It's one of the highlights on the ACT calendar, but how do you get the most out of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular?
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Here's what you need to know for this year's event.
When and where
What to head down to the launch site? Patrick White Lawns is the place to be. Balloons will inflate from 6am - weather permitting - with the first taking off from 6.15am from Saturday until March 17.
Weather permitting is the key term here. The flight will make their decision around 6am, which will be posted on social media as soon as possible.
That doesn't give you a tonne of time to get from say, Tuggeranong, to Commonwealth Park. So in that instance, the best bet is to check the weather the night before, and if the conditions are not expected to include high winds or rain, it's worth risking heading in.
And even if the balloons don't take off, a couple will still be inflated and tethered so you can still get up close and personal with them. Not to mention grab some coffee and breakfast at one of the food vans on site.
Weather
Why is weather so important? And more to the point, why will the balloons stay on the ground when the weather looks perfect?
It may not look like it, but there are different weather conditions at different altitudes. While this is a good thing in terms of steering a hot air balloon - the pilot will ascend and descend to go at different speeds and directions - it does mean that you can't just rely on what's happening on the ground to decide whether to take off or not.
If you go to the launch site early enough, you may even notice that they send up a small test balloon to check that the winds are safe at higher altitudes.
The wind also has to go in the right direction. Obviously, if the balloons go towards the airport, they will head into the plane's airspace - which is not what they want and why they do weather checks before take off. Because once you're up in the sky, it's all about where the wind wants to go. Sure, the pilot can change altitudes to catch a different wind direction, but ultimately the balloon is moving with the wind.
Other vantage points
There really isn't a bad view of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. But there are different points of view.
The first is the launch site - the absolute closest view you can get of 40 hot air balloons taking to the air. It's an experience that everyone should have at least once in their life because it is absolutely mesmerising.
But sometimes it's nice to be able to zoom out to see the scale of this event.
On Lake Burley Griffin is always a popular option, and is the only way to interact with the balloons outside of the basket, once they're in the air.
Kayaks and stand-up paddleboarders will head out onto the lake for the chance to be there as the balloons skim the top of the water.
If you have a large group of friends, you can also hire a Go Boat or a Love Boat to take out on the lake to get a great view of the balloons.
For those who prefer to stay on land, the balloons are also visible from around Lake Burley Griffin, the Arboretum, Regatta Point, Commonwealth Bridge, Black Mountain lookout, Mount Ainslie lookout, Red Hill lookout and the National Museum of Australia, each giving panoramic views as the balloons fill Canberra's skies with colour.
Who is Lucy?
Each year the Canberra Balloon Spectacular has a special guest and this year it's Lucy. Don't worry - you can't miss her. She'll be the one with plaits and a colourful bow in her hair. Oh, and she's a hot air balloon.
Lucy has travelled around the globe, originally hailing from Bristol in England, before touring the Netherlands and now living in Montreal, Canada. She's even been to the capital before, flying in the 2016 spectacular with her "brother".
The balloon was specially selected because of its connection with International Women's Day on Friday, the day before the Canberra Balloon Spectacular begins.
"The special shapes prove to be very popular every year and particularly those balloons that have some personality," Events ACT executive branch manager Ross Triffitt said.
"Lucy, we think will be a great addition this year and particularly with the alignment to the International Women's Day."
Photo tips
It's pretty hard to get a bad photo of the balloons. It's not called the Canberra Balloon Spectacular for no reason.
But there can be good photos of the balloons and there can be great photos of the balloons that look like they should be on a postcard.
So if you plan on heading to one of the many vantage points to try to capture the perfect balloon shot, here are some things to keep in mind.
- Plan your location before you arrive. Once the balloons are in the air, you don't always have a lot of time to search for the perfect spot.
- The south side of the lake is great if you think it will be a photo-worthy sunrise. The north side of the lake is great for capturing some of Canberra's iconic buildings in the shot as well.
- Mount Ainslie, Red Hill, the Arboretum, Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and Reconciliation Place also offer good photo opportunities.
- Don't be afraid to capture more than just the balloons - or even multiple balloons - in a photo. It gives the image context and scale, as well as telling a story.
- Look for balloon reflections, sunrise colours and landmarks to make it clear you're in Canberra
- Bring a tripod and shoot in lower ISO settings.