iDStyle

Our Journey ... New Zealand 2011

2011-08-08T16:06:00.004+10:00

If you're interested in seeing where we went on our recent trip to New Zealand, click on the link below to visit our TripAdvisor Profile page, where you can zoom into the South Island of New Zealand and see all the pins which map out out journey.

Visit our TripAdvisor page so you can zoom in and get more detail on just where we've been. You can zoom in and see exactly what roads we travelled too!

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For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 10

2011-08-05T20:23:00.002+10:00

Dinner at Christchurch's best Italian Restaurant Tutto Bene where they had to squeeze us in between the THREE sittings they have every night ... even on a Monday.

The food and service are excellent at Tutto Bene.

WE'RE OK ... stirring words in this earthquake stricken city.

The earthquake devastation is still very evident in Christchurch some 11 months after the first quake of September 2010.

It is a little depressing to see such a beautiful city in this way ...

Christchurch city ... deserted apart from cleanup crews.

One for Tony ... popped in to see the family for you mate.

Qantas Club Lounge in Christchurch ... very nice.

Business Class for the flight from Christchurch to Sydney ... very nice.

Goodbye Christchurch.

Goodbye New Zealand.

Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Salad ... just beautiful.

Our first glimpse of Australian Soil as the reality we'll be home soon sinks in.

Qantas Club Business Lounge at Sydney Domestic Airport ... with hundreds of people. This is one very busy place.

Kathy resting after the ordeal of getting through customs and making her way from the International to the Domestic Airports in Sydney.

I've had enough ... get me out of Sydney, a couple of hours in Sydney Airport is enough for anyone.

Business Class on a bigger plane from Sydney to Brisbane was very very disappointing Qantas. I felt more like a Sardine on this flight than I did flying Cattle Class to Sydney for the Promotional Products Expo a year ago. Very disappointed Qantas ...

As the sun sets on Sydney, it also sets on our Honeymoon ... sigh.

I do hope you enjoyed the blog and the photos ... and I would love some feedback, so please make comments and let me know what you think.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 9

2011-08-05T19:49:00.003+10:00

Well, we couldn't get a scenic flight over the glacier's when we were on the west coast due to the weather, so when it did fine up, we chartered our own plane with pilot from Wings over Whales and finally got to see them from the air.

Joe our wonderful pilot and Kathy in the front ready to go.

Me taking up the entire back seat and ready to go.

Up up and away ...

Ski Fields from the air ...

Just amazing scenery ...

When nature becomes art ...

Landing at Pukaki to refuel.

Joe our pilot refuelling at Pukaki.

The unmanned airport at Pukaki.

Mt Cook ... up close and very personal.

Kathy ready to open the door ... me ready to jump out ... err ... I mean lean out and take a photo.

Kathy opening the door ... and yes, it is a bit chilly out there.

The Tasman Glacier ...

The Fox Glacier ...

The Franz Josef Glacier ...

The Sperm Whales of Kaikoura.

Landing south of Kaikoura with Wings over Whales what an awesome day.

There's a photo opportunity for everyone in Kaikoura.

The New Zealand Fur Seals of Kaikoura.

This photography stuff is serious business.

Leaving Kaikoura ...

We have many many more photos in the Picasa Web Album ... so I do hope you'll have a look.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 8

2011-08-05T11:31:00.001+10:00

Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools here we come.

The Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools have recently spent about 11 million dollars upgrading the facilities and it shows ... this is a very professionally run centre.

Whether you want to relax and read a book ...

Reconnect with your partner and soak in the love ...

Party with the whole family or a few hundred others ...

Or just enjoy the thermal pools together, this is a great day out.

The Alpine Garden Motel has beautiful views and is a lovely place to stay.

Dinner was great at the Monteith's Brewing Co. Hotel and the presentation of Kathy's salad was rather special.

Yet again, these Kiwi's know how to do coffee and hot chocolate and the presentation is really a work of art.

The Thrillseekers Adventures Jet Boat and Bungee Bridge just outside Hanmer Springs.

There's some beautiful log homes available for sale in Mt Lyford ... hmmm.

Yet another beautiful scene at Mt Lyford.

Oh what a surprise ... we saw some sheep.

And what may I ask are ... YOU looking at?

The sun desperately trying to peek through the cloud at Kaikoura.

We had a few minutes before sunset to visit the Ohau Stream Seal Pups, but unfortunately I forgot my flash for the walk into the very dark cavern where these little guys play, so photo's are limited and not the best.

Just like me, Kathy had a ball watching these Seal Pups at play.

Out on the beach, I think the Mums were a little cranky and didn't appreciate me taking photos.

A final glimpse of the coast road heading back into Kaikoura for the night, before the sun left us for the day.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 7

2011-08-05T11:04:00.001+10:00

Back on the road again and headed for Fox Glacier.

Our first glimpse of the Fox Glacier ... I think it's time to put the telephoto lens on.

Ahhh ... that's better, now we can see it really is a Glacier, even if we did have to wait for an hour for the sun to poke itself through the cloud.

Next stop was Franz Josef Glacier, but still no luck with weather. All in all it was a bit wet and miserable, but even in this weather, the place is amazing.

Well, today is not the day for a stroll so this is as close as we're getting to the Franz Josef Glacier today. We still haven't had any luck getting a scenic flight to view the Glacier's and Mount Cook from the air yet.

More rain, as we drive north up the West Coast towards Hokitika.

The drive toward Punakaiki is totally different again, with hints of the Pancake Rocks showing themselves as you drive the winding coast road.

The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes Walk is well worth the effort at the Paparoa National Park in Punakaiki if you get the chance.

Kathy on the cool rock staircase.

You might have to take something to help with your imagination here, but if you visit my album linked below, you'll see what other's believe you should be able to see when looking at this scene.

Make sure you fill up at Greymouth because Punakaiki does NOT have a Gas Station as we found out.

A poor attempt at getting a photo of the Glowworms at Hokitika, in the pitch black open cavern, in the rain.

Breakfast at the Clock Tower Cafe was wonderful in Hokitika.

More rain, mist and gloomy weather as we head out for Arthur's Pass on the way to Hanmer Springs.

They're even kind enough to redirect a waterfall over the Otira Gorge Road on State Highway73.

The amazing Otira Viaduct drive heading towards Arthur's Pass.

At least I had a hat on to keep my head warm and waterproof shoes for walking in the snow ... unlike another visitor who was only wearing a short dress and her "Jandles" ... check her out in my album.

The ice and grit covered roads of Arthur's Pass with a hint of blue skies in the distance.

As you round each corner, the vision changes constantly.

Lake Pearson Wildlife Refuge ... yet another beautiful spot on the way to Hanmer Springs.

Lake Pearson Wildlife Refuge is truly beautiful.

OK then ... remember, you can only fish between 5am and midnight in winter ... if you can find a hole in the ice that is.

The sky put on a magnificent light show as we drove toward Hanmer Springs at sunset.

The sunset drive into Hanmer Springs was such a beautiful way to end the day.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 6

2011-07-29T19:48:00.004+10:00

We made it to Lake Tekapo and had our coldest day yet at the top of Mount John University Observatory ... yes even I thought it was blinkin' cold.

I think it felt more like an Antarctic Research Station than the middle of the South Island of New Zealand, but one very cool place indeed ... pardon the pun. We wanted to do a night star gazing tour, but the photographer took the night off. Bugger!

The view from inside the Church of the Good Shepherd ... it was Sunday after all.

Taking time to reflect at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo.

Kathy putting here 4WD Skills to work ... just to get some photos of a frozen lake. Go the Rav4!

Next was a trip to the Lake Tekapo Hot Pools which was a very popular place to be, with more people than we've seen in one place for a very long time.

There was Ice Skating too!

... and lots of fun for the whole family to be had on the Tube Luge.

Back on the road again and we just had to stop at Puzzle World in Wanaka for a little mind bending fun.

The drive to the west coast is never boring and it really does change every minute, from lake reflections

... to ice covered walls lining the windy roads.

There's something new to look out for at every turn, so it's not a road to drift off on.

As close as we got to the Fox Glacier ... unfortunately we just couldn't get any pilot to get us in the air due to the poor visibility.

The Salmon doesn't get any fresher than this ... straight from the farm to the plate ... and it was absolutely scrumptious.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 5

2011-07-28T21:22:00.001+10:00

Lake Manapouri from the shore line on a sunny day is truly a beautiful place to behold shortly after leaving Te Anau.

