When I first arrived, a pink hot air balloon ride on the Gold Coast was not on my list. After a couple of days of biking around Mermaid Waters and Broadbeach, I realised that the city of Gold Coast is much bigger and different than I expected.
The Gold Coast of Australia is not only high rises and shopping malls; the bustling life at Surfers Paradise is much more than that. The whole area encompasses over 45 km of land and waterways, stretching from Southport down south to Coolangatta along a varied landscape with sandy beaches, national parks with headlands, creek mouths, lakes, inlets, and a myriad of little islands.
Why go on a Gold Coast Hot Air balloon ride
There are undoubtedly many ways to explore the great outdoors of the Gold Coast from the ground, like surfing, swimming, walking, biking, and more, but seeing the place from the air gives you a different perspective and adds that extra thrill that is hard to match. Like me, if you don’t fancy extreme adventures and are not into skydiving, then a Gold Coast hot air balloon ride is right for you.
👉 Book Your Sunrise Hot Air Balloon on The Gold Coast
If you have been following me for a while, you know that I experienced a sunrise hot-air balloon ride in Melbourne last year and loved every minute of it. While house-sitting on the Gold Coast, I got hooked on a photo someone posted on Instagram, and within seconds, I knew that was the adventure for me. A few days later, I was booked into a hot air balloon flight on the Gold Coast.
The Pink Hot Air Balloon thrill
Hot air balloon rides on the Gold Coast are indeed a thrilling experience. Despite the early rise in the middle of the night (the alarm clock is set at 3.50 am), it is worthwhile. When floating over the city, waking up to a new day from the air is a rewarding feeling that pays off.
The company behind this tour started operating on the Gold Coast in October 2015 using the largest, ever manufactured, pink hot air balloon. Since then, they have flown over the Gold Coast 120 times.
The balloon’s pink colour is not a chance; the reason is that they are raising funds and supporting the McGrath Foundation, a Breast Cancer Care Nurses foundation that helps Australian women in their battle against breast cancer by increasing cancer awareness among young Australian women.
👉 Book Your Sunrise Hot Air Balloon on The Gold Coast
My experience with Go Ballooning Gold Coast
Go Ballooning Gold Coast is very much like a surprise adventure. In fact, till the last minute, you don’t know where you will be flying, what you will be seeing and where you will be landing, as wind weather conditions decide the direction and the height.
The pink hot air balloon is enormous. It stands over 13 stories tall and has a basket that is nearly 5.5 meters long. I had not been on a big one like this before. With a maximum lifting capacity of almost 4 tonnes and equipped with 4 x 5000 horsepower burners, this giant hot air pink balloon can easily lift to 25 people. We were 19 on our air balloon flight, and I was amazed at how quickly it got inflated with hot air.
Around 6.00 am, we were all set and ready to take off from Pizzey Park in Miami. We gently floated over Mermaid Waters, Broadbeach, along Surfers Paradise at about 1000 feet to reach Southport and Runaway Bay at a maximum height of 2500 feet.
How to book a hot air balloon flight over the Gold Coast
To experience the Gold Coast from the air is impressive. The scenery looks pretty much like a huge lagoon with many canals and quirky-shaped islets. Ballooning the Gold Coast made me realise that the place where I am staying is surrounded by water.
Our one-hour hot air balloon flight took us slightly inland towards Lake Coombabah, from where we could enjoy a magnificent view of the bay with Seaworld, the Spit, the Gold Coast high rises in the background and lake Coombabah just below us. Indeed a pretty picture of the city of Gold Coast.
👉 Book Your Sunrise Hot Air Balloon on The Gold Coast
As we flew past the Boat Show premises and the Gold Coast City Marina, we were “right on our target” for a safe, slightly bumping landing at William Guise Foxwell Park.
Here is a photo collage of my Hot Air Balloon ride on the Gold Coast – for you to pin it on Pinterest.
Murray, the tour director and our pilot, has made over 1500 flights in 15 years and is the youngest pilot in Australia to hold the Chief Pilot Authority—Australia’s highest form of commercial licence.
My experience was very positive. I had fun with Murray’s super-efficient team, who kindly offered a lift to bring me and my bike on time for a bike ride adventure the same morning. You will not be disappointed. Book now your Hot Air Balloon Experience.
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How to plan your trip to The Gold Coast Of Australia
Here is a list of trip-planning resources that I use to plan all my trips to Australia. If you plan to visit the Gold Coast, read about my Gold Coast Hinterland solo road trip.
Related Articles:
A Guide To The Gold Coast of Australia
Australia Gold Coast Best Places To Stay
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First published in 2018, last updated in March 2024
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