On a slow groove in Cairns

AT 4am, we are woken up from our slumber to shower, eat and get onto a bus. As it drives through very dark roads, we are surprised by how little traffic there is at night in Cairns.

The driver says he doesn't know where exactly he is taking us. The pilot has indicated the area where the lift-off might occur. But the precise spot will depend on the wind.

After some radio to-and-fro with the pilot on-site, the driver takes us to a dark field where we can barely make out a flaccid balloon lying on the ground.

We meet the pilot from Hot Air (hot…