On the road to Invercargill, we felt we were constantly being watched ... and we were. Buy the thousands of sheep that line the roads throughout the country.

The beaches go from beautiful sunny and colourful places ...

To dark and gloomy, gold and ever so uninviting.

The view from "The Bluff' near Invercargill is beautiful and blue in one direction and grey and gold on the other.

All throughout the drive, the scenery changes constantly, but there never seems to be a time when the view in the rear vision mirror doesn't reflect the beauty we see everywhere in this country.

A glimpse of the magnificent blue waters at the Waitaki Hydro Power Station.

We're getting close now ... on the road to Twizel.

As the sun sets on us while we drive into Lake Tekapo, the colours and textures of the sky are amazing and so worth the drive. It just keeps getting better.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 4

2011-07-26T21:29:00.001+10:00

Thursday 21st July we set out on a full day's tour of the iconic "Doubtful Sound" which all began in the mist of a frosty winter's morning across Lake Manpouri.

After the boat trip across Lake Manapouri, we hopped on the frosty bus, which constantly battled foggy windows, but never disappointed us with great views around every corner.

Once on the boat in Doubtful Sound, we traded group photos for group photos to get a picture of both of us, all rugged up on the deck. Well, I had a jacket over my T-Shirt OK.

I stuck the GoPro Video Camera to the very front of the deck and let it record some of the sights as we cruised. Yes, that my little video camera down there stuck to the deck with a suction cap in front of the hand railings.

Kathy had trouble standing in the sub-zero freezing winds on the deck ... Queen of the world.

We even managed to see a few of the ever so cuddly looking New Zealand Fur Seals sunning themselves on the rocks of Doubtful Sound.

The "Blanket Bay Motel" ... right on the Sound!

There are some beautiful reflections to be seen on the sound.

Our boat became an Ice Breaker too as we approached this amazing reflection. You could hear the ice cracking and crunching under the hull as we approached. Did I mention it really was a little cold here?

And there are some amazing reflections to be seen on the sound ... like this one.

After cruising the sound, we took a bus trip about 180m underground to see the Manapouri Hydro Electric Power Station. It's hard to believe that two buses can actually pass each other in these tunnels ... just.

Inside the Manapouri Hydro Electric Power Station.

Back "Home" to "Te Anau" and with veiws like this of Lake Te Anau, it was hard to leave the lovely Fiordland Lakeview Hotel and Apartments.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 3

2011-07-24T20:21:00.002+10:00

Unfortunately for us, Milford Sound didn't turn on the good weather for us and we did have to make do with a very overcast, rainy, cloudy and rather chilly day, but still a sight to behold.

As you can see I rugged up with a T-Shirt and spray jacket to survive the cold ... and it was a little.

On the drive to Te Anau from Milford Sound, who needs a fridge when you have roadside snow?

Kathy did an awesome job of the driving again so I could hang out the window and take photos as we drove, now that was a tad cold on the fingers. These roads are a little treacherous, but if you use a little common sense, the drive is sooooo worth it.

Until next time, thanks for reading and if you'd like to see all the photos from our trip, please visit our Picasa Web Album.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and Internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Our Second Honeymoon 2

2011-07-20T19:35:00.001+10:00

For our first dinner in Queenstown on Saturday 16th, we took the recommendation of Krit from our hotel and hit Flames Bar and Grill in the centre of town. No disappointments here, the food and service was amazing ... highly recommended everyone. http://flamegrill.co.nz/

On the way home, we took a little detour along the lake edge and thought it might be worth trying a long exposure on such a clear night and after a little fumbling with resting the trusty compact on the bonnet and windscreen wipers, we managed a 6 second exposure shot that I think was worth the effort.

After a bit of a lazy Sunday morning, we headed for an iSite (www.i-site.org.nz) where we got some great help and advice, plus better prices than we could get online, when we booked our Accommodation and Cruise on Milford and Doubtful Sound. Later in the afternoon, we couldn't resist a visit to the Arrowtown Bakery for lunch and this is truly worth the half hour drive from Queenstown through some very beautiful scenery.

The main reason we booked at the Rydges Lakeland Resort (www.rydges.com/queenstown) was because it had an uninterrupted view of the lake ... very nice indeed.

Monday afternoon was spent with Matt, our truly awesome guide from Skipper's Canyon Jet (www.skipperscanyonjet.co.nz) who took us in his serious 4x4 on one of the most amazing scenic drives around. Fantastic afternoon and so worth the money, everything was perfect. Thank you Matt!

Monday night we had dinner with my Cousin Damo at the Dux DeLux (www.thedux.co.nz) in Queenstown for about the nicest gourmet pizza we've ever had ... the Salmon and Camembert Pizza is to die for.

Tuesday morning, we had our last buffet breakfast at the hotel before starting the drive ... to Milford Sound via Te Anau. This drive is fantastic ... the scenery changes so much every time you turn your head it's amazing. Please take the time to visit the Picasa Web Album later to see many more photos than just the few here.

Inside the Homer Tunnel is not really a place for the faint hearted when you get massive trucks zoom past you, but that's all part of the fun right?

We made it to Milford Sound on Tuesday afternoon with plenty of time to check into the Milford Sound Lodge, sort the many photos taken so far and get an early night before the Milford Sound Cruise on Wednesday.

Whatcha Lookin' At?
KEA

We're Here ... Part 1

2011-07-16T18:07:00.001+10:00

The day began early with us out of bed at 4:30am and from there, it's been a go go go day. Mum and Dad were kind enough to drop us at the airport where after a little confusion in acquiring GST Refunds and having my Grenade confiscated. Who'd of thought they wouldn't let me put a grenade in my luggage ... I mean really?) It's not like I tried to take in my carry on . . .

Finally in the Qantas club Lounge, we enjoyed a little break with some light refreshments and waited until it was time to begin the journey and board our flight to Queenstown.

As it was a tiny plane, there was only 3 rows in Business Class and we were in row 1, nice and close to the action ... or not. Very comfy and our Hostess Diane was just lovely. Thank you Diane.

They do put on a nice breakfast in Business Class and yes, we both avoided the Champagne. It was breakfast after all.

Yes, they're still tiny ... even the toilets don't get any bigger in Business, so Diane was kind enough to give me a shoe horn into the loo's to help me relieve myself of the 20 or 30 coffee's I'd downed since awakening.

From there, it was pretty much all smooth sailing, with beautiful blue skies all the way.

The scenery coming in to Queenstown is truly beautiful.

The excitement is finally startingto build as I think it's actually setting in that we're actually going, because we're nearly there

Queenstown airport is quaint and although it seemed primitive to have to walk down stairs and across the tarmac, the views are totally worth it. We picked up our Hire Car, a zippy little Rav4, loaded the bags and headed for Queenstown Centre, where the first stop was the Vodafone store, to buy a sim card for my phone, a micro sim for my iPad and a wireless modem for the laptop, just so we could show you these photos and let you read this blog of course.

Next stop was Rydges Lakeside where we have our lovely king lake view room.

We're Taking A Break . . . to finish our honeymoon!

2011-06-20T17:48:00.002+10:00

When Kathy and I got married back in 2006, we had grand plans of seeing the North and South Islands of New Zealand in the three weeks we'd allowed for our Honeymoon, but it became very obvious after only a couple of days, that New Zealand was just too beautiful to rush.

So, as we'd landed in Auckland and started in the North Island, we promised ourselves that we'd finish our honeymoon on the South Island within five years ... and that five years is up on the 6th of August. So, never one to break a promise, we do hope you'll indulge us and let us slip away for a few weeks uninterrupted.

iDStyle will be closing to finish our Honeymoon from close of business on Tuesday 12th July until Monday 8th August 2011.
So, now is the time to check your stationery stocks and if you do need any supplies before we close on the evening of Tuesday 12th July, please make sure you ORDER NOW. Last orders before we leave must be placed by Friday 8th July 2011 and please note that some orders placed this close to our departure date will not be able to be delivered before our return on 8th August, but don't worry, we'll send them out as soon as we get back.

For those of you interested in seeing what we're up to, we'll be attempting to post updates and photos on our BLOG, PICASA WEB ALBUMS and FACEBOOK PAGE when time and internet connections permit.

