Up, up and away
Hot air balloons and skydivers were visible among the clouds during the weekend as adventure enthusiasts descended on Motueka for the region’s inaugural festival of the skies.
The two-day Lift Off Abel Tasman event kicked off on Saturday afternoon with Tasman resident Wendy Smith achieving New Zealand’s first HALO (high altitude, low opening) skydive from 25,000 feet (7620m).
‘‘We set out with the objective of showcasing the region, celebrating the skies and the start of the tourism season, and the way it has come off, we have achieved those goals,’’ event organiser Johny O’Donnell said.
Thousands of volunteer hours and a huge amount of community support had gone into making the Labour Weekend festival a success, O’Donnell said, and the plan was for it to become an annual event.
‘‘I think this is the start of something quite special for the region. We do have an outstanding aviation offering.’’
He said the man behind the festival, Nelson Tasman Air coowner Carsten Buschkuehle, was a ‘‘passionate balloonist’’ who had been involved in similar large-scale festivals in his native Germany. ‘‘When he moved to the region, he knew he wanted to do something special.’’
O’Donnell said Motueka had gone a bit ‘‘balloon crazy’’, and those who had come from out of town for the festival had picked up on that vibe.
Labour Weekend was chosen for the festival because it marked the start of the visitor season heading into summer, he said.
‘‘This is when things really kick into gear for our tourism operators. So this was a chance for everyone in the community and visitors to celebrate that and everything it does for the area.’’
For those visiting the region for the first time, the festival had been a ‘‘stunning showcase’’ of what made Motueka a great place to live and the best place to skydive in New Zealand, O’Donnell said.
‘‘We have got the most settled climate, the best flying conditions, the winters here are crystal-clear, and it is the only place in New Zealand where you can jump and see both the North Island, the South Island and three national parks.
‘‘You don’t get that anywhere else in the country.’’
More than 6000 people turned out to see the balloons lit up on Saturday night and enjoy music from Tawhiri Funk.
O’Donnell said the purpose of the event was to showcase and celebrate the adventure aviation hub at the Motueka Aerodrome. ‘‘It was the best showcase we could have asked for.’’
Last night, skydivers landed on Kaiteriteri Beach while boats went out on sunset cruises, with tethered hot air balloons lit up once again.
O’Donnell said he thought people were ‘‘hanging out’’ for similar events, and the festival could serve as a blueprint for future offerings.
‘‘I think the potential for growing events of this scale in the region is massive.’’