Later That Same Day...

After the Mass Ascension the wind lifted quite considerably. Just on sunset we gathered at a field expecting it to drop, with us spread out all over the show. I borrowed a small boy's bicycle to get from person to person and proceeded to destroy it, bending the rear wheel to some crazy angle (not before it had gained revenge by piching me headforth over the handlebars however). The wind did not drop and most of stayed groundbound. Two balloons inflated and flew. One was Brian Boland (naturally), while the other was one of NZ's World Championship representatives Mike Oakley, who with considerable skill launched and flew his balloon straight outta town, landing not too soon later, also on the beach. The rest of us stood back and admired the skills, then went and had Fish n Chips and Pizza.