Warmest Regards ...
Darren Gardiner

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Honeymoon Photos from 2006

2011-06-20T17:46:00.001+10:00

As we're off to New Zealand again next month to finish our honeymoon, I thought I should post the photos from our first fisit, when we spent our honeymoon in the North Island of New Zealand. So, if you're interested in see the photos from our trip, please visit our picasa web album for our 2006 Honeymoon.

See all the honeymoon photos in our Picasa Web Albums at: http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

Thanks for visiting our Blog.
Darren Gardiner

Life In The Tropics

2011-02-21T16:37:00.000+10:00

Another afternoon storm hits us with ferocious thunder, spectacular lightening, gale force winds and heavy rain. Today started off as a beautiful summer day, very hot and not a cloud in the sky.

Then as the day progressed, it just got hotter and hotter to a point where going outside your air-conditioned office, was like being hit with a wall of heat, just like stepping into a pre-heated oven.

Then as the day draws to an end, the thunder and lightening rolled in, followed by some pretty heavy rain and wind. Don't you just love living in the tropics?

See these and other photos on our Picasa Web Albums at: http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

Thanks for visiting our Blog.
Darren Gardiner

Queensland Floods of 2011 (II)

2011-01-14T17:08:00.001+10:00

Although the rain has stopped in Brisbane for a few days now, the devastation continues with an ever increasing death toll and more visible results from the deluge of water. As we get around to look at the aftermath of the tragic floods that have inundated over 75% of the state of Queensland, we are starting to see the cleanup process get in full gear.

Dad and I jumped in the truck yesterday afternoon, now that some of the waters had subsided from the major roadways and headed to the western suburbs for a look at how their streets were looking, now that the rain had stopped. The results are depressing to say the least.

It is so sad to see the homes of so many in various states of destruction. In some streets where the road dips in the middle, one house will be fine, yet just a couple of homes away, the water laps at the roof. It is heart wrenching to look at.

See these and other photos from Chelmer on our Picasa Web Albums at: http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

As we drove around to different streets and got out to look more closely, the human side of this disaster becomes a little more apparent. We saw things like this child's stool sitting in the middle of the road, surrounded by debris, with flood waters still across the street just metres away. Where is the child who used to sit on this stool?

Those needing to investigate the damage to their homes have no choice but to travel in boats in many areas, avoiding all sorts of household items floating on the surface and more treacherously, hidden beneath the muddy waters.

Businesses have begun the cleanup process, removing the sandbags that in many cases didn't do their job and beginning the massive task of cleaning walls and floors, scrubbing equipment, shovelling mud and throwing out food and stock.

See these and other photos from Graceville on our Picasa Web Albums at: http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

As always, the community has banded together to lend a hand and we are all so very lucky for the incredible jobs our many volunteers, from every different organisation are doing to help those affected by the floods, to get through this disaster as best they can.

The landscape is different, with a glassy, flat reflection everywhere you look. The roads no longer have their hills and valleys, the area just looks levelled, eerily quiet and deserted.

So many parks are still lakes, with nothing more than roofs of of their picnic table areas peaking from the dirty water, giving a very deceiving idea of just how deep the water still is in some areas.

See these and other photos from Oxley on our Picasa Web Albums at: http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

Looking up each of these flooded streets brings a consistent look of high water marks lining fences, along with homes and vehicles still under water. Standing here to take this photo, we were talking to the lady who owned the home with the yellow fence on the left ... "They said it wouldn't get to me." she said, looking at the water line cutting her home in half.

Some have been lucky enough to get back into their homes on the edges of the water damaged streets and have begun the process of cleaning up, removing carpets, mending broken windows and assessing their own situation.

The very popular restaurant area of Rainworth is a total disaster area with food and retail establishments badly inundated with water. It will be a while before a good meal comes out of this street I would think and I believe Cold Rock Ice Creamery will need to restock too, having been without power for days.

See these and other photos from Rainworth on our Picasa Web Albums at: http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

In Toowong, we couldn't get closer than the railway bridge to the famous Regatta Hotel, which you can just see in the distance on the right hand side and Coronation Drive appears to be still under water as well. There are now fears of Coronation Drive sliding into the Brisbane River with genuine concerns for the structural integrity of the road.

The home of the Bulldogs looks more like the home of the Mighty Ducks at the moment with no dry ground in sight. It's going to be a while before anyone plays rugby on these fields.

It's amazing how still and glassy the surface of the water looks, but you forget that if vast areas like this are receding at such a fast rate, it has to be going somewhere ... and fast. This photo shows a whirlpool above what I can only presume is a drain syphoning the water from the fields. This is just another of the hidden dangers lurking below the surface.

We have a total of about 73 photos of this Queensland Flood Series available on our Picasa Web Albums if you're interested, please visit ...

More Photos Here: http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

Thanks for visiting our Blog.
Darren Gardiner

Queensland Floods of 2011

2011-01-13T08:35:00.009+10:00

It's been a devastating week for a lot of Queenslanders with flooding taking many lives and destroying homes and properties across many areas of the state. I managed to get out on Tuesday night for a quick drive before dark to take a few photos from around our local area.

Our first stop was the Eatons Hill bridge over the South Pine River on Old Northern Road. You can see the water line had dropped over a metre in the water lines on the supports by the time we took this shot , but it was still very high compared to normal.

The water line is normally the other side of that row of trees and if you look closely, you can see the mud right on the top of the posts in the foreground, so it's obvious where I was standing was under water too.

Here's a wide shot from Old Northern Road ... the South Pine River is actually over to the left of this picture, NOT directly in front. You shouldn't be able to see the water from here. The road below us was completely covered too.

We turned around at Albany Creek and thought we'd have a look at Strathpine, but with Gympie Road blocked, we worked our way around and over the railway line to Leis Parade to see if we could see back to Gympie Road from there ... no chance!

Looking from Leis Parade over Leis Park, you can see the North Pine River has risen was very close to the train line. Keep in mind, waters had receded a metre or so by the time we got here.

The park itself had completely vanished and here you can just see the top of one of the picnic pergolas roofs, peeking from under the water. The river is way the other side of that roof.

Leis Parade simply vanished under the flood waters. This road actually does a loop under the railway bridge and as you can see, was completely under water.

Another shot of what is normally a beautiful park by the North Pine River. The bank of the river is normally the other side of those big trees out in the middle of this photo.

Gympie Road was closed, so we couldn't continue north to Petrie and had to turn around, going back through Strathpine towards Brendale. We couldn't quite get to see the water over the bridge as emergency crews had the road blocked.

We continued on Gympie Road toward the highway and stopped just prior to Pine Rivers Park. There were huge areas are covered by water on the northern side of the road all around Pine Rivers Park, everywhere you look is just mud, sludge, debris and rubbish ... floating.

Here's a view of Pine Rivers Park, which is usually a beautiful, well appointed park, with family areas, bike riding areas and a monorail for the kids. Now it looks like a lake.

The entrance to Pine Rivers Park just vanished into the mud, but the sign was still out of the water to let us know where we were. Again ... muddy water everywhere you look.

We zipped back over the Kremzow Road overpass and down Southpine Road in Brendale to Linkfield Road, heading back towards the highway at Carseldine.

Although there were a couple of nice photo opportunities, it's a shame that such tragic circumstances are the reason they're possible. We used the headlights of the truck to light up the grass in the foreground.

We were losing light fast and stopped at the entrance to JAB Gravel and Earthworks to take a few shots of the vast water table covering everything in sight. The light across the ground was again provided by the headlights on the truck.

Thanks for visiting our Blog.
Darren Gardiner

See these and other photos on our Picasa Web Albums at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/styleid

2010-08-29T00:05:00.005+10:00

What trip to Sydney would be complete without a quick look at our famous Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge landmarks?They really do look quite special in the real thing, so I hope these photos will do them justice.

More Sydney Opera House ... now that it's most definitely dark.

Then it was off to Chinatown for some dinner and the choices are endless, with menu touting staff trying very hard to convince you to dine at their establishment of course.

We both really enjoyed our Sate Chicken and Peking Steak.

Then a final bit of "Retail Therapy" at the "Oriental Joint" before going home to pack for the flight out on Sunday. We have lots and lots of catalogues, plus a few samples to squeeze in for the trip home. Good thing we brought an extra suitcase I feel.

(CLICK HERE) to see all the photos from today.

2010-08-27T20:00:00.003+10:00

Now that the promotional products show is over, we got a chance to get "out and about" in Sydney today. We walked into the city and had a look at the view from the "Sydney Tower" formerly known as Centrepoint Tower.

