where to see the balloon spectacular 2023

With the Canberra Balloon Spectacular 2023 about to get underway (11-19March), here is a list of 14 of the best viewing spots around the lake. Locations are numbered on the map with descriptions below.

Other than in a balloon, being out on the lake in a kayak, GoBoat or other watercraft provides some of the best viewing. However, if you are restricted to land then the locations listed below are some excellent vantage points. Canberrans will be familiar with these suggestions but if you are from out of town they might be of assistance.

1. Patrick White Lawns (adjacent to the National Library of Australia) – this is the new launch site for the balloons. They usually take off around 6.30am depending on the wind. Plenty of food, coffee etc. is available and you can get great close-up shots at launch. One year one even crashed into the Treasury Building for a bit of added excitement, but thankfully no one was hurt.
2. Rond Terrace – located on the opposite side of the lake to the launch site, at the end of ANZAC Parade. Great views of balloons taking off with plenty of landmarks in the background such as Parliament House, Red Hill, the High Court, Questacon and the National Library.
3. Commonwealth Ave Bridge – a good spot to see balloons rise over the National Library etc. Also, beside the northern end of the bridge opposite the National Museum of Australia, the newly completed Henry Rolland Park (with its boardwalk) provides a place to watch the balloons as they drift over the lake.
4. National Museum of Australia – One of the better locations – great for balloon close-ups with National Library and Parliament House in the background, plus there are usually heaps of kayaks, canoes, GoBoats and other craft out on the lake to make the shots interesting.
5. Black Mountain Peninsula – A parkland area at the base of black Mountain. Balloons can float right over you and there are great views along the lake.
6. Telstra Tower on Black Mountain – If you go up to the observation deck (I think it costs around $7) you can get spectacular views but take a zoom lens if you have one.
7. Canberra Yacht Club – anywhere from the club lawns and along the shoreline on the western side, you should be able to capture balloons with the lake and a few other landmarks.
8. National Arboretum – This is a fair way from the action to begin with but the wind usually blows toward the west so they will eventually end up near there if conditions are right.
9. Weston Park - this is a parkland peninsula at the northern end of the suburb of Yarralumla. Anywhere along the eastern side and around toward the Water Police headquarters can provide good views.
10. New Parliament House – situated on a rise above the launch site. Plenty of good photo ops.
11. Red Hill – The lookout and bushland has views of the entire lake, but it can be hard to get a good spot not obscured by bushland, unless you do a bit of reconnaissance beforehand.
12. Regatta Point – Another great spot. You can see right across the lake to the National Library, High Court, Parliament House, both Kings and Commonwealth Ave bridges and the National Museum etc. Plenty of great backdrops against the balloons.
13. Mt Ainslie Lookout - Panoramic views to the launch site and across Canberra. If you go to the "Discover" page under "Lookouts and Islands" there is a photo of the view from the top.
14. Mt Pleasant Lookout - Located next to the grounds of the Royal Military College Duntroon, this offers excellent views to the west across the lake. If you look ate the Coming Events page, the photo at the top was taken from Mt Ainslie. You can see the balloon launch site at the right of the National Library, though you will need a zoom lens to capture a close up like this.

You can capture some great photos from any of the above locations but bear in mind that hot-air balloon flights are highly weather dependent and balloons can only take off in slight winds. Weather conditions must be near perfect for a launch to occur. If there is any sign of a potentially non-safe flight, then the launch will be cancelled.

Hot-Air Balloons are a type of aircraft that rely on basic scientific principles to fly. Warm air rises over cooler air; thus the balloon is able to rise when the burner is lit. To help balloons rise, thermals need to be absent or at low activity. They are least active in the early morning, just after sunrise, and early in the evening. Therefore launches are scheduled between 6:30AM - 8AM & between 7 PM - 8:30PM during the evening (although there are no evening flights scheduled during the Canberra Balloon Spectacular).

Prior to flight, a "Piball" (or “pilot balloon") will be released. This is a helium filled balloon that lets the pilots know the general direction of the wind. This is the way the pilot’s balloon will drift. Wind directions do change based on height from the ground (especially if a front is in the area) and pilots must rely on (and know the direction of) the winds aloft. A balloon must also be able to land once in the air so the decision for "Go" or "No Go" for launch must take both the take-off, flight, and a safe landing into consideration.

Here is some weather information on ballooning flights.

• Winds: Winds are obviously the most critical weather phenomena that effect balloons. Winds are the #1 reason that Balloon Flights are cancelled. Balloons fly best with wind speeds ranging from 6-8kph. Balloons will never fly in winds higher than 20kph. Strong winds can not only damage the balloon, but it can make a pilot overshoot a target, cause a hard landing and require more space for landing.
• Winds at altitude: Winds aloft (or winds at higher altitudes) can also cause a flight to be cancelled and must be taken into consideration when deciding whether to fly or not. There may be almost no wind at ground level, but at altitude the wind may be blowing at 30+kph.  
• Visibility: Balloon Pilots must have a certain amount of visibility in order to be able to fly (which means no night flying). Depending on flight location, the visibility must be at least 1.6 – 5 kilometres. For the most part, they don’t fly in fog.
• Rain: Balloons do not launch in the rain. Rain can damage the balloon and decrease visibility.
• Fronts: There must be no fronts in the area for a balloon launch to occur. Fronts usually come with a change in wind direction or increased wind speeds. If pilots can plan for this, then it may be possible for a launch. But if the front will move through the flight area during the time of flight, the launch must be cancelled.
• Thunderstorms: There must be no thunderstorms within 160 kilometres  of the launch point for a balloon launch to take place. Thunderstorms present hazards to any type of aircraft, but a balloon is the one aircraft that would be affected most by that type of weather condition. A lightning strike to a balloon is an extremely dangerous hazard. In addition, gust fronts can occur up to 160 kilometres in advance of a storm or line of storms, which could heavily impact a balloon. If the weather forecast calls for Severe Weather, it is a good bet that the balloons won’t launch at that time

The Water Police always have a great view at the Balloon Spectacular