Down Under

DEPARTURE; HOME!!

2007-09-04T03:26:00.000-07:00

This picture, was the last sunset I have seen in Darwin, Australia , before going back home.

So, the final trip home started! It was a strange awareness, being the last night in Darwin.

Sitting at a terrace drinking a beer like I have done so many times before. It seems like I now start to realize I am not going to be here for a long time. Staring at the sea, listening to your companions, who probably all feel similar. Looking at the last time that the sun will sink in to the sea. (see picture above) So nice, it go’s really fast here, like I have seen it for many times out here and took many pictures from it. That night, we all went for a last dinner in Darwin, together with the local producer and a very good production/art/light assistant, named Patrick.

We had a lovely meal and have been drinking a bit more, but at the end, we all started to think about going a way.

A little while later we packed up and traveled to the airport off Darwin, where we dropped off the rental car and checked inn at the Quantas desk.

Now, above Port Moresby, at high speeds and a altitude off about 10 kilometers, we travel home with Korean Air. Flying a Boeing 777-200, the HL7530 I am getting annoyed with the fact that we always have to close the shades. I hate it to sit in a dark closed aluminum tube, while flying over the very nice parts of the planet. And specially when the movies are just very bad as well. On this nine and a half our flight, I hope I will fall a sleep a bit more.

Dreaming about my girl, Amsterdam and other thinks to think about, you also realize that soon if I am back in the Netherlands, I really going to miss all this.

At least I will have some time to look for a new job, preferably internationally as well.

Dreaming on in high sky’s, about my girly the most, I have never ever had a relation and have not seen that person for such a long time. Next time she has to go with me.

Hopefully I will quickly find a similar job, that would be real nice. There is this really stupid Korean movie on right now. I start to get heavy eyes.

( I just go to sleep a bit, and type some more later)

Sydney Airport, in the morning urly, waiting for our Korean Air flight.

After a nice landing in Seoul, Incheon Airport, we went to a place nearby (Incheon) to sleep in a hotel. All our luggage was labeled thru to Amsterdam, so we where just with a bit off hand luggage with lots off souvenirs etc. In this Korean town, you could nicely see the opposite world off Home Valley Station, bright lights and lots off shops and city activities. A complete different world all together, but much more like Europe, if you look at plants and birds. (see pictures below) I would like to return to Asia, I think it is something I need to study a bit longer, from a bit closer. Right now, I am cruising high above Mongolia at more then 10 kilometer altitude, while I just had my dinner and looking out on the Mongolian landscape, witch stretches out far as the eye can see. Hardly any roads or villages to see, flying north westwards, with a speed off about 800km an hour, the land is slowly getting greener. I would like to visit Mongolia and or Russia , maybe one day, that would be awesome. It is the longest flight from this trip, Seoul to Amsterdam takes about 12 hours. I already have enough off this chair and I still have nine hours to go. I am looking forward to the fact, that I am going to land on Schiphol (EHAM) airport, after a wild adventure job witch took me more than 7 weeks to do. Now I just have to finish the job in the office in Bussum for an other 2 to 3 weeks. I just can’t believe it I am in the plane to Amsterdam at this moment. I still remember when I went towards Seoul, still nervous about the job, uncertain, what to expect.

a night walk, me my camera and a can off beer in an Asian city .....

a little town (city), near Seoul-Airport

And now, its all behind me, ready for an other job, lol! Well first I need to speak and see the majority off the readers from this column, and probably have a little party, with in a view weeks, in the mean time I will find an other job, preferably international.

But above all, I am really looking forward to see my dearest off all, my girly. It have been a way to long, since I have seen here, and I really look forward to see here on Schiphol.

My sweet love, I hope for ever.

All you guys, who have been reading my column, I hope it was fun, naturally I have many more pictures and avi’s, I made. Who knows, I can show you some, one day.

From now on , you can all mail me on sevv@sevv.nl again and get hold off me on the normal phone numbers again.

Greetings to you all and let the good energy be with you!

Sincerely

Sander Edward van Velzen

PS: and special greetings to Zoe and Tom (from the U.K.), who are traveling (probably) in India right now and helped us a part off our crew in Australia and to my dear friend Frode (from Norway), who is cycling 6000km across the USA. Let the force be with you Frode.

Last sites off Australia in the late morning!

Back to the Netherlands ...........

2007-08-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

And here under this line, you see the ever so wonderfull sunsets at Darwin, tonight I will see my last one ................................

The Kimberly Echo:
OO, and yes, I did make the news papers front page, The Kimberly Echo, when bringing some girls to the Kununurra Airport. lol

In Darwin again, slowly getting more rest, paying off last bills and ending the (local) bank account, buying souvenirs for back home.

The last days at HV8 where not busy, it’s when I finally had a chance to ride a horse, witch I thought was very nice. The drive back to Darwin with 5 off us and 3 cars, witch needed to go back to the car rental, was about 900km. ( a little more than one day, we did not drive in the dark)

Now, while I type this, it is Friday afternoon (14:00 our) I just had some lunch after returning from the bank. Now my bank account is not there anymore, a bit strange ……

I still can’t believe that it is all over now, and I really returning home tonight!!??

I still have to collect some money and say goodbye to someone else and that is about all there is to do. Beside packing my stuff, and lots off administration, witch I will never be able to finish today. So I am not even going to try …… lol

I hope I will return in this strange and very huge country, maybe in an other season. Who knows …. There are many other nice places on this planet to explore. :o)

I just need to meet the right people ……..

I will speak live to you all very soon, and maybe in the Netherlands I will ad a last closure to this weblog.

Cheers

Sander Edward van Velzen

(Outback Eddy)

Gibb river road, pictures

2007-08-23T17:54:00.001-07:00

The famous Gibb river road crossing!

HV8, bush camping site....

Nice swimming, not!

I only have seen them at night doing this ..............

HV8:

2007-08-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

The drive way to HV8, seen from HV8.

And there is Dave, working ........ under a car!