Unfortunately, they seem to have built high rise buildings in between the Sydney Tower and the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, which trashes the view, but you can still see them.

I'm sure the Sydney Tower used to be considered very high in the scheme of things, but does get dwarfed on today's standards of building heights.

(CLICK HERE) for more photos of Sydney.

2010-08-26T22:07:00.004+10:00

Well, the Australian Promotional Expo is officially over and my legs and back are very pleased to hear it, I don't mind telling you ... but it was all worth it. We've made some important first contacts with some suppliers that we genuinely feel will add some excellent new products to our already wide range of promotional product offerings.

As we couldn't take photographs from inside the show, we thought we'd give you a "Bird's Eye" view of Darling Harbour, where the expo was held.

Once the sun started disappearing over the horizon and the lights began to glow around the Harbour, it really comes to life. I didn't have my SLR with me either today, so all of today's photographs are taken with my trusty compact, the Canon G11 ... and some with the add on Fish Eye Lens ... just to help get everything in.

Darling Harbour and the Cockle Bay Wharf really is quite visually spectacular at night and well worth a visit when you're next in Sydney. Both sides of the Harbour are lined with Restaurant after Restaurant, catering to absolutely ever taste.

We've added more photographs to our Picasa Web Album too, so please have a quick look.
(CLICK HERE) to view our online album.

Back To The Promo Expo Today!

2010-08-26T10:03:00.001+10:00

We're off to the Promo Expo again today, with so many suppliers and products to choose from, this is genuinely a tougher job than it looks.

We will have an exciting range of new branded mats available soon that are absolutely awesome in quality, so stay tuned for that addition to the web site in coming months.

That's enough chatter for now ... work to do!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.2

2010-08-24T17:12:00.005+10:00

After a truly Sardine Experience, flying "Cattle Class" with our dear friends at Qantas, we've arrived and I've finally managed to remove the arm rests which were embedded in my hips for the last couple of hours on the plane. Frightfully comfortable ... NOT!

We've had our first glimpse of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, even before touching down and Sydney has turned on the weather for us which is just perfect. Clear blue skies, 10-20 deg C and believe it for not, we even got a nice Cab Driver who spoke excellent English. So, we're obviously off to a good start already.

(CLICK HERE) More Photos ...

We're Off To The Promo Expo !

2010-08-21T12:09:00.003+10:00

We don't get a chance to get out of the office much these days, so even though this is a working trip for us, it is a great opportunity for us to get out of the office, even if only for a week. We also get a day off next weekend to relax after what we're sure will be a couple of very long days on our feet at the exhibition.

There are over 150 Exhibitors at the Australian Promotional Expo 2010, which is being held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour and basically, we're going shopping for you. We're looking for new products and suppliers, offering new and exciting promotinal products to help widen our range and help you promote your business better.

So, if you'd like us to keep our eyes open for anything in particular, or you have a specific promotion coming up, please send us an email letting us know either what your intended market is, or what the specific product you have in mind is, plus a rough idea of the quantity you would need and a budget of how much per item or in total, so we know where to look for you.

Try and keep in mind that promotional products vary in price from just cents each to hundreds of dollars per unit and if you want us to look for something for you, we need to know where to look and who to talk to, so without things like estimated quantities required and the amount you're prepared to spend, we just won't know where to start. Almost all promotional products have minimum order quantities (MOQ) and most suppliers have set-up costs and decoration costs too, so there's no point in us spending time with a supplier who has a minimum order quantity of 1,000 items, if you only need 100 for your next promotion. Help us help you.

We have a couple of supplier meetings in the lead up to the show and the show is on Wednesday and Thursday, so we've allowed the Friday to follow up any suppliers if we need to, otherwise, we might be lucky enough to be able to have a day off. we'll be back on deck for business as usual on Monday 30th August 2010.

Have you visited our Web Site ?
Or our Facebook page ?

A Whale of a Festival

2009-08-12T12:07:00.022+10:00

VIEW THE HERVEY BAY ALBUM (HERE)

Hervey Bay turned on a Whale of a Festival for us on Saturday 8th August 2009.

There really was quite an impressive turnout for the Hervey Bay Whale Festival, with more people than I thought possible, crammed onto the street to watch the parade and later indulge in all the delights of the fair.

Of course, we started with the traditional Bag Pipe Band, just to make sure everyone was awake, after sitting in the gutter for hours waiting for the parade to begin.

Local businesses stuck a range of blow up toys, some Christmas lights and other oddities to their vehicles and called them a float.

Others packed their parader's into cages like sardines and screamed like Halloween creatures at us as they drove past.

You could just see the excitement on their faces ... hardly being able to contain themselves with the jubilation of being a part of this magical event ... sort of.

Lots of costumes ... and bellies ... and ... err ...

I think Miss Piggy had her eye on me ... but I really don't know what Miss Piggy is doing in a Whale Festival, other than being "Weight Challenged" like me.

And just to make sure we hadn't nodded off ... they finished off with a marching band.

The fair grounds were a sea of people, so appropriate for a Whale Festival I suppose, but I seriously didn't think they would pack this many people into a Hervey Bay oval. Mr Whippy told me there was about 16,000 people packing into the fair this year. Imressive really.

There were all sorts of ways to help throw up the Dagwood Dogs, Ice Creams, Fairy Floss and German Sausages, like Rock Climging Walls, Rides and even a Bungee Bouncer. (See Photo Album)

Of course, we had to finish off with a fireworks display that was ... err ... nice.

We've added another 62 photos for you to have a look at if you're interested.
MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : HERVEY BAY ALBUM 9

If you would like to see some more photo's from this blog, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!

Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/HerveyBay09

Keep smiling ...
Darren & Kathy Gardiner

A Whale of a Tale ...

2009-08-08T13:54:00.045+10:00

VIEW THE HERVEY BAY ALBUM (HERE)

We thought we'd give you a sneak peek into our Wedding Anniversary getaway to Hervey Bay, on Queensland's East Coast of Australia. My wife, Kathy and I have been trying to see these illusive whales for years now and we finally managed to get away for a few days ... woohoo!

We arrived on Wednesday 5th August 2009 after a slow drive up from Brisbane, checked into the Quarterdecks Harbour Retreat (Nice), dumped the bags and headed off to enjoy a little "Curry Munching" with our good local friends Barb and Ed. Great food and great company thanks guys. We had a drive around on the way home to familiarise ourselves with the Esplanade and home to bed in the wee hours.

Thursday 6th was our 3rd Wedding Anniversary which started with a sleep in, lazy day, fantastic Fish'N'Chips from Shelly Beach Seafoods, afternoon coffee at the Pier and home for a freshen up before dinner at the Pier Restaurant. Awesome food (you should read the MENU), minor disaster with drinks but the staff are so attentive and the owner Steve even took our picture for us to help remember the evening and my desert came with a Sparkler, microphone announcement and a song dedicated to us by some famous old guy called Frankie ...

Home for a little "R&R" and another early morning finish ...

Friday was another lazy morning and off for our much anticipated Whale Watching experience, with the crew of the Quick Cat II ... nice boat, tasty lunch, great staff.

Our first Whale was just a tail in the distance but gave us something to get excited about as we were only on our way to where we were actually going ... you know ... to see all the Whales jumping and frolicking in the shadow of all the boats.

We watched and clicked for a little while before it looked like everyone was bored and we moved on ... you know ... to where all the Whales were going to be having fun in the sun.

Then one rolled over to get a look at us ...

Splashed to say hi ...

Blew off a little steam ...

And buggered off ...

This apparently ... is a Whale Footprint. I know they don't have feet ... but that's not the point. This is the smooth water mark left after the Whale has dived and they call this a Whale Footprint.

I hope nobody is planning on visiting Frazer Island at the moment as it looks like the whole place is on fire and it's hard enough to breath from a hundred kilometres away, let alone the beach.

Back to the parking lot and although the boat and crew of the Quick Cat II were wonderful, the Whales weren't interested in giving us a show and we all left rather disappointed. I understand that the Whales are wild and you can never be sure what you will see, but after you've seen some of the pictures taken over the years ... seeing nothing but a few tails, a roll over and occasional blow just didn't make the day's outing an exciting one. Apparently, we're a little early for them AGAIN.

