March in Canberra is a romantic and fairytale-like time. Thanks to the hot air balloons, the labels of “boring” and “serious” have been torn off from Canberra! The Canberra Hot Air Balloon Festival, some people also call it the “Turkish delight of the southern hemisphere”! It is the largest hot air balloon event in the southern hemisphere.
When is Enlighten Festival?
In March, during Canberra’s early autumn, the light blue sky serves as the backdrop for a colourful spectacle of hot air balloons slowly rising into the sky. As if a box of candy had been spilled, the balloons take on various shapes and colours and slowly come to life under the first rays of morning light, evoking a fairytale-like romance!
Enlighten Canberra Best Locations and Route
Canberra has several best hot air balloon viewing spots, mainly focusing on watching the inflation and takeoff by the lake, and panoramic view from the mountaintop. It’s essential to choose the right parking location if you want to see both sights in one day.
The best route for chasing hot air balloons in Canberra is as follows: (from the Inflation scene, Lakefront close-up view to Mountain top distant view)
Old Parliament House
At 5:50 a.m., arrive at the Old Parliament House to get a close-up view of the hot air balloons being inflated and the crowd watching the spectacle (although there might be quite a lot of people here waiting!). At 6:00 a.m., you can wait for the hot air balloons to be launched.
Katie Bender Memorial
After watching the inflation, head northwest and pass over the bridge to the Beijing Garden area. You can briefly stop on the bridge and get a close-up view of the hot air balloons passing over your head, which is quite exciting.
Then, head towards the Katie Bender Memorial along the lakefront, where you can see various hot air balloons floating by the lake, and the lighting is also very good. You can also see kayaking and hot air balloons interacting with each other!
Dairy Farmers Hill Lookout
Finally, take an Uber or a cap or drive to the top of the mountain to see the distant view of the hot air balloons at the Dairy Farmers Hill Lookout. If you are lucky enough, you may also see the balloons landing and the abandonment process.
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