HV8, repair man:

It is very normal in these area’s to have flat tires, some times you have none for a long time, some times you have 2 or more in one day. Also wind screens are damaged more often then in other parts of the world. It is a nice thing we have Dave, witch is a very good repair man of all 4wd and other vehicles. He is a man witch can have a short look at your car and know what is wrong with it. Usually he can fix it, unless the parts he needs are not in stock. If I would ever work on a Camel Trophy race or something similar, he is the man to be on your team.

Rentals and production office in the back ground (work station HV8)

Crew cabbins at HV8

More about Home Valley Station (HV8):

Like all people working here on HV8 (Home Valley Station) are special types. A lot off Aboriginals work here as well, like horse man and tour guides and general staff for house keeping and kitchen staff. Most off the (not aboriginals) man and woman working here have there roots in other parts off Australia. Having enough off there formal life or just here working for a year or so, to make some money, some have a criminal back ground. The nicest thing off all is that there is a great kind off family bond between them. You can leave everything laying around, it want get stolen. Ok, there is not much to get, and if there is, where would they go? In my room there was always a lot off cash money laying around, from time to time I did hide it in different spots. I am talking about having around the 20 to 50.000 Australian dollars in your room, witch made me feel uncomfortable some times. With this money I have to pay local staff etc.

HV8 is a government facility witch also trains a lot off young students in agricultural, farming and tourism. HV8 also lets prisoners work here, luckily not when we where around. Actually it is a very nice place to stay , and if you will be ever around these areas, do pay a visit. Its not so expensive as other nearby stations are, like El Questro (where the Americans have been filming the original Outback Jack).

The Gib river road is the longest witch go’s along all these stations, is the longest dirt road I ever have been traveling on. Its longer then 675km, and will be closed in the wet season. Then the road changes in to a rather wet mud track witch is to difficult to travel along. Then the river crossings will be to deep and the mud to dens to travel thru. In these seasons the stations are only reachable with planes. That is why most stations have there own airstrip, to get the supply’s in. In these seasons it must be very isolated here at HV8 and other stations around.

You have to picture that if you travel to the first station next door, you will have to travel at least for 30 to 45 minutes be there. And between these stations there is nothing but bush. Every stations has thousands of acres of land, where the cows (cattle) walk freely. That is why it can be dangerous to travel at high speeds at night over the dirt roads and why all the cars have bull bars. (see previous) I thought I would never kill animals and would be able to avoid them, but in the last week it happened to me twice. I killed to Wallabies with night driving, till now I managed to avoid them all by making small steering adjustments. But no! Twice now, and they always walk precisely the wrong direction, using your horn helps some times. But usually it happens quickly, while traveling between the 80 and 100 km an hour on the dirt road in the night. Like rabbits but then bigger ………… poor animals.

The Gibb river road crossing is a very nice experience and people always stop to make pictures while other cars cross. It is strange driving thru water, but even this becomes normal after doing it at least 4 times a week. When I go in to town, to the bank and some shopping’s and returning again (the trip is always about 3 to 4 hours up and down), the Gibb river crossing for me is the sign that I am almost home again (HV8 is just 7km after the crossing). In the beginning the water was still higher than it is now, since we are well into the dry season now.

But marks ashore and in the trees, show clearly that the water can be very high here. (wet season) Then the river becomes a wild big wide river, and you clearly understand that it is not possible to cross at all.

Gibb river crossing

No worry's:

2007-08-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

Is what all Australian say, more then 5 times a day. The Australian way off living (lay back) is in all perspectives because off the wideness off there land. As I wrote before, the distances are no yoke. It is very normal to travel for 4 days or more to get from A to B, by car well as by train or bus. So planes are often used and then still, you will be flying for hours and hours, just to get back from work. If you need to buy something it is very normal that it is not in stock and it has to be ordered from elsewhere, meaning that it will take a week or more before you have it. These things are just the normal things off the day. Not like in Europe, where you just walk to an other shop around the corner or drive 30 minutes to an other city to get it elsewhere. No worry’s made! No wonder that tourists coming from BIG county’s and are in Amsterdam, always ask “how long will the drive be”. Just tell them, no worry’s …….

And this is only a small Termite home!

Outback Jack: the end is near

2007-08-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

The shooting is going very well, it was most certain a hectic shoot, and all HV8 people who have been helping us, must have thought the strangest things about the Dutch ant heap invading there daily life. Working from 05:30 in the morning till 00:00 in the night was not what they have been expecting from a television shoot. In the beginning we where more extinguishing fires (not latterly) , then doing something what looked like a well planed organization. But slowly we managed to get some structure in to the complete mess and everybody slowly grew in his/her role. Even for most off the Australian crew it was a weird experience. We even had 2 very nice English crew members, who are traveling the world and ended up with this odd job. (Zoe and Tom) It must be one off there most special job they ever will do on there travel trip a chance they will not come across often.

So we had Belgians, Dutch, Australians, English and Aboriginals in our crew, witch made it a diverse crew. Pity the work load was so heavy that we hardly had time to really get to know each other. Luke, our “Outback Jack” is a nice city bloke and quickly trained here at HV8 into a real Outback Luke. Learning the skills like handling a snake, riding horse, whipping the whip and getting a thane, all one week prior to filming. Then it the made house started when the reality film crew and the girls arrived (witch first missed there plane in Sydney) with parachutes in the outback. And than the made house started ……

All things went wrong, but where just solved in time with other solutions or alternatives.

Like, for instance, I have been negotiating with a lighting guy from Sydney for about 1 and a half week, he traveled 4 days to be at our set, he brought a special 4wd truck with a 150kva generator on top. (on my and my cameraman’s request) Just before shooting, the generator was in place on the (build up set) in the middle of the bush (1 our from HV8) and the generator broke down. What to do then ………… so we did get it out off the bush, drove it back to our magic mechanic Dave at HV8. After one hour trying to fix it, he found out what it was and did not have the right tolls to do it. After some phone calls, we drove it in to Kununurra, for repairs (2 hour drive 2 hours back). In the mean time I have been looking at every corner of HV8 and called all company’s in Kununurra to get an alternative generator, witch I could not find on that short term. Luckaly you have very good repair man in these regions where you have the strangest vehicles and land move machinery. It was fixed in 2 hours and was back in the bush just after dark and it costs me only 2 beers.