Home for a quick freshen up and then off to see some other local friends Mark and Kim from Bay Window Tinting for some Chinese and way too many Vodka's. Thanks for a great night guys.

Yes, another early morning finsh and I'm sure you can guess what I've been doing most of the day today ... updating the BLOG!

We've put up about 46 photo's for you to have a look at if you're interested.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : NEW ALBUM 9

If you would like to see some more photo's from this blog, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!

Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/HerveyBay09

Keep smiling ...

Darren & Kathy Gardiner

Ta Ta Taipai

2008-10-15T14:14:00.010+10:00

Sadly, our Photographic Safari in Canada is over and now, we have to say goodbye to the beautiful people of Taipei as well. Our brief stay in Taipei was designed to give us a few days to wind down from our Canadian Safari and we did just that … however, we still couldn’t resist having a bit of a look around while we were there.
We thought it a must to visit the world famous tallest building (for a short time only in Taipei) the Taipei 101 Observatory, so we grabbed a Cab and with some assistance from Mina, our petite little helper from the Riviera Hotel … off we went. Taipei 101 has a magnificent and rather upmarket shopping mall, with everything from a huge food court, to stores from every major designer in the world, like ROLEX (yes, the genuine Rolex), Cartier, D&G, Gucci and Prada just to name a few. The elevator ride to the 89th floor took no more than a few seconds and didn’t feel like it even moved. To be honest, if we hadn’t got out of the elevator to see the view, we wouldn’t have believed we’d ever left the 5th floor we started from. Again, our scenery shots were dampened with wet weather, but we’ve included a few to show you just how high up we were anyway. There was also an amazing range of exquisite gifts and art on display for those with a bulging wallet and no other method of relief. Down one floor we saw the amazing Damper, which has been attractively dressed in gold paint and shiny stainless steel, to make it a feature, rather than just an amazing piece of engineering. So much so, that they have created an whole tourism mascot from it called the “Damper Baby” which you can of course purchase and take home with you. This damper controls the entire building sway and movement.

The next day we decided to see a little of the local landscape and experience some local culture, getting the chance to do some people watching, rounding off the day of Taipei absorption. So, we loaded the backpacks full of camera gear and headed off to the metro for a trip to Danshui where Peggy, our always helpful concierge from the Riviera Hotel recommended we go to see her home town, the sights, visit the Historical Fort, stroll along the river and finish up in the night markets. True to form, the rain started and although not heavy, dampened the scenery photography enough for us to admit when we’ve been beaten. We have been so lucky with weather throughout the whole trip for wildlife photography, but nearly every time we came to an anticipated scenery location, the weather left us positively uninspired.

We had a great day people watching and absorbing the locals evolving from scooter to pedestrian movement in what seemed like a migration of masses of happy smiling faces, all the time ready to try and communicate with a couple of stunned Australians. The sheer volume of people moving in any given square centimetre is amazing to watch as they all do it, without so much as a scuffle or harsh word to say to the scooters zipping in between their bodies. There is every conceivable product or food available in the markets and the temptation got the better of us after seeing a long queue waiting to buy three deep fried thingies on a stick, which we diligently basted with some goo with a brush sitting in a bowl, delicately balanced on the edge of the sidewalk cart. We still have no idea what they were, what delight filled their insides, or what we basted them with, but they tasted great and as at the time of writing the first half of this BLOG, sitting in the Dynasty Lounge in the Airport, we have no unpleasant side effects to tell you about. Lucky huh?
Only a block from the hotel, we felt adventurous enough to try a packed little local eating establishment, so in we went, where we were greeted by a Maltese Terrier with it’s tongue hanging out and a pair of ghostly eyeballs that I don’t think do a lot of visualising, which could be a good thing after seeing the buffet hot box. As many of you know, I’m all for trying new things and love to experience local foods, but when even I, can look at a huge array of hot boxes and have no idea what ANY of the foods on offer were, we decided to play it safe and move on. Sorry … but I do like to have at least some idea what animal, or part thereof I am about to inflict my stomach with.
The next day, we thought we’d see if we could pick up a bargain gadget or two, so again Mina wrote her suggestion in a language the Cab driver could understand and off we went. Harvey Norman eat your heart out … we got out of the Cab to see a six story Sony Ad with a welcoming double glass door at the bottom and after getting over the initial awe, in we went. The place was a computer market so to speak, with wait for it … 6 floors, with about 80 or 90 little computer, phone, sound, vision and gadget stores per floor, all packed to the eyeballs with enough stuff to see the gadget freak satisfied for the next millennium. Wow just isn’t a strong enough word. The depressing thing was that none of the prices, from Laptops to Cameras were particularly enticing at all. You can save about 10-20% on most things, but most items only come with a Taiwan warranty and to be honest, you can get the same sort of prices in Harvey Norman if you’re prepared to do a little haggling. Oh yes and across the road was a whole street of computer based stores for those who just didn’t get enough after leaving the 6 story I.T. extravaganza.
Another surprising thing was the lack of souvenir shops for the discerning tourist. Again, Mina came to the rescue with a card that got us to the ONLY souvenir shop we saw in Taipei. I really thought they’d be everywhere. This store did have 3 floors of everything from keyrings to fine art to choose from. So we picked up the few mandatory “I thought of you style” trinkets and it was back to the Hotel for the last supper. We decided to have dinner in the hotel and off to bed at a reasonable hour for the much dreaded bag packing before leaving for home. It took about 4 hours the next day, to reorganise the bags and distribute the weight within allowable limits, but we did it just right according to China Airlines with one bag having a comfortable 1kg buffer with the maximum limit. Nice!
Again, China Airlines’ check in service was fast, smooth, very friendly and efficient. I zipped outside for my last smoke before hitting the Duty Free store for some last minute alcohol and cigarettes, then into the Dynasty Lounge for an internet connection and a bite to eat. True to form, the China Airlines flight direct from Taipei to Brisbane was met with happy smiling faces and service comparable to the finest of 5 star restaurants, the seats were comfortable and the food was excellent. In all honesty, the flights we have had with China Airlines are the best we have experienced anywhere and I think QANTAS could do themselves a favour by sending their staff to the same attendant’s school. We’ve flown on many airlines, to many destinations around the world and China Airlines made QANTAS look like a very poor, second rate, budget airline in comparison, which is in stark contrast to their prices which were almost double that of China Airlines at the time we purchased. So, if you get the chance to fly China Airlines, both Dad and I highly recommend them.

The flight home was uneventful, which is a good thing when talking airline flights and we arrived home pretty much exhausted. No matter how good your trip away is, it’s always nice to see the faces of your loved ones and feel your feet firmly on home soil. The long days in Canada, Jet Lag of loosing a day getting to Taipei and flying all night to arrive in Brisbane just in time to start the day have taken their toll on me. Dad is remarkable in this area and after just an hour or two of “Nana Naps” here and there, bounces back like a 20 year old … and as he’s fast approaching his 75th Birthday next month … this is a man I truly aspire too. I just hope you all don’t hammer me too hard with work on Friday as I am really not yet firing on all cylinders yet and have the feeling it is going to take a week to get back into the swing of things … hint hint!

Again, I would just like to say a special thank you to all the beautiful people who helped us along the Taipei journey, from our wonderful China Airlines Hostesses Sally and Nancy, the helpful and very beautiful young ladies at the Riviera Hotel ... Peggy thank you for the Pinapple Cake, we got it home and it was lovely, Mina, April, Clair and Linda, not to mention our Bellmen Gordon and Wilson, plus the many locals who were kind enough to let us take their photo's. Thank you for making our visit to Taipei a wonderful experience.

Next week, I’ll try and publish a summary BLOG which should complete the trip nicely. Until then, we’ve uploaded yet another Album 7 with lots more photo’s from Taipei for you to see.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : NEW ALBUM 7
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album07

Keep smiling ...
Darren & Keith Gardiner

Taipei Tourists

Farewell Canada

2008-10-09T04:10:00.006+10:00

Sadly, it’s time to leave the beautiful scenery, friendly people and very photogenic wildlife of Canada in the early hours of tomorrow morning. To say we’ve had a wonderful trip would be the understatement of the year. With Paul from Canada Photo Safaris making it feel like the wildlife and scenery was “On Tap”, we felt a little spoiled talking to other guests over breakfast this morning, who haven’t managed to see a fraction of what we’ve been lucky enough to experience over the last few weeks. Again, thank you for showing us so much of what Canada has to offer Paul.
The last few days of the Canadian part of our safari involved a lot of travelling, but we still spent some time in Paul’s home town of Grand Forks, British Columbia where the Deer are as easy to find as driving through the suburbs and looking in back yards. The White Tail Deer really has a nice butt worth capturing, so we even have a nice bum shot for you in the latest album. Paul was even kind enough to introduce us to two of his wonderful children, Heather (Very Pretty Girl) and Jamie the budding fisherman. It was a pleasure to meet such nice kids, who were so well mannered and behaved … now we know why you’re so proud of them Paul.

