THE recent flights of the Skywhales in Dunkeld in May were unfortunately not able to be repeated in Ballarat over the weekend, with weather conditions not calm enough to allow the hot air balloons to get airborne.

Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhale hot air balloons were inflated early on Sunday morning at Ballarat’s Eastern Oval, having already been postponed from the day before, but winds were still too severe for lift off - even causing a tear in one of the iconic creations.

The crowd left disappointed not to see the full spectacle they had hoped for, but still managed to see them inflated for some time, as well as being entertained by the Skywhales choir drawn from local schools.

Many commenters on social media vented their frustration at arriving in the cold at 6.15am for the event, one calling it “officially a flop”.

“They certainly proved that whales can’t fly,” another quipped.