It starts with an alarm; that familiar shrill that drags you from bed and dares you to meet the dawn. Today is different. Your adventure starts before the city stirs. Birdsong begins as balloons inflate and you find yourself drawn to the heat of the flame. As the earth falls away, you rise with the sun. For an hour, it’s just you and the sky. This is what freedom feels like; you have nowhere to be but here. The world around you is just waking up – and you’ve already crossed something off your bucket list. If you are looking for a romantic soft adventure that gives you a peek at country life from a totally different angle, then ballooning over Yarra Valley is a must.

One of Victoria’s most spectacular winery regions, with outstanding vineyards and mountains, the Yarra Valley is a leisurely one-hour drive from Melbourne’s CBD. It is a natural amphitheatre, which makes it the perfect location for a ballooning tour: great views, native fauna and flora, excellent food and wine and stable weather. Let the breeze usher you along the corridors of grape vines and over the Yarra River as you lose yourself in the breathtaking views of mountains that surround the valley. This region has excellent locally grown food/wine and makes for a brilliant full day in the countryside!

Global Ballooning Australia also offer flights over Melbourne city. There are few major cities around the world where you can traverse by hot air balloon.

We rise before the sun almost every day of the year because we believe there’s something magical about experiencing the world from the sky. Nothing excites us more than bringing out a child-like joy in adults and a sense of wonderment in children. It’s all part of a journey that’s finished by 9am, but leaves a lifelong impression.