Well we did it everyone … we managed to see and photograph the illusive Sasquatch who with very little coaxing, even posed for a nice happy snap with Dad and I, wasn’t that nice of him! So the myth can now be dispelled, he is real, we saw and touched him and although communication was a little difficult with this fellow, he seemed to be enjoying a cold beer when we arrive … but that’s another story.

Just so I could keep everyone happy, I finally put on the gloves and beanie I brought with me, which so far hadn’t been unpacked, just so Dad could get a shot of me pretending to be cold. Mind you, I’m only wearing a T Shirt, with a thin cotton shirt over the top, but it wasn’t cold enough to do up the buttons. This was more for the photo than for the cold, although … I think my fingers were a little cool before I put on the gloves. It’s going to be a hell of a temperature shock to go from Canada to Taipei in the low 30’s with high humidity and then back home to more warm days of high 20’s.Probably our biggest disappointment was the rather hard to find Bull Moose. Of all the wildlife I thought would have been on tap in Canada, the Moose was it. Their photo adorns magazines, postcards and blogs from this part of the world everywhere you look, and it’s one of the only animals we never managed to see. Well sort of … luckily, we found a decent statue of one, so here is the only Bull Moose we managed to see.
As I mentioned above, this will be the last BLOG from Canada as we’re off to see the bright and happy faces of the people in Taipei tomorrow flying China Airlines, who we’ve been very impressed with so far.

Again, thank you to all the wonderful people we’ve met along the way, for allowing me to take your photo and publish it in the album for all who read this to see. From the lovely waitress at our Vancouver hotel Eva and Teddy cleaning up after the trashy visitors, to the very sexy Mexican tourists Liliana and Erika who tried to ask us for directions in Stanley Park … sorry we couldn’t be more helpful girls.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : NEW ALBUM 5
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album06#

Keep smiling ...
Darren & Keith Gardiner
Aussie Canucks

Our Inukshuk

2008-10-05T14:11:00.010+10:00

Our Inukshuk (Trail Marker) originally used by the Inuit (Eskimo) marks the point where our trail is fast coming to an end. Sadly, although the days have been long and hard, they have flown by faster than an Eskimo on his way to the Ice Shop. We are genuinely tired and a little fatigued from our efforts to capture the shots we were looking for, but Paul has made every minute count with his keen spotting ability plus a vast knowledge and experience of the animals themselves, their habits, habitats, behaviour and even where to start looking in the first place.
After leaving Elk Island, we took a Helicopter flight with Jamie from the Icefield Helicopter Tours base at Cline River over the Columbia Ice Fields which just helped enforce the sheer size and scope of these incredible Rocky Mountains. These ice fields are the head waters for all the fresh water rivers in Canada that flow East and West off the Continental Divide which is the highest ridge in Canada. In the days of the Ice Age, even the highest peak was covered in ice … sadly this ice is melting at an incredible rate.

The next major event on our rather busy calendar was a lunch date with a handsome Grey Wolf. I know, looking at this photo, it appears that we were to be his lunch, but this is character trait instilled in us by Hollywood, not how it really is in the wild. To say it is special to spend time with these magnificent animals is an understatement and words simply cannot describe their beauty … so have a look at the photos instead. We had the ultimate privilege of spending a little quality time observing a wild wolf in his natural environment and this experience will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Again, Paul surprised us with his spotting ability and managed to get us up close and personal with a usually rather difficult to see Canadian Porcupine. Although many metres up, clinging to a tree in the dark, with a harsh back light in the rain, we still managed to get a couple of shots of this interesting fellow gazing down on us from his vantage point. We didn’t ask Paul to climb up and bring him down to ground level for us … wasn’t that thoughtful of us?

There has been some pretty spectacular scenery along the way, which I haven’t talked much about I know, but it’s only because there has been so much else going on and so many animals in front of our shutters, sometimes it’s hard to take time to stop and smell the roses … so to speak. We’ve kind of been in the wrong place at the wrong time for some of the scenery shoots, with rain inevitably dampening the spirit, not to mention the lens on many occasions.

We also shouldn’t forget to mention all the wonderful people we’ve met along the way who were kind enough to let us take their photos and include them in the BLOG … thank you very much Lisa, Fiona, Jamie, Michelle, Meaghyn, Casey, Shelly and the skinnydipping girls we busted coming out of the sub freezing water too!

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : NEW ALBUM 5
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album05#

Keep smiling ...

Darren & Keith Gardiner
Glacier Googlers

All About The BEAVER!

2008-10-03T13:54:00.010+10:00

From Jasper to Elk Island, things got a little chilly visiting the Angel Glacier at Mt Edith Cavel in Alberta Canada, but we soon warmed up with a lovely, friendly and homey welcome from our hosts at the Chipmunk B&B, Jean-Claude and Liliane Bonjour. Their warm and friendly log home was just a treat with Liliane’s fantastic cooking and spotlessly clean rooms. What a fantastic place to stay for a few days while stalking the wildlife in Elk Island Park.

Now it’s time to get a little more serious about getting those all important photos of Canada’s creatures that can be very difficult to spot, let alone photograph, but Paul was at the ready with his camouflage blind, allowing us to sit quietly and hidden while awaiting the activity of some of Elk Island’s more shy inhabitants.
Anyone who knows me, will know just how important it was for me to get those all important Beaver shots and with Paul’s keen eye and knowledge of this rather private animal’s habits, we lay in wait. After little more than an hour thumb twiddling and butt shifting in the swampy grass, sure enough … Benny the Beaver as we nicknamed him, clocked on for another hard day’s work. The old saying of “Busy as a Beaver” is more true than I imagined. These little guys work so hard building their impressive lodges, digging trenches, making dams, collecting branches for food and levelling huge areas of forest, all with those big teeth and tiny hands. Let’s just say, I’ve gained a new respect for Beaver!

Another bonus we hadn’t expected was just how beautiful some of Canada’s wildlife can be, we had an unexpected and very rare “Blonde Beaver” sighting, very close to one of the park’s rest areas. This particular species can be hard to spot in the wild with a camouflage coat, but the long flowing blonde hair makes them a little easier to spot with a trained eye. With a little coaxing, we even managed a smile. Who’d of thought Canada had such attractive wildlife … but so far, Paul has not been able to identify the specific name for this lovely creature.
We’ve been up close and personal with so many of the amazing animals Canada has to offer, it’s hard to keep track, but I do know that without Paul spotting them in their natural habitat, we wouldn’t have seen a fraction of what we have been so privileged to witness so far. I’ve had a Gold Mantle Ground Squirrel make friends and try to hang on to my finger for the ride home. Paul even climbed down a cliff to convince the most beautiful Mountain Goat I have ever seen, climb up to the top of the cliff, just so we could get a couple of close up photographs … how’s that for service? We’ve photographed Moose, Mule and White Tail Deer, Elk, Canadian Geese, Big Horn Sheep, Richardsons Ground Squirrel and did I mention the Beaver?

We'd also like to say a special thank you to Jade and Heather, who were ever so accepting of our Australian sense of humour. Your service was excellent and your bosses need to know you're both worth a raise!

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : NEW ALBUM 4
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album04#

Keep smiling ...
Darren & Keith Gardiner
Beaver Bandits

The Jump To Jasper

2008-09-29T03:26:00.010+10:00

With the bear viewing in the bag, we made the long jump to jasper with Paul having to drive about 10 hours through a little snow on the long mountain climb out of Bella-Coola, through some beautiful country side, stopping at Tim Horton’s for coffee of course, to the more commercial and tourism based, but none the less magnificent town of Jasper.

