Two Northland schools host hot air balloon

Drone footage of the giant air balloon in action at Morningside School.

Tom Clarkson admitted being jealous his friend, another school principal, had treated students to a hot air balloon ride, and thought he needed to provide the same experience for kids at his kura in Whangārei.

So, Clarkson, principal of Morningside School in Whangārei, got in touch with Flying High Project founder Andrew Parker in France, and the result of that effort was the latter getting a gigantic hot air balloon to go on a two-school tour of Northland.

Morningside School was the first stop on Wednesday morning, and for those that turned up, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a hot air balloon, and some even had the privilege to ride in it.

“It was great, pretty awesome. I was a little bit scared ... I was flying and saw a bird,” student Tyler Chittenden said enthusiastically.

He was one of 30 students, eight teachers and a couple of parents chosen to go up in the hot air balloon, three at a time, on a beautiful morning before a brief Q&A session with Parker.

Hot air balloon pilot Andrew Parker with students happy to get a ride. Photo / Supplied

A student waves to those below. Photo / Supplied

Liam Roberts, nine, also went for a ride, and mum Katrina Roberts said her son went to bed early on Tuesday, excited about going up on the balloon the next morning.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for the kids... so cool. I’ve seen it for the first time and it’s amazing how big the balloon is, with a small basket,” she said.

Lucy Viviani and daughter Ezme moved to Whangārei from the tiny island nation of Niue and were equally amazed at what they witnessed.

Ezme also got a ride.

“I thought the whole school [would] go up, but it’s only a chosen few. There should be more such initiatives in schools up here,” Viviani said.

The Flying High Project is taken to schools throughout New Zealand and encourages kids to take up science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (Steam) subjects as a way of getting them to think about careers they might not otherwise do.

Morningside School staff and students pose with the hot air balloon after their rides. Photo / Imran Ali

Clarkson said getting the hot air balloon to the school was great given what his students missed out on over the last couple of years, with camps and beach trips cancelled due not only to the weather, but also Covid.

“A friend of mine, a principal in Auckland, had this last year, and I remember getting really jealous seeing the photos and the experience they created for the kids, so I thought, ‘We’ve gotta get that for the kids up here’.

“A big focus of what we’re doing has been to try to connect with our community over the last two years, and opportunities like these are perfect,” he said.

Clarkson said it was an awesome authentic learning opportunity for the students.

“It’s not your typical science lesson, and it has been inspirational to hear about Andrew’s story. We want our students to be aspirational citizens and to follow their dreams.”

Bunnings chipped in and sponsored a sausage sizzle.

The giant hot air balloon will be at Horeke School tomorrow.

Hamilton-born Parker said Morningside and Horeke were among 35 schools around New Zealand he would take the balloon to this year.

“Many people here have never seen a balloon before, let alone flown in one. It’s about inspiring kids to think outside the square and to inspire them to take up a Steam subject.”

He had wanted to be a balloon pilot since the age of six, and has so far done 3000 hours of flying in 87 countries. The project is 90 per cent self-funded.

Low-decile schools have priority when it comes to flying the balloon.