The Canberra Balloon Festival Weekend is something that passes each year
and it is an event the Club has talked about attending for quite some time
so let’s seize the opportunity in 2024 to venture to our Nations Capital.
The weekend of 8th to 10th March is the scheduled date.
Accommodation fills reasonably quickly, so whilst the New Year Haze is lingering,
it is a good time to make a refundable booking whilst space is available.
The plan is to make a long weekend of it, heading down on Friday and back on Monday.
This misses the traffic and provides a more leisurely approach considering other attractions
that might need a visit such as the National Portrait Gallery.
The balloons are inflated on the Patrick White Lawns near the National Library
and the wind direction selects the backdrop, so a final decision on where to shoot from
will probably be made the night before. The general plan is to shoot one morning from the Lawn area
with close up detail in the early morning light, and another morning from the other side of Lake Burley Griffin,
such as the National Museum of Australia with the Parliamentary Triangle as the backdrop.
We like to stay nearby the Parliamentary Triangle, so if budget is not an issue
then the Hyatt Hotel is fantastic, with a short walk to the event.
(High Tea at the Hyatt is also a tradition many enjoy.)
The hotels around Acton are also a great location.
For this visit Robin and I will be trying out the Hotel Kurrajong in Barton.