The stay in Jasper was designed to offer us some picturesque mountain scenery and wildlife shots such as a range of Birds, Coyote, Elk, Mule Deer, White Tail Deer, Sheep, Chipmunks, Squirrels, Pikas (The worlds smallest rabbit at only about 6 inches long) and the illusive Moose and Wolf, that we so far haven’t managed to find. This is really beautiful country and a must to see if you’re visiting Alberta Canada.
The photographers are thick on the ground here and it only takes minutes after we’ve stopped to photograph an Elk, for dozens to materialise out of nowhere. I do have a little lens envy when some of these guys pop lenses on their cameras that look more like the Hubble Telescope than a camera lens, but then again, there is a lot using the same lenses and Dad and I, so I don’t quite feel like I’m using a tiny little compact.I’ve had a few late nights sorting thousands of photographs, so I’m going to keep the writing a little light for this BLOG. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I have prepared a sample of some of the things we’ve photographed that should give me brownie point for a huge essay. Because we’ve got so much to show you, I’ve created another new album to show you the wildlife, a few scenes, people and even a couple of lovely young ladies who were ever so helpful to a couple of Australian Tourists.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : NEW ALBUM 3

If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!

Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album03#

Keep smiling ...

Darren & Keith Gardiner

Jasper Jokers

The Bear Essentials Part 2

2008-09-24T06:25:00.013+10:00

The first part of our safari has been dedicated to photographing Grizzly and Black Bears in the wild and we certainly haven’t been disappointed. For those of you more interested in the Autumn Scenery and other Wildlife, don’t worry … that is all still to come. We left the Chilko River Lodge and our wonderful hosts, HOUSI and ANNETT for a change of scenery and have some nice accommodation, with power and an internet connection at Hagensborg, just down the road from Bella-Coola on the west coast of British Columbia. We had an early start on Monday in the rain with Fraser in his inflatable (Raft that is … not “Special” friend) and floated down the river. I’m really glad my deodorant isn’t made from fish oil because these Bears only have one thing on their mind at the moment … and that’s eating.

We have seen so many bears now I’ve lost count and it’s quite an adrenalin rush sitting in a little dingy only metres from these very powerful animals … did I mention they only have eating on their mind at the moment? On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of LES’ company for the “Cruise” in his fibreglass dingy which was a little more comfortable and my camera bag didn’t have to go swimming like the day before either. All in all, this dingy was a win for both my butt and my camera gear, plus it wasn’t raining. It is truly awesome to be sitting silently, with nothing more than camera shutters whirring at six shots a second, to record the action from just metres away from an animal that could happily make you their next meal. Did you see those claws? I think I’d be little high in cholesterol for them after eating all that Canadian Bacon and Maple Syrup soaked Pancakes for breakfast though. PAUL has been looking after us in the meals department and for those of you who know my Dad and his clockwork stomach well, telling you he had breakfast at 10:00am, lunch at 7:45pm and Dinner at 10:00pm yesterday will seem unbelievable, but it’s true!

The only really sad thing we’ve experienced here is seeing the thousands of Salmon, yes the ones John West Reject … dead or dying right in front of you. I understand that this is their natural life cycle, but it seems such an undignified end, to what is ultimately such a triumphant journey … all for the kids, which are those nice little red balls you saw the Bear eating in THIS PHOTO. Before they die, they are almost a fluorescent red colour, but after jumping their last rapid, they fast become a smelly, colourless rotting carcase. Depressed yet?

So this will be about the last of the Bear photographs for this trip, as tomorrow we have a short drive (about 10 or so hours) to our next destination, where we will begin to photograph some of the other scenery and wildlife we had on our list of things to do.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : ALBUM 2
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album02#

Keep smiling ...
Darren & Keith Gardiner
Grizzly Hunters Extraordinaire

The Bear Essentials …

2008-09-21T13:17:00.008+10:00

The safari has begun and we’re with our guide for the next few weeks, professional photographer Paul Stone from Canada Photo Safaris. From the first meeting, which I’m sure I was only tricked into believing was supposed to happen at 9:00am and actually started at 6:30am, Paul seems to have the sense of humour needed for putting up with Dad and I over the long and many days ahead. Let’s see if he can still cope with us after a couple of weeks shall we? We started off with a very long drive in our huge GMC Suburban from the Quality Hotel Downtown in Vancouver at a little after 6:30am and after a few comfort breaks, free doughnuts from the girls at Tim Hortons and stops for food supplies, we ended up at the Chilko River Lodge and Guest Ranch (www.chilkoriverlodge.ca), adjacent the Chilko River at about 8:00pm. That’s one hell of a long drive in a single day with only a few litres of coffee, bacon, eggs, toast, sausages and a BLT in the afternoon to keep us going. It’s like driving from Brisbane to the Whitsundays.
This is truly Canadian Wilderness country, without a bitumen road or even electricity in sight. We’re staying in a homely rustic log cabin, with gas mantles for lighting, a wood stove for heating and yes … no electricity. There is a generator up at the lodge for power to download the thousands of photo’s taken each day, but nothing in the rooms. Housi and Annette are our hosts at the lodge and they have truly offered us the warm, friendly, welcoming host experience we were looking for.
The first few days have been dedicated to photographing the mighty Grizzly and Black Bears and we certainly haven’t been disappointed. We’ve found and photographed up to 25 Grizzly Bears each day. These bears are truly amazing creatures to be in the presence of and surprisingly calm when drifting as close as a few metres away in our 6 metre tinny. Watching the mothers guarding their cubs while they play, it’s very obvious that one eye is kept on us every second and I don’t think any of us would be met with welcoming arms if we ventured out of the boat. We’ve seen so many, it’s hard to keep track, but this has truly been an experience of a lifetime.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY : NEW ALBUM
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album02#

Keep smiling ...
Darren & Keith Gardiner
Grizzly Hunters Extraordinaire

Vancouver or Bust !

2008-09-16T14:52:00.007+10:00

Just like this lovely mothers dress, we “Busted” into Vancouver's, Queen Elizabeth Park today, taking advantage of the few short hours we had put aside to at least try and test some of the new lenses and equipment we purchased for the trip. It’s been just a tad hectic having had two Sundays this week. Yes, we actually arrived in Vancouver, 4 hours before we took off from Taipei and we even managed to squeeze in a 10.5 hour flight to boot.

That said, we are suffering a little jetlag and have just received a call from our guide Paul Stone, from Canada Photo Safaris at www.canadaphotosafaris.com informing us that we will now be leaving at 6:30am instead of the planned 9am time. Yes, as you all know my feelings on this subject of early morning rises … people wishing to interact at this time of the morning should be executed. Subtle as a sledge hammer aren’t I? It’s just wrong to contemplate this sort of insane action without 2 litres of coffee and half a pack of Davidoff. Did I mention that one of Australia’s most expensive cigarettes called Davidoff are only AUD$2.30 a pack in Taipei … but I digress.

So we have been busy little “Bees” today and don’t have a great deal to tell you as I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about the wonderful meals we’re eating and the fantastic service we’re getting and the … jealous yet? Today has really just been a preparation day for the upcoming safari.

I am going to keep this a brief update … no picture of “Girls in Briefs” sorry … as we now have to scamper around like “Squirrels” to rearrange the packing of our bags to allow for quick and easy access to our nuts … err … I mean camera gear. Can you tell I’m tired?

Hope you liked all the bad puns with matching photos, all taken at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, BC, Canada today.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album01#

PS: Special thanks to Michael Jackson (Yes, that’s his real name!) from Less Stress Computer Services for helping my poor mother be far less confused than is expected, when video conferencing with Dad and I on Skype. Visit Michael’s web site at www.lessstress.com.au if you need help with a computer … how’s that for a plug?

Keep smiling ...
Darren & Keith Gardiner
Grizzly Hunters Extraordinaire

Typhoon ... iD Style

2008-09-14T13:01:00.012+10:00

You have to say we have the luck of a Suicide Bomber with a faulty trigger. All we've heard about since landing is that the Typhoon which raged between midnight (while I went out for a rather wet walk) and around six o'clock this morning, was going to dump about a metre of water on the city. If it did as the news broadcasts are telling us … Brisbane needs to learn a thing or two about drainage. Other than wet roads and the occasional gail force wind, all the drains are flowing well and there’s barely a puddle to be seen on their roads between the myriad of scooters.

Due to the fact that we had 150klm/hr winds and there was just a little rain about, we had a slow start to the day in our room, getting the BLOG set-up and attending to photo filing systems before heading out to one of the only shopping centres that was still open on Saturday. Unfortunately, neither Dad, nor I was really interested in purchasing a new handbag or pair of stilettos’ so after some serious communicating with some of the cutest help desk girls in Taipei, we found a delightful young lady who pointed out that there was another shopping centre just across the road and it was open too.