Off course there where many various problems and so on, like on every shoot. The difference here is still the country and the place you are. Again, nothing is close and no clouds what so ever, always a burning hot sun, witch is not to be under estimated. Luckily we only had one person who had a dehydration one day, the art director blacked out one day. He had to recover for half a day. We have seen many animals walking thru the set, snakes, frogs, gecko’s, lizards, spiders, hawks, eagles, wallabies, kangaroos, dingo’s, cows and buffalo’s and off course a lot off fly’s and “mossy’s”(mosquito’s). But nothing serious happened, al do we had a full time security/safety manager and a nurse (flying doctor) on the set. Every body was really scared at first, but after

a week or so, people did get used to it and eventually every body just stepped thru the grass land and the rock areas.

The film shoot worked in a way, so that we made 2 camp sites, one where the reality is happening at that moment, with the camera’s and the other is being prepared to be the next camp, where the reality crew and cast would move to next. Meaning that you have a lot off logistics going on between HV8, (home base, production office and Art department building area, catering facilities) camp 1 and the next camp and so on. Most camps where whit in a 10 km range of HV8 some where at about 17 km distance. (dirt roads and small rocky dirt tracks)

Beside that, you also have small (so called) dating sites, where Luke went with girls for one on one conversations etc. This is how we went on for about 3 weeks non stop. After every 1 or 2 days, sometimes longer, Luke has to eliminate a girl. This girl would be removed from the program and brought to HV8 where she would stay till an available flight back to the Netherlands.

Now way further (23-08-2007), all the girls are eliminated, and there is only one to go. The crew and cast left HV8 and all the people still here have some more breading space again. I just started to de rig with the few local staff left and finally I can finish off my finances witch is absolutely not my strongest skill. Paying people and many other bills is the main job of my present concern. Slowly the daily routines at HV8 are returning to normal.

Yesterday, when the reality crew and cast went on a plane to the last location on a beach, about 2 days drive from here, the last filming and elimination will take place.

We will be here till the last people have returned from this location by car (Art department) witch will bring all the camera gear etc. I will then make sure it will all be packed and put in to cargo to the Netherlands. (with Korean Air Cargo) I will also try to sell all our stuff, tools, tents, camping gear and lots more.

Hopefully I will leave her on Monday and drive back to Darwin, where we have to return cars and bring back other stuff. Eventually I will step on the plane 1^st of September in Darwin and have a long 3 day travel back, with one night in Seoul. So I do have a brief chance to see Seoul on the way back. The series will be expected to be on television in the Netherlands and Belgium in October 2007. In the Netherlands the series we be called “Outback Jack” (as a brand name) and in Belgium the series is going to be called “Outback Luke”. Only I do know who the winner is! ;O)

I am not sure of I am going to watch this semi reality/dating program, lol

The Parajump picture!

2007-08-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

I made some pictures from the film witch has been made from me while jumping out off a plane,
with a tandem jump. The pictures look a bit strange, because I made them from my dvd.

And then you travel with 230km per hour ............ makes you look great!

Crocodiles storys

2007-08-18T22:46:00.000-07:00

Crocodile story’s

The crocodiles in this country are awesome! You have 2 kind off Crocodiles here. 1 is the “fresh water” and the other is the “salty’s”. The first ones are small ones, and have small long mouth, the other ones are much larger and have wider mouth. The first ones are river crocodiles and the other is a saltwater (sea) crocodile, witch also comes far up the rivers. I have seen my first live crocodile from the helicopter ( a couple off fresh water ones) and just yesterday I have seen my first “salty” in the nearby river. It was a very large one and it was swimming with a large (unknown) dead animal in his beak/mouth. I have never seen such a big crocodile a live in the wild. I stopped the car and ran back along the river to get closer and make a picture, but these animals are really afraid for humans. Soon if he saw me he released his carcass and dived under. Sometimes peaking up to keep an eye on me and his carcass. But unfortunately, I have now zoom lens on my camera and was not able to make a proper picture. It must have been at least 7 meters long and his head would have been at least the size off a big dinner platter.

Days before that, we needed crocodiles in the series, so the girls could do some thing with it on frame. So our local animal handler went out to catch some, and I did join him to have a look. (these where the “fresh water” ones) So, he did catch one (in his boat) and then he showed me the one and moved close to me. The crocodile did not like my camera and took a bite and did get hold off my camera and did not wanted to let go any more. Neither did I and I did hold the other end off the camera. The tooth of the crocodile where flying around, cause I have a metal camera. And so I took an other picture while the crocodile was holding my camera. (a bit out off focus, but did not have time to adjust camera settings, lol)

Well these are the crocodile experiences till now.

Here it was holding my camera, read above.

fresh water crocodile in a boat, there skin feels really nice and soft.

Some pictures from the last weeks!

2007-08-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

After a 2 hour helikopter flight, (me and the camera man) we landed at Kununurra Airport, just before dark. (read more below, Shoot!)

Self timer shot, makes ripples in the water! Lake Kununurra, nice to swim and friendly crocs!

This land is big, very very big! If I go and do shoppings in town, I drive at least one and a half our to and the same on the way back, over this dirt road. Wher you can drive about 110km an our most off the way.

On the way home, I came across a bush fire, witch is very normal out here. The fires will not get bigger then what you see here, the trees stay unharmed and at day Hawks and other birds circle around to eat the escaping animals and insects. I stopped and took this sap, walked over picket a burning straw, lit my cigarette and watched a while.

2 pictures below are one day before shooting, we did a recce (reconnasance) with almost the whole crew at one of the biggest Boab tree I have been close to. Camp one is almost finished, just waiting till the gaffer builds his lights ....

Shoot! (short update)

2007-08-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Just an update!

