Small is beautiful for Peter King when it comes to ballooning.
Mr King, from East Taratahi, near Carterton, is among five balloonists in Oamaru for the annual Oamaru Victorian Heritage Celebration, appropriately with a transport theme this year.
Mr King and his good friend Ross Sale, from Birkenhead, have the smallest balloons of the group but reckon that is an advantage.
One person can inflate - providing they have a good anchor point, such as a four-wheel drive - and deflate their balloons as well as pack them up.
The bigger balloons require a team of two, or more as they get larger.
Despite able to fly by themselves, the pair still help each other out, but along with that goes the friendly banter.
Example - Mr King proudly show a stirrup and strap from a saddle which makes it easy to get in and out of his balloon's basket.
''He hasn't got one of those,'' he said, pointing to Mr Sale.
Mr Sale retorts that is because he ''gets to lift the ladies'' into the basket.
Once in the air there is also a bit of bumping and pushing, but they generally fly together.
Both men have balloons from the same American maker, Brian Boland, an eccentric balloonist and world record holder who has attached all sorts of things to his ''envelope'' (the balloon), ranging from a VW Kombi to a saddle strapped to a propane tank.
Mr King's balloon is the smallest, with an envelope of 46,000 cubic feet and weighing 200kg with the burner, basket and other equipment.
His is nicknamed Fag (fun and games) after his registration ZK-FAG. His wife Adrienne's call sign is Nag, when she is on ground support.
Their smaller balloons suit first-time owners, a Boland starting from about $25,000 new.
They cost about $60 an hour in gas to run, and last an average 400 hours, but that depends on how well they are cared for.
There is no height restriction for flying, except if set by the Civil Aviation Authority around designated areas, such as airports.
The only limit is 3000m, beyond which oxygen is supposed to be worn.
Mr King started ballooning in the late 1980s. So, how long do they want to keep ballooning?Mr King: ''Until I can't get out of bed.''
Int Oamaru yesterday, the balloons managed to launch and have a tethered flight at Awamoa Park about 6am, because the wind was going in the wrong direction and they would have ended up out to sea.
The wind dropped and one was launched from Takaro Park, landing at Weston.
Two others were launched to follow, but had to come down when the wind became too strong.
It was hoped to have a light-up - when the tethered balloons' burners flare to light the interiors - tonight at 9pm.
That would depend on the weather, which would also determine the venue.
