Fiji

          

Wow, what a fun couple of weeks!! A lot has happened in the past 2 weeks, and that is mainly the reason why I haven't had the time to update my blog!

Okay, 1st up, Fiji. I got spend a fantastic 4 days in Fiji courtesy of Panasonic Lumix and it was truly AWESOME!!! Day 1 and day 4 were mainly spent travelling but day 2 and 3 were picture perfect action packed days! 

Day 2 consisted of travelling the Islands around Mana Island (Where we stayed) on a boat / yacht called the SeaSpray. The crew on board provided all the food and drinks needed for the day as well as some on board entertainment. We got the chance to snorkel just of a sandbar around some fabulous reefs in crystal clear blue water! 

After that 1st stop, we headed over to Monuriki Island (Which is the island that Tom Hanks shot the movie Cast Away on) and got lunch served on the boat. When we arrived at the Island we got a chance to snorkel the reefs surrounding the island as well as explore the island itself. One of the organisers had also taken the opportunity to make our very own "Wilson" to play with!

That night we were treated to a traditional Fijian Fire Walking show, and then entertained by Polynesian Dancers. It’s safe to say I was very tired at the end of that day!

The 2^nd full day we got to spend on Mana Island was lined with activities without much room for movement! 1^st up 2 out of the 4 groups (including us) got to snorkel the reefs off Mana Island. We headed out about 50 metres offshore to where the reef drops off and then swam up the reef for a about 100 meters or so and it provided some fantastic photo opportunities’! 

After that we were supposed to head out to the airstrip for our helicopter ride, but the helicopters were running a little behind schedule. This was because there is only 1 Helicopter Company in Fiji that only has 3 helicopters, and one was in the shop under maintenance. So there was only 1 helicopter doing the flights (takes 6 people at a time, there were 60 of us!) as the other was on an emergency call out. So instead of heading straight to the chopper, we got to take the Jet Ski’s out early. So after a 1 hour Island hop in the Jet Ski’s over the beautiful blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, I was totally sold on these awesome machines! So after back on dry land, we eventually got our Chopper ride in. Some of the photos that I got were amazing!

The only downer on this day was where we returned from the chopper ride to go parasailing, we were informed that the parasailing boat had broken down. This was kind of annoying because the other 3 groups that got to go before us all got to do it. Anyway, we were then informed that instead we could have the choice at going back out on the Jet Ski’s and I think everyone was pretty happy with that option! (I know I certainly was!)

So that night we were treated to a 4-course dinner at a very nice restaurant on the south beach of Mana Island. This was also tied in with the official Lumix Academy presentation where Ken Duncan had judged the best pic’s of the trip and decided on the top 4 for some Lumix prizes! I didn’t win any prizes but I did get 3 of my photo’s ‘highly commended’ which was a big boost considering that Ken was doing the judging!

So the final day was basically travel, a total of 14 hours by the time I was at home in bed and snoring my little head off (About midnight Friday) I was not very alert when going to work at 9am Saturday mooring!

So that was Fiji, feel free to head over to my facebook page to check out some pic’s that I took!

TTFN

Everything goes so fast!

This week has been all about Fiji. For those of you not in the know, i recently participated in a competition from Panasonic by which they are sending the top 50 camera sales people between a 3 month period from around Australia for an all expenses paid 4 day trip to Fiji.

 

Both myself and Gage from work participated in this promotion but by the end of it, I finished 74th and Gage finished 62nd. It was extreemly supprising to there receive an email from Panasonic saying "You just missed out on a spot in the top 50, but we'd like to invite you along to Fiji anyway". I was estatic to say the least, jumping around like a... i dunno, like a kangaroo i guess?? Either way, this all happened around the end of July, and the trip dates are the 13th September to the 17th September.

Gage and myself hadn't herd much about it after the innitial email and we were starting to get a bit edgy with the trip pulling nearer. But on tuesday morning, when the postie FINALLY came, he dropped my Itinerary in the mailbox. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face when reading through it. I get a stay-over night in Sydney on monday, staying at the Mercure Hotel, then off to Fiji with (i'm assuming) about 50 other winners.

