborted due to varied weather patterns
Day 3: Pack your kit! Your mission is about to begin
We arrive at the gates to the campground at 4:30 a.m. along with 3 other intrepid travellers from Holland. We stand in the darkness and await our vehicle. Dead on 4:30, the bus arrives. We are the first to enter the darkened vehicle.
On we go to pick up 9 other daring souls and then the excitement begins. We meet another bus in a very dark parking lot. Both buses are towing a mysterious object. A tall good looking man boards our bus and begins to give us orders. He is crisp, very funny and is also precise in the rules of the game. We WILL all participate! We WILL all assist! We WILL all enjoy!!!
We drive for what seems like hours (you know me; embellish a little; embellish a lot!) out into the country and into an empty field.
We leave the bus and then a huge bag is dumped onto the ground. The strongest are asked to volunteer to unpack the bag and out comes miles and miles of silk......we spread it out for many, many metres....then we are asked to lift a huge basket and place it on the ground. Have you guessed yet?
We hooked the silk to the basket; our pilot started the flame and as the sun began to rise, we rose into the skies over the most beautiful place that God has every created. We rose over the rivers, the city and the fields of New Zealand in the most magnificent balloon! Two balloons actually, rising into the skies as the sun rose. Can I possibly ever convey what that meant to both of us? We were like children! The anticipation for two days when winds and weather patterns prevented us from doing this, then the beauty of it all as, on the 3rd day, we got to do this wonderful thing.
When we landed in a farmer's field much much later and on our backs (it's called a "drag landing") , a basket was opened, champagne was poured and we toasted each other and our wonderful pilot. We packed up the silk, loaded the basket and drove back to Christchurch.
Now, we have returned WALUT 1 to her home at Britz rentals and we are in the most gorgeous garden suite at the Delta near the airport.
Tomorrow we begin another very different adventure in another country.....Australia.
God Bless you New Zealand! God bless you wonderful Kiwi's! We've loved our time with you and shall never forget you!
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