I did not have the time to write proper notes about the shoot and stay at HV8 jet. I will try to do this in the coming days. I finally can smell the end off the shoot, witch is a relieve, its going to be a very busy week to come. We are shooting the last episodes (3) in the coming week. And I am working on paying all the bills and people who worked for us. Then I have to try and sell all the stuff and gear we have been buying before, like tents and other camping stuff. The shoot went very hectic till now, I generally sleep about 5 to 6 hours a night, like all off us out here and we haven’t been a single day off.

But this seems to be normal at Kanakna. Witch I think is not good for the morale off people.

Anny way, all the pictures we have been shooting, looks very nice. So, this winter (European winter) it should be on television in the Netherlands and Belgium. The name is going to be “Outback Jack” or “Outback Luke”.

We have been in the most remote places where we have been put up crew camps and the cast (reality) camp. I have seen Crocodiles, one even did bite my camera, and not wanted to let go. I have a picture from the moment that he has my camera in his mouth.

I had a great experience as a second camera in a Bell-Jet ranger helicopter with all the doors removed of course. Flying over the canyon like mountain ridges is a very nice feeling. Hanging half out off the helicopter door is some how a strange thing. The wind (according to the helicopters speed) outside is fast and strong. And its not easy to operate a camera in a situation like that and especially not when it is your first time. Lol

I did take pictures and avi’s at that trip, witch will be available for all you lot later.

I will try and describe a normal shooting day here at HV8 next time.

Till now this was the short update, I have to go and lunch now and do some (office) work again. :o)

In the mean while!

2007-08-01T00:15:00.000-07:00

Shortly an update will follow! (do not know about uploading the pictures)

mean while this is my home base for the comming 3 weeks.... (butI will be mainly in our office)

www.homevalley.com.au

Media News in Australia;

2007-07-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

See here, latest news is out:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22099685-5012980,00.html

(copy paste in your browser)

Immense tropical vegetation !

2007-07-23T20:06:00.001-07:00

This is one tree only! You see manny different plant arround you, manny who will normaly only grow in your living-room.

PS: most off all my notes you read, I write in my hotel room, just before I go to sleep, what els to do!

2007-07-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

THE STORY:

2007-07-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

still in Darwin:

Now I am getting close to the shooting date I made ass well tell you all a bit off the story!
As most off you know, we are making a reality series for the Belgium and the Dutch market. More precise, we are making the exact copy off the USA version off ”Outback Jack”. A short description; there are 12 girls being cast, 6 from the Netherlands and 6 from Belgium. The intension is to cast girls witch are, lets say …. spoiled girls, who did never went on a camping Holliday and are used a luxurious live in the city. They must be single and all the girls know of is that they are participating in a sort of dating program, where they will meat up with a rich man somewhere in a big mansion.
It all starts in the Netherlands where they will meet in a big beauty centre where they will be spoiled and treated well before the girls will here that the mysterious hero they are about to meet is in Australia. So, immediate after the beauty centre the girls all travel to Schiphol in limousines and after that they all fly to Australia. (with Korean Air). There the girls, still thinking they will meet there hero in a luxurious mansion kind of something, end up on a small airfield where the girls here that there hero is in the “outback” off Australia (Kimberly area). In the mean time, there is a real Australian guy (single as well) being chosen by an Australian casting agency, who is going to be our hero. His real name is Luce, and he is the only one who knows the truth about the whole thing. He will get a sort off survival course in the outback and is awaiting the girls in the Kimberly outback area. The girls are being dropt from a plane with parachutes (tandem jumps) and end up in a complete unexpected kind of dating adventure in the middle off the nothingness. Then the reality really starts and the girls are up for some real unexpected camping tour. During (the shoot) the next 3 weeks the group will do various things al guided by our (Jack) hero witch will take the girls on many different adventures. Like catching crocodiles, canoeing, making camp fires, scared by big spiders and snakes all the girls have to live with minimum facilities. No electricity, bush-toilets, and so on. After every day, our outback hero has to eliminate girls, so eventually he will end up with one. In the original USA series, the hero ended up with one girl, witch he married to and now he lives in the USA has 1 child and became a policeman. Lol

This is going to be on television in the end off this year.(the series we are making now) Hopefully its all going to work out like planed, because there are still some problems to be solved. Last week, for instants, I spoke to the office in the Netherland to ask how the cast was going and they told me that there where 6 Dutch girls, but only 2 Belgium girls being found till now. So that’s hopefully not going to be any problem, since we have to start shooting in one and a half week. Lol (I am glade that’s not my department)
Its going to be fun if the girls will all be here. We have to keep them in some sort off reality dream, for the benefit off the program. That’s also why the crew and all other staff walking around is strictly kept separate from the girls and there hero. Naturally we have the reality camera team and other technical crew, who are around them, but I think I will only monitor them from a distance. Of course we have all kind off tricks up our sleeves to let them go thru a (controlled) hell. So that’s about the story! You can look up information, if you will type in “Outback Jack” on the internet and you will find thinks about the US version. (pictures etc)
It could be that you have seen one off these series, because it has been on Belgium and Dutch television (I think last year), but it’s not a program I would go and look at myself.

