Balloons over Waikato attracts big turnout
Some came for the first time, some had been attending for years: they were all there to watch the Balloons over Waikato festival launch this morning.
balloons rise beside Hamilton Lake for the first time.
Photo: Jesse King
The Waikato Balloon festival began this morning at Innes Common beside Hamilton Lake.
Despite the early start and prospects of poor weather, the event attracted a large number of spectators keen on seeing the balloons take off.
Two spectators who made their first trip to see the morning balloon launch were mother and son Melanie and Marcus Aschenbrenner.
“We were up early at six this morning to drop my partner off at work which is just down the road, and thought we may as well grab a Milo and head on down to check out the balloons,” Aschenbrenner said.
“They travel right by my house so hopefully when we get home after school they’ll be right above us.”
One spectator who has made an annual effort for years to see the balloon launch is Jenni Barr.
“My kids are grown up now so they don’t come any more, but I still make an effort to come.
“But it was always a family tradition where we would go to McDonald’s for breakfast afterwards.”
Barr said she has previously hosted students from Central and South America and most of them hadn’t had much experience around balloons.
“I always made a point for them to come down and see it for themselves.”
Balloons over Waikato events manager Michelle Connell has been in charge of the event for 13 years.
“I was working on growing the event for two moths before I was thrown in to this role, it was a baptism of fire but it’s a great event to be involved in and I love it.”
