You haven't seen Tasmania until you've seen it from the sky. This, according to John Allen, who's been showing people the best views from above, all over the world, for the past three decades.
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Now, Mr Allen and wife Carol have returned to his hometown of Launceston and established Hot Air Balloon Tasmania - and the business is off to a flying start.
On New Year's Day The Examiner joined Mr Allen on a scenic flight through the Northern Midlands, taking off from Deloraine and touching down in Cressy.
From the historic townships to the mountainous backdrop, Mr Allen said there was something really special about Northern Tasmania.
"People want to see Tasmania. It's such a unique part of the world," he said.
"I have done a fair bit of travelling in my time and there's only two places like it - Colorado and Tasmania - where it's the scenery, it's the lifestyle and there's people who are genuinely happy to live here.
"Ballooning gives you the opportunity to show people all of those things, from a very unique perspective."
Mr Allen said while most people "don't dream" of becoming a hot air balloon pilot, for him it was about embracing the quieter moments - and early starts.
Throughout his career he has flown more than 45,000 passengers and for the first day of 2020, Peter and Lucy Milekovic, of Sydney, became two of his most recent.
Visiting Tasmania to celebrate her 50th birthday, Mrs Milekovic said she thoroughly enjoyed her first hot air ballooning experience.
"It was very peaceful, and the views were pretty incredible," she said.
"It was really nice seeing the wildlife as well."
Prior to Tasmania, the Allens had been operating hot air balloon flights in NSW's Hunter Valley region and then Sydney.
Since launching Hot Air Balloon Tasmania in August, Mrs Allen said the business had been well received by both locals and tourists.
"We've lived and travelled all over the world, but there is simply nowhere like Tasmania. The views right across the state are spectacular, but especially so in the north," she said.
"The experiences you can have in Northern Tasmania are second to none, the hospitality is amazing and we're hoping to add something a bit special to the mix as well.
"We're incredibly positive about the potential for the north of the state."