PROGRESS:
Till now thinks are running reasonably good. Aldo the money go’s very fast, I am trying to fill up my (production) bank account via the Netherlands, while on the other hand I am paying many bills and departments to start up and prepare.
Still working with now credit card, needs a creative way off working with out running aground. Most off the time, I pay cash or let transfers go thru Dutchyland. Still one off the biggest things to try and calculate is the distance from where all the stuff has to go to and come from. If I order a lighting-truck it may well be travelling 4000km’s before its where I want it to be. All this has to be paid for ass well, and the estimate km price here is 1.25 Australian dollar. So, up and down, that is 8000km’s roughly, so I have to pay the guy on km 10.000,- dollar alone. And then I did not pay the truck rental and the equipment and his salary jet. Just to give you guys an id. If you take a train in this country, to get from a to b, just calculate a day or 5. And driving at night is most off the time NOT DONE, because there are to many animals at night (also on the highway), like big kangaroos, wild buffalo’s, wild bore, and many other kinds. That’s why all the people here have these huge “bull bars” on all there cars, because you are in deep trouble if these things happen and you are far from a town or something. It’s a rough country and no joke, the strangest accidents happen here.
My art-department is buying a lot off stuff to take to the outback, to build camp-sites and make things look nice on screen. My camera-man is going thru the lighting list with an Australian Gaffer (lighting man), witch will travel 4000km’s up from Sydney. My location producer (Jesse) is in the outback now, doing recognisance tours of all possible locations and my local producer here in Darwin is communicating with the local people who we need to work for us, like croc guards, night watchers, animal handlers and the base camp owner, where we are going to stay with all off us (about 60 to 70 people in total), to make the last arrangements. And I am trying to keep an overlook and keep the money flowing.
Thinks are looking good till now, in about a week the first people start to arrive from the Netherlands. On the end off this week I will travel down myself. And then it all really starts. If all is being arranged correctly I want be so busy over there.
The problem here in Darwin is still that it is tourist season, there are hardly hotel rooms to find. This week I have the last chance to arrange all last payments, bank transfers and buy stuff to take and then we are off! (to the outback) There is a landing stripe next to my base-camp, but luckily I go by car, because I really look forward to drive thru the outback country side. Or do I ….. things change rapidly here. Lol
Now, this morning (Tuesday 24-07-07) I have a small disaster going on, I can’t log into my Kanakna web mail page! Witch is really not a handy thing in this face off the production. So hopefully it will be repaired soon, no use to call the Netherlands now, in the middle off the night (in Holland).
So, how to communicate with the them now….. cash flows go fast, time is running out! I need to go even more inventive now, communication is getting limited with the Netherlands, since we have a time different from about 7 and a half our.

Further developments!

2007-07-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

My rental 4wd, Land cruiser;

Continues day to days:

Al this info I need because I have a camera man who wants to take way to much light into the bush. This al because he never have been filming in the bush and he wants to be sure he can do what he wants. Witch is not nice, he wants to work with so much light that we could give a live-concert for the Aboriginals. And he want to bring in from the Netherlands, witch means that it needs to go in cargo. This works with cargo passports, called Carnet’s, and cost something (what is not coming from my budget) and also needs to be cleaned excessively, because there is a good chance that it will be hold by the Australian authorities and kept in quarantine. This because the Australians keep everything witch is from natural, organic or alive in out side there country. And I do know its coming from “Single film Company” in the Netherlands witch is not one off the cleanest company’s. Beside that we have the problem of connections with leads (wires and electric connections), so that will mean that I have to buy a load of connectors and converters to make everything work properly. Aldo the deal from the Netherlands is attractive, I have doubts of let it come from there. On the other hand, I have been calling in Australia to get everything from here, the complete package I ended up with a company (the cameraman had found) witch is one off the biggest and most expensive in the world, Panavision. This in the only company here in Australia (Asia) who can deliver me the complete list my cameraman wants to have. The whole list is available, but for a excessive price, that I was wondering off there stands (statieven) are made from silver!? And this is minus transport, what is always a hi price in Australia, because you are always looking at week(s) of transport (by truck, because by plane it would at least be tripled). So a rapid decision should be made soon, the shoot starts in about 2 weeks. I also found much more realistic light packages (witch I think would be more than sufficient) but, I am not the cameraman, who is specially hired to make nice shots, and never did any reality before.

You have to know that we film with 4 cameraman, 3 are from the reality crew, one is for interviews and the last one (called the d.o.p.) is hired to make nice shots and give it a nice continuity. I can get the complete list also cheaper in Australia, but then I have to transport it in from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, witch is no option, since I am a filming crew and not a parcel-company. I want name any amounts in this web log! Well this is a nice example off one off all the thinks I do for work.

Like trying to rent 14 4wheel drives while your company did not give you a credit card. Like trying to find hotel rooms in Darwin, while there is a horse race going on and its in the middle of a national Holliday, if I have bad luck, after Sunday me and my art-director and his assistant do not have a room any more. Where to sleep, I haven’t the faintest id, but that makes things nice again. And some times gets your hart and brain work twice as fast as when you jump from a plane. I have to go to the outback” wild country eventually, but I want to go as the last one, because I also have to make sure everything is paid for. So I herd that in the Netherlands the cast is all found (complete), 6 girls. But in Belgium there are still only 2 found from the 6! Oeps … we are shooting in 2 weeks, 3 days travel in advance … I am curious how that’s going to evolve. So tonight, I walked to a terrace alone, because my good old pall, the location-producer went this afternoon to Kununurra in advance. First the id was that we would travel together, but …. I am not leaving before its all arranged here and paid for as much as possible. While I was sitting there, a strange animal climbed down the tree. (see picture) And I was even able to touched it and stroked it. It took some fruit pees from down ground down the tree an run up again. And that in the middle of a terrace whit lots off people.

Finally I have a car, walking true Darwin is not a very big issue, its not a big city and if you are used to walk a lot true Amsterdam, it’s a peace off cake.

Off the road vehicles are about more then half off all cars here. But its not comparable with the (pc trekkers) shiny brands driving true the western city’s in Europe. This is the land where you see the real off the road vehicles, its standard to have a snorkel on your car (to drive true water) and a bull bar and a radio, all cars have 2 separate fuel tanks build in. Two spare tires and a lot more, like spare parts and water. At least these are no bullshit off the roads, I never have seen a shiny BMW or Volvo’s or Porsche’s or all the models you see in our city’s. Even the Range Rover I have not seen, some times you see a Land Rover, Defender and a bit more the classical old Land Rover models. But most off all it’s the Toyota’s, Land Cruisers, sometimes even with twin rear wheels.