The trip is all expenses paid and involves a bunch of activities such as Jet Skiing, going on a Helicopter Charter, Parasailing, Snorkeling and numerous photo shoot's with Ken Duncan (Panasonic ambassador). I think it safe to say i will have plenty of awesome shot's to blog about the week after next!

So now i am busily trying to get ready for the trip. buying all the things i think i will need for the 5 days away! I am taking the opportunity on Monday night to meet up with some fellow Sydney-siders for a drink or too as it will be an early morning for me Tuesday!

So aside from Fiji, i did want to mention a car accident that happened just up the road from our house on Wednesday afternoon. Turns out it was a result of a 'domestic' but when you got 2 cars wedged up against the pole of a bridge supporting a motorway and they are almost vertical, it's defiantly worth a mention. This pic better explains how the cars were, I'm still yet to figure out exactly how it happened!!!

(This pic is Copyright from The Sunshine Coast Daily).

And that's about all from me today!!

TTFN


L4LFC

madness!

Wow, I never really realised how much time flies when you get busy! Haven't posted for a while simply because I haven't had the time!

So, what's new? Well, for starter's, on Thursday night's 2 times a month i play tennis at Bli Bli tennis club in an in-house competition. I am proud to announce that last Thursday i won my very 1st 8-0 set (Games are played best of 8, not a traditional set 1st to 6). Then proceeded to get beaten 2-6 in the very next set, am still pretty proud of my acheviement though!

On Friday i met up with a Girl i went to uni with about 4 years ago, Katrina. I haven't seen her for about 2 & 1/2 years, so I was really good to catch up with her and talk about all the good old days! It's funny how that times flies so fast, I didn't think it had been that long!

Saturday was an interesting one. Work 9-5 (don't usually do a full day shift!) and then there was Drinks down at the Pig'n'Whistle for our Manager Tony, who after something like 16 years with the company, is leaving us and finishes on Thursday. I would have expected more then about the 10 or so people that arrived, (unless more showed up after i left) but like they say, it's not the quantity, it's the quality! Turned out to be pretty good, got to talk to the top managers alot about the new registers that launch in store on the 30th of September! Can't wait considering the ones we are using have been around for about 25 years!!!

So, I had every intention of heading home to hit the ZzzzZZzz's early on Saturday night, left the work thingy about 7pm. Lea had informed me that she had just left her parents house about the same time (she was there for her family's father's day do) and said she was bringing food home, i'm like Sweet! (Hadn't eaten since midday). So, she gets home about 7:45pm and I literally grab the bag out of her hands and got stuck in, meanwhile she gets a phone call, nothing i thought much about.

So here I am, 1/2 way through my dinner and she walks back inside with a pair of keys, i'm looking at them thinking, these are not our keys. Turns out, they are the keys to her sister's car, which is at her mum's house (Woodford) and her sister keep's the spare key in the glove box... (not such a bright idea Bec!). So, Bec, needing the keys to get her troop home, Sent her Husband Lawrie to come and collect them, and Lea, feeling bad said we would meet them 1/2 way. She's like "come with me" and i'm still trying to eat my dinner and said "how 'bout you come with me on the bike?" (thinking she'd say no) and she's like "yeah alright" and i was like "sweet!" The night air was just the perfect temp and there wasn't any rain around, so I got dinner and a great ride as well!

So now it's Sunday morning and i am about to start getting ready for work. The weather today is not looking Kind so i'm thinking that I might catch the bus to work today and get Lea to pick me up instead of getting Bugsy all wet!

And that's the extent of my activites for the last few days, haven't really had a chance to get any good Photo's in recently so until next time!

TTFN


L4LFC

This is gonna be a Nailbitter!

I've been thinking about this for a while now. Anyone that know's me know's that I do not have any fingernails, bite them too much (thanx dad!). So i though for the month of september I would TRY and not bite/pick/cut them what so ever to see how i go.

I have a feeling that this will be a hard task as most of the time i don't even realise that I am doing it. I will be supporting this with photo evidence of a before / after scenerio.

So, on that note, let the NON nailbitting begin!!

TTFN


L4LFC