A wishes came true in 2014, my family shouted my birthday treat as my age to significant 50. I was thrilled but relief when I visited my go because I sprained my left ankle at Melville High School several days before my birthday. My GP declared I was fit and allowed to go for a ride in the Hot Air Balloon for I used to be a deaf Health Carer in the past and know what I am doing.
Floating, floating up toward the skies in the basket of the Hot Air Balloon. The weather was foggy first in the early hour of the morning, suddenly the sun came out through the misty and clouds as glorious outbreak sunshine streaming over the Hamilton Lake. The silent chilly winds breezing around us while we were in the basket soaring up in the skies.
It was a clear crisp morning, and I was admiring how much has Hamilton Kirikiriroa City grow so far since I was a young girl growing up in Hamilton Kirikiriroa within the neighbourly – vast farmlands, mountains and the Waikato River runs along with the city. Thinking back, the population of people living in Hamilton Kirikiriroa was around 42,212 (dated 1961), and today the population has increased to 176,500 (dated 2018). The word “Kirikiriroa” means “long stretch of gravel”, and the vast lands is approximately 110 km2 (42 sq mi) on the banks of the Waikato River and encompasses the nearby towns of Ngāruawāhia, Te Awamutu and Cambridge. Hamilton City is listed number four of the urban growth of New Zealand. But wait, an agricultural service centre, Hamilton now has a diverse economy and is the third fastest-growing metropolitan area in New Zealand, behind Pukekohe and Auckland.
Speechless and disbelief that the city of Hamilton has proliferated each year and Hamiltionains work together with the City Councils. Many years I involve with the councillors, support groups of the disAbility organisations, Health Board and many other groups as a deaf advocator. We, people/children with disAbilities/D/deaf people/children have the rights to access and making lives more comfortable and more accessible to get around the city and the rural areas.
Time goes by as we were flying in the air with wonderful awes, ahh, catching the local sight of the landmarks, looking out miles away toward mountains and many more. Hours by as it was time for landing down at one of the local farmlands while cows grazing their feeds and look at us puzzling. We were preparing for bumping and thumping while the basket landed firmly on the cow muck grounds while alone black cow watch silently at us.
My partner who travelled with the co-pilot in the ute and tracking the balloon to ensure for safety. The co-pilot was communicated with the pilot who was with us in the basket of the hot air balloon. We landed on the property of the farm between three local farms – Puketaha, Gordonton and our home Eureka without a hitch and safety landed on the ground. The pleasure of the ride was not over as we watched the men, including my partner wrapped the balloon and loading the basket onto the trailer. We headed out to The Cook Cafe and Bar in Hamilton East for the lovely prepared breakfast and champagnes.
It was a remarkable memory of the ride in the hot air balloon, and the following day it was my birthday for the family booked the 9th. But the weather was not fair on the 9th, so they shifted to the 8th, which was the perfect morning. Oh, I wish for another ride when I turn 60/70 years old! Nothing will stop me from having another ride if the price is right for us.
Life in Eureka 