For a snapshot in time, we asked eight people around the country to reflect on Australia Now. Here, Georgia Croft, a pilot for Global Ballooning Australia based in Victoria, shares her thoughts on what the global pandemic has taught her.
When lockdowns grounded Global Ballooning Australia’s Melbourne and Yarra Valley flights, Georgia Croft saw an opportunity to establish a brand-new location for the company.
Today, one of only five female hot-air balloon pilots in Australia, the 24-year-old flies high above the scenic landscape and rolling hills of Mansfield and Mt Buller in Victoria’s High Country.
A day in the life of a hot air balloon pilot
The day starts early – up to two hours before sunrise. Ungodly hours that only hot-air balloonists and bakers keep, says Georgia. The flip side is that post-flight day napping is entirely acceptable within their community.
Hot air balloon pilots are very early risers.
No day is typical with hot-air ballooning. “Every single day brings its own conditions and a whole new experience," says Georgia. “Even this morning – and I’ve been flying up here for three months – we got a wind direction that allowed us to fly over Lake Eildon and look at the valley from a completely different perspective. And last week we accidentally got bogged in a paddock and had to call the landowner to get in with his tractor to come and help us out. It’s a beautiful balance of being a professional and doing what we know and love, but also working things out as we go."
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Why it’s great to pilot hot air balloons, according to Georgia
Georgia’s love for hot-air ballooning is manifold. From the fact it is the world’s oldest form of aviation and something of a lost art, to witnessing the awe of passengers, who are often first-timers, as they take in such inspiring sights as the sun rising over a snow-capped Mt Buller.
Hot air balloon pilot Georgia Croft, all set to take to the skies over Canowindra.
And she loves being part of the industry itself: the places it takes her and connections forged around Australia and beyond. “There are all these tiny little communities within this culture that have such a beautiful knowledge of their land and their environment, and also their [wider] community because of how engaged you have to be in that network in order to successfully do a hot-air balloon flight." Employing the seriously high level of skill and knowledge it takes to pilot a hot-air balloon, from meteorology to navigation, it offers a unique way to explore the country. “You’re assessing the wind and the topography and you’re looking at all these really niche factors that you would have no reason to pay attention to otherwise," she says.
It makes for a unique perspective on Australia, and not only literally. The job requires engagement with local landowners to get permission to launch and land: often popping into their backyard and saying, ‘Hey, do you mind if we land here?’ “And then 20 minutes later you’re in this random dude’s house and he’s walking you through his property and serving you a cup of tea," laughs Georgia. “I am constantly blown away by how giving people are of their time and their place, and their knowledge of the place. When you turn up and show an interest in that way, your possibilities are endless. And, through those interactions, you learn so much more about the land and the way that it works."
Hot air balloons over Mt Buffalo National Park. (Image: Visit Victoria)
What the global pandemic has taught her
And there’s a lot more Australia can reveal to us yet, Georgia reflects. “This period of hardship, which everyone has gone through individually, has made me sit back and really appreciate this country and how much we have to learn from it and grow within it as well. But more so than that, it’s made me realise how privileged I am to be here and to live here. It gives me this solid optimism going forward, because it opens us up to have more intimate and more in-depth experiences rather than constantly looking elsewhere. It’s through this we could really learn to cherish where we belong and where we are. And that makes me really excited."
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Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.
Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans
“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.
Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten, the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.
Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)
Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.
Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.
Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)
For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.
You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery, a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.
How Ballarat is preserving the past
The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.
While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.
The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.
Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.
Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.
A city steeped in food and flavours
Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho, José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.
The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.
Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits. At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.
The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.
The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury
The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.
Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.
Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.
A traveller’s checklist
Getting there
It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.
Staying there
Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial, which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.
Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.
Eating there
The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)
Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.
Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.
Dining at Grainery Lane.
Playing there
An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)
Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle, ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.
