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.
