Ballooning

Ballooning Canterbury. Here's an activity worth getting up early for. Ballooning Canterbury picks you up from most central city places and takes you to Darfield, where you help set up the mighty balloon. Then you're away, floating above river gorges, the Canterbury Plains, and the foothills of the Southern Alps. You may see as far south as Aoraki/Mt. Cook, north up to the Kaikouras, and the ocean all the way down the coast to Timaru—much of the South Island in just an hour's flight. A glass of bubbly is the perfect finish. It's very weather dependent so don't leave it to the last minute to organize. Must be at least 4½ feet tall to ride. 2136 Bealey Rd., Darfield, Christchurch, Canterbury, 7671. 03/318–0860; www.ballooningcanterbury.com. NZ$365 per person.