All drugs are available here, if you talk to people about it, it seems to be no problem to get it. Even my local producer (witch is a large woman from about 46) has access to large quantities off cannabis. A couple off days ago I was holding a very large dried top of grass witch was offered to me to buy. (of a part off it) And the day after I have been smoking just a very tiny joint with my location producer before he travelled to the outback witch we did get as a present. But still, I come from where its widely available and have no urge to buy or smoke any. Beer, that’s what the general people here use the most. And not just one, I never have seen so many kinds off brands for sale, as well in the bars as in the shops or supermarkets. Australians love drinking, lots and loads. Yesterday I have seen a Drive Thru Bottle Shop, I was amazed and took a picture, see below. Very strange, you are not to be drunk driving your car, but you can go to a alcohol drive inn.

The Aboriginals can’t handle alcohol, is what most people say here, never give them anything to drink, because it will go wrong with them. Some times you see them sleeping on the road or the sidewalks. Drunk or not, the Aboriginal people seem to have an entire different live between the Australian people. I did not figure that one out yet!

I will move to the outback around the 27 this month, and I know internet is pore in the outback, especially loading up pictures, (its all via satellite) so I am not sure off I will be able to this. So ……. Till next time! (I have some work to do, lol)

Australian tree, amazing creatures!

2007-07-21T20:28:00.001-07:00

The nature here keeps amazing mee, all animals, birds, plants, trees and insects ..... what can I say! You'l have to see them to believe ........

Sitting on the Captain seat off a B767-300 Qantas

2007-07-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

After arrival in Darwin, Qantas fly's mainly B767's up and down from Syndney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Darwin etc.

A Possum!

2007-07-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is a Possum, a night animal! Verry nice ones, this one lives on a terras at a Caffe, where it is verry buissy at night. I was able to stroke it for a vew seconds before it went in to the tree again.

Drive Thru Bottleshop!!!

2007-07-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

A drive thru-botleshop, its amazing ....... just get your car when you are out off beer and drive thru and get cold fresh beer as much as you like! Strange people here ............

One of my manny offices, ....

2007-07-18T01:42:00.001-07:00

Till next time, when ever that may be!

Para picture, just before!

2007-07-18T01:38:00.000-07:00

Hopfully this works, to get some pictures on here!?

The trip ....

2007-07-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

The trip and the first day's impressions:

The flights!
Well, now for you all friends and airplane lovers and others who are reading my web-log.
(it is possible that there will be typing mistakes or spelling mistakes, some times I will be tired while typing or have les time to update this story at all)
On this moment I am flying at 35000ft (about 11km) high, in a shaking plane (turbulence) above the Philippines. Ocean. I left Amsterdam at 11 July at 19:10 (local) and have been flying along a northern route (it never went completely dark), via Groningen, St. Petersburg, Oeral mountains (northern half), north-east Mongolia, north-east China along Beijing crossing the Yellow sea to Seoul. This all in a A330-200 (HL7552), while I was really hoping for a 747-400.
It was an almost 11 hour flight, witch most off the flight we had turbulence as well, and even did fly at 49500ft at a speed off about 945 km an hour. When I landed in Seoul, it was about 13:00 hours (local time, from now on lt). After a very nice wait off about 6 to 7 hours on a really boring airport (very big, lots off, way to expensive shops), I continued my trip, as current while I am typing this, to Brisbane. Also on this 9 hour flight I was hoping for a 747-400, bad luck I am flying again in a 2 engine A330-300 this time. On the in-flight screens I can see we just about passing Guam, its pitch dark outside, flying above the Pacific (Philippines Sea) Now my colleague is watching one off the really bad in-flight movies, while I am typing this, in a dark plane. Just noticed that the engines went rumbling louder, so I think we must have been climbing out to a higher cruise level and indeed the turbulence is getting les. I will arrive early in the morning in Brisbane, to change to a domestic 5 hour flight to Darwin (back up again). While type this, I am still in the summer, strange to think that I will fly from summer in to the winter in about 2hours. I never have been flying for this long and this far, how much further you can go on our little round planet. Well I am glad I don’t have to swim walk or even go by ship …… lol! (for the non internet people under you, lol means laughing out loud and in Dutch it means more or les the same, more like “fun”)
Crossing a lot off water today …….

I do not have to tell you that I was the tallest guy on Seoul airport. Its huge and newly build and still not finished. Korean people are very busy looking people maybe even a bit nervous kind of. Some hours before landing in Seoul, I was staring out the window, what I usually do, I was glancing at the gliding landscapes passing under me. Especially Mongolia and Russia look really cool to go to, so endless wide from really green and riverly to really dry and tundra kind off. It would be wild to make a Holliday (or do an other strange job).
I also have seen these huge round (irrigation) fields in Mongolia, I must be able to see it on Google Earth. I mist the entire Oeral mountains, cause of clouds, that I really did not like.
Soon if you start flying over Chine, it starts to become much more crowded! More houses, villages, routs and trains etc. Oeps!! Some turbulence, bounced the plane again, my laptop shaking again. Funny typing to you all, while I fly 940km an hour at (cant see the display now, because the movie is playing) about 39000ft. When I look out the window, I can see a really bright milky way and al surrounding stars, and even one falling star.
My eye lashes’ start dropping down ……… time to try and sleep some more.

This morning the sun did rise out off the US, lol. Just 2 hours before arriving in Brisbane. Now all the thinks went really fast in Brisbane. When we arrived, every one was standing and waiting to get out the plane. And then our names (my location-producer / and me) where called out in the plane. We had to report immediately and have been pulled out the airplane, and now we had a private Korean Air man, who guided us immediately to our next plane.
Welcome in Australia; waiting for our suitcases, then true customs. Having a very long talk to get in to the country, because we where just there on a business visa. There we met some Australian colleagues, who where almost filming us, for a reality series on (Australian) Channel 7, about the airport customs. We made it true, and walked in to Australia, hurrying for the domestic transfer desk to very quickly check in to our Brisbane-Darwin flight. By now we where flying for more then 22 hours. And still needed to go on a 4,5 hour flight.
So we speeded to the train station to go one stop to the domestic flight terminals. Checked in to the Qantas 767-300 flight to Darwin, witch was completely full. Jesse and me where sitting in different seats, so this gave me to opportunity to talk to the passenger next tome. The first real Australian man in his own country, I spoke to. I just had to get used to it for a bit, but I had a great talk about all kind off thinks. He had Dutch parents, but was born and raised in Australia. He actually was able to speak a few words. We talked about the Aboriginals, the dangerous animals, the outback and his job and mine. He was just going to his work, from Brisbane to Darwin, to work in the mines for 2 weeks. This flight I was staring a lot out the window, because now it was daylight an a clear sky. I could see Australian country side all a long. Beautiful colours below me. Flying 850km per hour at an altitude off 36.000ft. We made a very nice landing at Darwin, where my travelling companion (without me knowing), arranged that I was able to sit in the cockpit and shake hand with the Cap. and the Co.

