20190424 NSW Canowindra

20190424 Off to Cargo, Des said he read it’s an historic town he thought I’d like, well! after travelling over 40ks on the roughest road ever, we arrived to see a Pub and a shop, gee this is nice Des, NOT.
Cargo was again a mining town and 1868 Alluvial gold was first discovered in Long Gully, it prompted a rush of 500 miners.  Is hard to believe Cargo was once a thriving town with three hotels a bank, three churches, two schools, many businesses and much more .



We drove onto Canowindra where there were caravans everywhere, what’s going on here I thought, so I googled and found the Canowindra International Balloon Challenge is taken place, that was on the news a couple of days ago, “wow” excitement plus and this is also an historic town. 
With the festival on, camp sites were booked out but we found a lovely camp spot just out of town with plenty of room, that’s suites us.
25-04-2019 Waking around 12.30am I was dammed if I could sleep and when the alarm went off at 5.15am I was up, dressed and ready for our ride to town, it’s still dark said Des and we have no lights on our bikes, she’ll be right I said, only he reckons I’m trying to get him killed, never, so we waited for sunset and found the lights worked after all. 

We stopped at the Anzac memorial to pay our respect, I always find these moments very sad as I shed a tear for our brave fallen soldiers.
Canowindra International Balloon Challenge 2019





We peddle to the Oval to watch the Air Balloons prepare and lift off, O.M.G, how exciting, I so want to go up with them.
As I watch and take my many photo's I take in the task of preparing the balloons for there take off and what a process it is.  Starting around 6am they unload and begin to lay out the silk balloons then filling it with enough air to get her off the ground before filling them with helium that eventually lifts them to a grand old height, this process is done every morning and afternoon weather permitted.
It's a weeklong competition with balloonist coming from all over the world, there’s no guessing where this one come’s from, once filled the Kiwi takes to the sky in all her glory.

While the balloons take to the sky we peddle to the town centre to fill our bellies at the "The Garden of Rosses Café" built in 1914.
 The main street, "Gaskill St" is quite narrow with three bends and displays a number of 19th and 20th century buildings which are heritage listed.
Another view of the street around one of the bends.
This sculpture of a balloon scatter the main street in honour of the festival.
It's 2pm so we hop on our deadly treadles and head to the RSL to check out the two up and drink to our soldiers when I spotted this old photo, a real part of the history around this area.









The Air Balloons put on a grand display as they approach our camp site heading to there targets.










27-04-2019 Today is the last day of the festival so we wake early to a bloody freezing morning and head to Blue Jacket Hill to await the balloons but to our disappointment they headed in a different direction so we head back down hoping to catch them landing in a paddock. As part of the competition there are markers set up and the balloons descend down to drop a marker before heading to the next target.

← A balloon descending to drop her marker and everyone cheers.

A tandem balloon, how cool is that.→ 













Tonight is the spectacular "Cabonne Country Balloon Glow" and fire and light spectacular, although I'm sure Des has had enough but I myself am very excited.  We parked at the golf club right next to the show grounds and luck has it there's Desies favourite restaurant, Chinese, so after a nice meal it's time for the light show.

The Balloonist round the oval setting off there burners in a blazing display.
All up there were 38 balloons in the festival but only half did the parade.
 The light display was played to "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen.

28-04-2019 I can't believe we've been driving around all week chasing these bloody Air Balloons take off's and landing and bugger me dead here they are setting up in the park right beside us so I decide to brave the freezing cold to take the last of my photo's before leaving town.


The End to a Great Festival
Location: Canowindra NSW 2804, Australia

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