I decided to tuck myself under Dad’s Poncho (Keep it clean) for what seemed like the crossing of the Jordan River and subsequently managed to grab an extra shower on the journey across the street. I wasn’t planning on doing this fully clothed, but hey … I never knock back an opportunity to freshen up before going shopping. We are both SO GLAD we bought those AWESOME WATERPROOF “Timberland” Hiking boots. That was a good call and we can’t recommend them highly enough. These “Timberland” boots are more comfortable than any sneaker I’ve ever worn and allowed us to have one dry body part … our feet. My jeans and shirt were absolutely soaked, crossing the street.

This next shopping centre was more like the Aspley Hypermarket with everything from Mobile Phones and Ladies Underwear, (No I didn’t buy any) to wait for it … a lovely bottle of Johnnie Walker Green Label for about AUD$34.00! Nothing new or latest technology here though. For a mid afternoon lunch, we decided to try a local bowl of noodles and managed to find a Taiwan Chef by the name of Steven, without Taiwan citizenship, because he was born in L.A. Needless to say, he spoke like a yank which made communicating far more pleasant than trying to pass the 5Kg’s of food they fed us on the flight here.

He wrote down an address of a street where the Uni Students buy their gear which turned out to be a gem for purchasing the additional couple of Laptop Hard Drives we wanted. We bought a couple of Transcend 320Gb USB Drives for AUD$124.00ea … not bad for a brand name even I recognise. They had about 40 shops jammed next to each other full of laptops and every kind of computer part you can think of. Did I mention this is the place to buy laptops? There must have been literally thousands on display in this one street.

Back to the hotel with Peter Brock the Taiwanese Race Car … I mean Taxi Driver, we relaxed in the room and ordered a “Chicken Cordon Blue Sandwich” from room service. It didn’t look BLUE to me but hey … it tasted great and who am I to get picky on colours anyway? Dad crashed and I went out for a walk “Smoke” and after trying five convenience stores, finally managed to find Dad a can of Deodorant. What, don’t Taiwanese people stink or sweat in 30+ temperatures and high humidity?

After a great night’s sleep on a nice firm bed … no really … it was, we had yet another 5kg breakfast in the hotel and wandered outside to snap a couple of locals riding on some of the forty million scooters that seem to be transporting entire families and in some cases, the contents of their home, business and next door neighbour’s furniture on the back of these tiny buzz boxes.

Apparently, the later flights like ours at 11:40pm to Vancouver are running on schedule, so at least for now, it looks like we’ll be leaving Taipei for Vancouver as planned on Sunday night.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED TODAY
If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!
Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album01#

Keep smiling ...
Typhoon Darren & Keith Gardiner

The Adventure Begins ...

2008-09-13T08:51:00.017+10:00

Well, the enormous lead up has finally led to Dad and I fleeing the country. Sorry everyone, but no more business cards until I get back now. I don't think the Grizzly's have a printing press.

For those of you who don't already know, I slipped on the wet tiles at home while testing one of our new lenses and broke my tailbone and cracked my skull last Friday. This led to just a touch of anxiety about sitting in what we normally foresee as a thimble holder of a aeroplane seat for somewhere in the vicinity of nine hours. But ... to my surprise ... and delight, the plane seat provided by China Airlines in Business Class is much larger than the equivalent seat on a Qantas Business Class flight to New Zealand for our honeymoon a couple of years ago. I FIT IN IT!

To be honest, the Flight with China Airlines was wonderful. Yes we are in Business Class, but these seats cost half what Qantas and Air New Zealand charge for a Business Class seat. But they are not half the airline. Both Dad and I are very impressed so far. The fully electric seats are roomy and comfortable, with me not even being able to touch the seat in front, as I have that much leg room. The food was truly wonderful. From aperitifs of marinated mushrooms and capsicum with curried vegetable patty, to starters of smoked salmon, tasty salads, main courses of grilled black bean Barramundi, rice, vegetables and bread, plus some lovely fresh fruit and scrumptious Orange Cheesecake Mousse Thingie with Chocolate Scrolls. We accompanied this with our choice of just about any beverage imaginable, but decided to skip on the Baileys for now and just had a nice French Merlot Blend.

The rest of the flight was relaxing with many hours to watch IRONMAN, catch a couple of Z's power up the laptop, dump a few photo's, check the plane power source was working and wait for it ... EAT AGAIN!

Yes, they decided that the 5Kg's of food they stuffed into us around lunch time wouldn't be enough to keep our sleepy souls from starving, so they served up a lovely bowl of Asian seafood soup, with our choice of add ins like asparagus, onion, chili, parsley and a yellow vegetable that so far remains nameless. Needless to say, we were both stuffed to the eyeballs, but the Taipei government was nice enough to give us a 5Klm walk to immigration in what seemed like the longest airport terminal in the world. Praise the lord for "Travelators"!!!

To speed up the ending of this BLOG, we were picked up in a week old BMW 740 Series Limo "NICE" and then sat in peak hour traffic for an hour and a half listening to the radio reports informing us that the Typhoon that was due to hit that night or the next day was expected to dump ... wait for it ... about 1m of water on the city and ... how surprising, some areas may experience flash flooding. Damn, if Brisbane got a metre of water in a night, we'd all be going to work in a kayak.

The hotel and staff are as you would expect for a 5 star hotel ... very, very, very, accommodating! I will now point out that the Riviera Hotel is "All Boarded Up" ... a comforting thought knowing we were planning to spend Saturday shopping in Camera Street Taipei. Might think about taking a Poncho with me tomorrow. Hmmm ... that'll be fun in 30 degree heat and 95% humidity won't it?

Well, that's enough for today ... time to go have some breakfast ... wonder if they have those deep fried scorpions here?

WANT MORE PHOTOS?

If you would like to see some more photo's of what we've seen so far, please visit our PICASA Web Albums page!

Go To: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/styleid/Safari2008Album01#

Keep smiling ...

Darren & Keith Gardiner

BLOG ... On The Run!

2008-08-30T09:35:00.010+10:00

The countdown is on and it’s finally dawned on me that time is seriously running out to get everything ready for the trip.

With that in mind, I thought it might be clever enough to at least test the BLOGGING on the run theory, with a quick test post. So, here you have it.

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures from the future in Bear Chow!

Regards
Darren Gardiner

We're Going On Safari ...

2008-08-10T10:00:00.007+10:00

- READ THE WHOLE NEWSLETTER (HERE) -

That's right ... iDStyle is off for another photographic safari and we're heading into the Canadian Rockies this time. We're in search of wildlife, in particular the Grizzly Bear and we hope to capture him stocking up on Salmon before hibernating for the winter.

We will be starting in Vancouver with our personal guide and professional photographer, Paul Stone from Canada Photo Safari's. Paul has guided some of the great Wildlife Photographers and Cinematographers from around the world, though the Canadian Mountains.

We don't just expect to see Grizzly Bears by the way. We are also hoping to capture some of the fantastic autumn scenery the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia and Alberta Canada has to offer, along with some of the other amazing wildlife found in the area such as the Black Bear, Wolf, Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Mountain Goat, Moose, Caribou, Bison, Porcupine, Waterfowl, Beaver, Eagles and Songbirds.

If you'd like to know more about our Guide, please visit his web site:
Paul Stone (Canada Photo Safari's)
web site: http://www.canadaphotosafaris.com/

email: info@canadaphotosafaris.com

iDStyle will be CLOSED from: 6pm Tuesday 9th September 2008
and ...
iDStyle will RE-OPEN at: 10am Friday 17th October 2008

Take care of yourselves while we're away!

Welcome . . .

2008-08-08T10:00:00.003+10:00

Why iDStyle ?
Because we know how important it is to identify your business with style.

Established in 1994 as A Better Web Solution, we soon realised the need to be able to identify your business with style, both on-line ... and in traditional media.

We invite you to visit our web sites to see how we can help you identify your business with style and contact us to discuss your individual needs.

Graphic Design and Printing, Web Design and Hosting, Photography, Video Conversions and Duplication, Voice Overs and So Much More ...

Regards ...
Darren Gardiner
iDStyle
http://www.idstyle.com/
http://www.idphotographics.com/