When I got out off the plane, there was a tremendous heat. The tropics …… in winter time.
There we met with my local producer, Dixi Joy a very large woman. We left to the parking lot, where I stepped in the wrong side of Dixi’s car. Still today, after half a week, I still have to be careful crossing the road. I felt really strange and floated true the city next to Dixi, who drove us to the NAB on my request. (National Australian Bank) Because it was Friday afternoon, we could quickly do some useful thinks. Since we where travelling for about 3 and a half day now, and I hardly slept at all and my companion slept almost continuously. But he is used to fly a lot, he has been working in 24 for different country’s in the last 2 years. So he is more the one with the international experience and I am the one with the longest (wide spread film/tv) experience.

After we went to the hotel and checked in to the Golf Links Hotel (did not ring a bell before)
I realized we are sleeping on the edge off a Golf Course in the middle off Darwin, lol.
The Hotel is way to much money for a shabby Hotel (about 110 Aus$). Then we went for a fresh up and changed in some new close. Finally I could get my own outback hat out of my suitcase and where it in the right country.
So I went to try and buy mobile phones (local prepaid) while Dixi and Jesse went to the car-rental service to try and get a car. Then I went to the internet café to get in touch with the office. After that I had my first meeting with the Para-jump organizer, because on the first shooting day, we will start with a Para-Jump. (just like in the previous American Out Back Jack series). In the mean time we had our first problem, we could not get cars, because we needed a credit card. And that’s what we did not bring. While one off my bosses has been here Australia a couple off weeks before us, he did not brief us on this. I even have been asking in the office in Holland foe a company card, but ….. negative. (The office can help with a credit card on a distance as well but fore some things you just need it live at the location. So while we had a meeting with the parachute guy, we made calls with Holland, before everyone would go in to the weekend. It was about 19:00 hour at our place, and the office in Holland could still do a lot this Friday afternoon. (7,5 hour different) After that, we finally had some dinner and just had to wait with cars till the next week. Luckily Darwin is a reasonable small city, lots off different cultures go hand in hand. My first impression off Australian people very nice. It’s a strange mix off humans living together in the most Northern and tropical city off Australia. This first night, the news story’s I read in the Netherland-newspapers seem to be true. Two fighting (drunk) Aboriginal people started fighting strait in front off our table. We sit outside all the time, because off the really cold winter temperatures. (not) I talked through all the details about the jump day, planes, where from, how long, what is quicker, what do the lady’s have to where, insurance, landing sites, camera equipment etc. And most important of all, costs and billing.
I more or les came to a deal with the Parachute guy and asked (for fun) of there was a chance to (if I could find the time) fix me up with a jump.
Finally we landed in our bed at about 23:00 local time, 3 very long days, with hardly any sleep.

Saturday,

The first morning I woke up at 4:00 and then at 6:30, people have told me that this is normal and its called a jetlag! Luckily I found out that the Golf Course opened at 06:00 in the morning, so this was a nice opportunity to see some wildlife and have straw around the (9hole) Golf Course. It’s a reasonable large Golf Course, I never had played a hole from about 500 meters before. Hopefully I would finish on time, because I had my first appointment at 08:30. It was really a fantastic morning (like I later found out, all mornings and days are), and everywhere I saw new things. From the smallest details to the biggest. Like Birds, its just incredible and the trees and plants……. Its all what you never have seen before, witch makes this a really strange experiment. And that while playing a ball. That morning was for me, like I was playing Golf in a open Zoo. I could also feel that the sun is a lot stronger here while shining on my head, glad I brought my own Indy hat. And yes, off course my ball was once very close to the water edge and I was really afraid to come close (to any) water side. I was so brain washed by all the books and things I have been reading before, because I suppose to know all these thinks. I was also surprised that most people in Darwin walked on light “slippers” (I do not know the English name, here they call them “thumps” I believe. I have to make sure my whole crew will be back in the Netherlands in good health and on 2 legs. Lol
I have been wondering and playing and made some picture here and there. I have now zoom lens, witch is a bit frustrating, if I want to make pictures off some birds I really have to come close, but they want let me.
I finished just to late and was back at the hotel at 08:40.
The whole morning we have been sitting together, Jesse my location producer and Dixi, my local producer, to talk things true and make plans and I calculated all the salary I have for all the local staff I have to hire.(and see where I can save some money) etc. While doing that Trevor (parachute guy) called Dixi, to tell here I could make a freefall (twin) jump coming Monday…………………..! Yahoooooooo! Its going to cost me $350,- and I get to see the whole off Darwin from above etc.
That day I felt horrible, floating in my head, like I smoked 10 joints the night before, you have bright moments and sleepy moments. (jetlag)
In the afternoon we have been writing lots off mails to the office in Holland and I bought some office stuff. I am the one who always carry’s the bag with my whole mobile office and money etc., I am inseparable from this bag. :o( Its very heavy, I probably have a very big left shoulder when I return ;o )
The universal card reader, I use for loading pictures (for locations and the web log etc) is broken. Now I have to buy a new one, cold not load pictures in my pc anymore.(squeezed in the heavy bag) That night I have been calculating again (that’s my job now), to sent a first request to Holland for a money transfer, other wise we have now money next week. And we have to do a lot off shopping’s. lol The only thing witch is a real neck, is internet, I was hoping my hotel could provide it (wireless) but that seems to be all very complicated. The internet café is not really an option, because I have a very big bag and need some space to work, and in the internet café its always very busy (crowded, because here its also holiday time, there are masses backpackers and other tourist from the (cold) south. In an emergency its still a good option, but what we do is the well known laptop wireless walk, witch is still one off the best options. There are lots off people who have a unsecured (wireless) network, so we just prepare all the mail and than we go and make a walk till we have a good connection. What’s less pleasant from this option is that the battery will finish (max about 30 to 60 minutes), and some times it takes a long time to load-up pictures, if possible at all. And (we work with a Kanakna server) we also have to read all the new mails coming in and download the pfd’s and technical lists etc. That’s why I have not have the time to load up anything on to the web-log at all. This would be the last night we could have some fun and sleep a bit longer. So when we stopped working (about 21:00 hours) Jesse and me went for a couple of beers in Darwin centre. Darwin is a very nice town, with lots of young people and nice bars and dancing’s. Its not a big town but just big enough, bars are open till about 02:00 and then all the people go to the biggest dancing place in town, witch will be open till 04:00. It was a very big dancing and you could compare it to the Escape in Amsterdam, it could easily fit a 1000 to 1200 people a night. The regular music of these days and a great light show with dancing girls on either side of the podium and a DJ in between them, beating up the people. A big laser show and some sky-boxes on the side, this was the biggest farmers and fisherman dancing I ever been. We left about 02:30 and when I returned to my hotel room there was a very big cockroach walking on my bed. Immediately I thought, “aaa! I am in the tropics”, not amazed at all I went on a short successful hunt before I went to sleep.
(you better see the cockroach as the local home Beatle)

