Monday will definitely be a day to look to the skies, with the always-impressive Vincent Van Gogh hot-air balloon due to make another flight in Canberra.
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The famous Dutch painter has been immortalised in a hot-air balloon by a British company and it has been flown often in his homeland, the Netherlands.
The balloon will take to the Canberra skies for the second time on Monday, weather permitting, piloted by former Canberran Paul Gibbs. It also flew in Canberra in 2004 as part of the then balloon festival.
Gibbs is en route with the Van Gogh balloon to the King Valley Balloon Festival in north-east Victoria, held in June.
With his Canberra connections and the city's love of hot-air balloons, Gibbs couldn't resist a stopover in his old home town to give Van Gogh an airing over the national capital.
"Oh, absolutely," he said. "Canberra's a great place to come to, very balloon-friendly."
The 28-metre-high balloon was digitally printed from a fairly self-explanatory self-portrait, Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat, which Van Gogh painted in Paris in September-October, 1887.
The balloon appears to have both ears in tact, with Van Gogh not cutting his left ear until December 23, 1888
Although, Gibbs conceded he'd never checked the ear situation on the balloon: "Do you know? I don't know".
Gibbs, 56, grew up in Canberra, attending Yarralumla Primary and the Canberra Grammar School.
He learnt how to fly hot-air balloons in Canberra.
"I was very keen on wind power. I spent my entire schooling days sailing on Lake Burley Griffin," he said.
The Van Gogh balloon was manufactured by Cameron Balloons in Bristol, in the United Kingdom.
It was airshipped to Australia for the King Valley festival, but on Thursday was safely tucked away in a bag in Gibbs' 4WD in Yarralumla.
Gibbs now owns Goldrush Ballooning in the King Valley, as well as Phaway Atacama Ballooning Experience in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
He is a five-time Australian champion in the sport of hot air ballooning.
Gibbs said he loved flying over the King Valley, home to many cool-climate vineyards and wineries, continuing that long-running association between ballooning and wine tourism.
The King Valley Balloon Festival will have more than 20 hot air balloons launch daily from the Brown Brothers Milawa airfield from June 7 to 10.
"The King Valley is only a four-hour drive from Canberra and a wonderful place to visit," Gibbs said.
More information on the festival here.
Megan Doherty
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
