How long have you been involved with the community of Canowindra? We moved to Canowindra when I was 3 and I lived in town until I was about 22. Mum lives in town and I get back quite a bit. You know what they say, you can take the boy out of the town, but not the town out of the boy.
What is your role on the Supagas Canowindra Balloon Challenge Committee? I am VP and responsible for all the ballooning operations. I also hold the Civil Aviatiation Permit for the flying during the week and am responsible for flight plannnig the daily flights for the balloon teams.
How long have you been piloting balloons? I went for my first balloon flight 42 years ago (in Canowindra) and I’ve had my pilots licence since I was 16. I LOVE it.
What makes the Supagas Canowindra Balloon Challenge so special that it draws the best balloonists to our town? Canowindra’s location in the river valley with the hills around Mt Canobolas behind it creates really interesting winds that allow for great conditions for most of the year. The teams that come back year after year all say its one of their favourite places to fly in the world. We are lucky to have such a great flying location with great landowners and friendly locals.
What do you think adding the Eliven Festival will bring to the Balloon Week program of events? When the new committee took over at the end of 2019 we were determined to bring more activity to the main street and to continue to build on the event and give the town an event they can really get behind. Being awarded the grant from the State Government for the music festival is a HUGE result and this seed funding really starts us on the path to this becoming an annual music festival for the town.
What do you think the biggest benefits of Enliven Festival will be for Canowindra? It will add massive value to the town in terms of direct economic impact for businesses and community groups, in addition to highlighting the towns tourism value via increased publicity around the state.
