The wind played ball for 12 hot air balloons yesterday morning’s WBS Hare and Hound event as part of the Wairarapa Balloon Festival.
Festival communications manager Shaun McGillicuddy said it was a “brilliant flight” undeterred by a late first target alteration due to the changing wind direction.
He said it was great to see people outside their houses waving and shouting out greetings.
“That’s what we want to see; we’re a community.”
Thursday’s lift-off had to be scrapped due to fast winds, and McGillicuddy said they’d “made the right call” because the winds only increased throughout the morning.
He said a guide balloon had been sent up to test the winds, and it had shot up like a “cork from a champagne bottle”, forcing them to make the call to postpone the flight.
McGillicuddy said there was a “great” turnout yesterday and estimated that roughly 500 people took the time to check out the balloons.
This afternoon from 3pm there will be an opportunity to meet the balloon pilots at Carrington Park in Carterton.
McGillicuddy said there may even be an opportunity to walk through the inside of an inflated balloon.
“People really don’t know how big they are,” he said.