Sunday

Meet at 11:00, starting the usual shit, office work, arranging locals, drivers, transport sheets and lots more. Went to a huge supermarket to buy a new card reader and some local phones and we have been working most of the time in the office. We made the house of the local producer (Dixi) to a production office (sort of), working till far after the sun went down, you have to remember I am in winter time here and the sun rises about 06:40 and go’s and sets around 19:00 hours. I made an appointment with a local friend off Dixi to play an urly game off Golf, because the guy had to work at 08:00.

Monday

06:30, standing outside waiting for the friend off Dixi to play a game (I must be crazy, but that’s no news to most off you. Nothing …. Walked out to the Golf Club, to see off he was there, he said he was one off the best players from that club. But that morning he could not show me …… “he slept in, he said on the phone” , meaning in Australia, he over slept.
So after waiting for about 45 minutes, I decided to play my own game (again), this time I played very nice, good score (for myself), the total length of the course is about 2250meters, so it was a very nice morning walk again, while playing the ball. After that we went to our second office, witch is usually a nice bar with a lovely breakfast and good coffee and a wireless internet connection, called “Roma Bar”. After working there for about 2.5 hours with the 3 of us, I went to the bank, to arrange (lots) off money. I am putting up an act, and play a son of a very rich daddy, who is organising a huge family party in Australia. Cause if I would have opened a normal business account we would have to pay a pot off Australian tax. So now I have a cousin who’s name is Dixi and the people at the bank already greet my with my first name.
In my (long) lunch-brake ;o) a went to the airport and stepped in to a little plane (Skyhawk VH-KAY) after some instructions and went up in the sky. Looking for crocks (salty’s = saltwater Crocodiles) out the windows, witch I still could not spot and still did not met. But since I am here only a couple off day’s and still have not been to the wild, my day will come.
I was sitting folded up in the back off this small aircraft, while talking to Travor (witch is the organizer off the para-jumps for the shoot), we went true the whole sequence again. What would be the best and the best time off the day and how long would it take, also one off the Skymasters (parachute tandem jumpers) Ashley (witch was a guy), then I had to hook-up with Ash, and jumped from the plane. It was really fantastic, I was not afraid at all, not for a single second. The freefall is something I recommend to anybody who would ever has a wish to it. Maybe, where ever you do it, its not so cheap, but worth while for sure. Its going very fast, and you will fall down with about 200km an hour, you skin (on your face) will be flap paring in the wind. (I have a DVD from it) witch Ash. Has been filming on the way down. Travor was flying (oeps sorry, falling) in front and around me. I enjoyed looking around, while falling and at 4000ft Ash. Pulled ! The tremendous force off breaking was very strong but al went really nicely , we made a perfect landing on the beach north off Darwin. (again I did not see any Crocks) .
After that, we drove back to Darwin (being picked up), and did work till late in Dixi house.
See at www.topendtandems.com.Au. (its now very late again on Tuesday night, I continue writing soon)

Tuesday

Today, there is not much to tell, we went to our Roma-Bar / office, and had the first mails in, on witch we started action. Had some nice breakfast and coffee’s. After that I went with Dixi to some generator-rental company, and talked with a Australian cameraman about where to get witch equipment and what to expect filming in the bush.

2007-07-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

DEPARTURE

2007-07-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

Here will be my working and travel report off my DOWN UNDER trip! I will try to keep it updated as much as possible, because I do not know how much time I will have to do this and what my internet connections will be in the Australian Outback. I also have to get used to this (blogger) online web program and find out on the way. I will write in English and Dutch, because I have wide spread friends ....... :o)

And first off all I want to wish all the best to my dear friend Frode from Norway, who will start cycling this month from the east-coast of the USA to the West coast of the USA.
His blogger-link = http://lootsarmy.blogspot.com/ (this will be in Norwegian)

Departing on 11 July 2007 I will fly from Amsterdam via London and then to Seoul and after that to Sydney then via Darwin to Kurunurra. It will take me 3 days and 4 flights. There we, (me and the location-manager) will start preparing for 3 weeks before the rest off the film-crew will arrive. I will be the production-manager on location (for a reality program) and will be responsible for about all kind off things to be arranged and payed for. www.kanakna.com

Meer volgt ....... more follows ......