Floating over Lake Burley Griffin with a view of a golden dawn. 

Balloons glide over the National Arboretum. 

Inflator fans whir beside the baskets, gushing air towards the balloons’ mouths. 

Richard Gillespie (centre) has flown hot-air balloons in countless locations all over the globe, but the sweeping views of Australia’s capital have kept him tethered to Canberra for the past 10 years.

Balloons inflate from 6.15am and launch from 6.30am-7am.

Balloons are a pleasant spectacle for commuters driving towards Parliament House in the morning. 

Dawn is usually when balloons fly, and the soft lighting at that time of day means it sure is hard to take a bad photograph of them. 

A gyrocopter joined the action. 

Up to 30 hot air balloons took to the skies in 2015. 

Pilots include the likes of Paul Gianniotis, a former commercial airline flight engineer who took up hot-air ballooning in 1975 after seeing a sign on a staff noticeboard. 

The Yoda balloon displaced Canberra’s famous Skywhale as the strangest balloon. 

Ballooning is a great way to take in Canberra’s famous design. 

According to the pilot, the Angry Bird balloon was easy to fly but not designed to take passengers, as it takes concentration to make sure all the little compartments stay filled with air. 

Balloons fly in the early morning to avoid strong winds that pick up during the day and make flying unsafe. An added benefit is a glimpse of the morning mist on the Canberra hills. 

The sound of inflator fans mixes with the whoosh of propane flames, creating an industrial symphony.

2015’s Master Yoda hot-air balloon followed a floating Darth Vader in 2013.