Balloons over Waikato heading to Te Awamutu and festival finale in Hamilton

The bright balloons are one of the highlights in the Waikato event calendar. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

The Balloons over Waikato festival - which this week has been giving the region its daily dose of colour - will culminate in the grand finale on Saturday in Hamilton with the Zuru Nightglow, when the tethered balloons will fire up in a special choreography to the sounds of live music.

The theme of this year's event is "Keeping it Kiwi", as no overseas balloons were able to join the event due to Covid-19. Each morning since Tuesday, throngs of spectators have been getting up early to see the beautiful balloons floating into the sky from Innes Common beside Hamilton Lake.

The little ones especially love the big bright balloons and waving the basket riders goodbye as they become dots in the sky.

One of the little fans was Elliot Pratt. Her mum Dominique says: "She has been so excited and keeps telling me 'Mummy, maybe one day we can go for a ride'."

Lynn, Elliot and Dominique Pratt have been waving the colourful balloons goodbye as they floated into the sky. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

Together with grandma Lynn Pratt, Dominique and Elliot have been following the balloon festival almost every year.

Lynn says: "It always looks spectacular and it's nice that it is going on for a week. We are especially looking forward to the Nightglow."

One balloon especially has been fascinating the Pratts this year. "We think the Abel Tasman balloon is the coolest. As the special balloons from overseas aren't able to take part this year, this balloon with the beautiful landscape picture sticks out," says Dominique.

Crowds have been gathering at Innes Common every morning since Tuesday to see the colourful balloons take off into the sky. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

The Abel Tasman balloon belongs to Carsten Buschkuehle, who came all the way up to the Waikato from Tasman in the South Island. Originally from Germany, he has been permanently in New Zealand since 2017.

"I have always been interested in aviation. In Germany, I was flying a balloon for a supermarket chain and I also have a pilot licence for small aircraft like Cessnas. For me flying an airplane and hot air balloon belong together."

Carsten is usually flying in the Tasman region, but has been participating in the Balloons Over Waikato festival for two years.

It takes pilot Carsten Buschkuehle about half an hour to get his balloon ready for take-off. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

"At home it can sometimes be a bit difficult to land, but here in the Waikato it is just awesome because everything is nice and flat."

It takes about three people and half an hour to get his balloon set up and ready to fly. On Tuesday he had two passengers in his basket: Helen Morgan and her sister, who were on their first flight.

Helen Morgan and her sister couldn't wait to go for their first balloon ride in the Abel Tasman balloon with Carsten Buschkuehle (center) and his co-pilot Tom Fels. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

"I always wanted to fly in a hot air balloon. It is adventurous but not too risky," Helen says.

There is still time to enjoy the balloons - on Friday morning, there will be cool games and spot prizes at the First Credit Union Fun Friday from 7am at Innes Common.

In the afternoon, the balloons will visit Te Awamutu for the first time. Six hot air balloons will be on show for the free event in Albert Park from 5pm to 8pm. The balloons in Te Awamutu will be "Sweet Pea", "The Shiner", "PK Sound Egg", "SkyCity Hamilton" and the "Abel Tasman".

The balloon "Sweet Pea" will be on display at Balloons over Waipā in Te Awamutu tomorrow. Photo / Supplied

The "Walk Thru" hot air balloon will also be on show, with an invitation for all to step inside the balloon in exchange for a gold coin donation to the KidsCan Charitable Trust.

Also on Friday in Hamilton, The Base Basket Burn will be kicking off from 6pm at The Base in Te Rapa with live music from The Monroes.

For the final day on Saturday, the organisers have put together a Pilot Cash Grab Spectacular from 7am at Innes Common, where the balloon pilots will attempt to win $1000 cash from the top of a pole.

The ZURU Nightglow will also be this year's grand finale of the Balloons over Waikato festival. Photo / Supplied

The grand finale, the Zuru Night Glow will be starting at 4pm and run till 9pm at the University of Waikato sports fields, with a line-up of three live-music performances and a stunning light and sound show for visitors.

The festival will be rounded off by the spectacular Waitomo Group Fireworks Extravaganza.