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October 2002 Timeline: November 2002 December 2002

Political Costume No. 1
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		The first in a long line of....
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		Scary looking people
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		Girls who dig girls, dress like boys....
Hollywood, 1 November 2002
No idea what this means, though....
...men dressing up as Anna Nicole Smith... There must have been a dozen around of them....
 ...is this a costume or do they always look that psycho?
 Neat moustache. Fits nicely with the breasts.... The dude on the left is impressed....
Dr. Death checks his pager
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		Political Costume No. 2
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		Motorbikes
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		Celebrity Sighting on Sunset
Hollywood, 1 November 2002
...maybe some emergency....
The Axes of Evil! Get it? Hahahaha!
 Actually, guys dressing like girls dressing like motorbikes.... Very impressive design... So much work....
 We passed Barfly and the Playboy Stretched Limo came by, out came the seven girlfriends and then slowly behind followed Hugh Hefner, their financier. Kinda pathetic, really. None of the girls waited for him. So much love behind all this.
Best way to attract Chicks in LA
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		If I had a wish....
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		At the Red Rock
Hollywood, 1 November 2002 		Hollywood under Booze
Hollywood, 1 November 2002
Hire a stretched Limo, put on an Afro so big you can't see anything and get drunk...
...it probably would have something to do with twins dressed up as bunnies...
 Girl on the left saw me playing with my camera and took me by the hand and said 'I'll show you something to take a photo of'.... I ended up being all nervous like a 13 year old... But it was just her and her friends....
 This guy kept running and jumping into the grass and then stayed lying there for 30 seconds, then got up again and repeated the whole trick....
Daddy's Lounge
Hollywood, 9 November 2002 		Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, 10 November 2002 		Surfer No.1
Huntington Beach, 10 November 2002 		Veteran's Day
Huntington Beach, 10 November 2002
Joe and myself went to Daddy's Lounge... After these two we hung out with some Scottish people and then we made the mistake to head out to Club Ledge. Says Joe 'Now that I found a place where I can drink after 2am, I really regret finding a place where I can drink after 2am'...
The kites up high are not kites for kiddies, but for Kite surfers... Blazing speed across the waters....
 As seen from the Pier....
 Flags everywhere....
Surfer No. 2
Huntington Beach, 10 November 2002 		Great Picture
Huntington Beach, 10 November 2002 		Hello again, Sydney!
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Sydney Harbour
Sydney, 17 November 2002
Quite amazing skills....
I am proud of this photo....
 After a long flight, I arrived for TVA in Sydney at 7am... I grabbed my cameras and rushed out to see the amazing Harbour Bridge and the Opera House again.... and again... and again....
 Kayaks, Sailing yachts and massive tankers....
Cruising the Bay
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Room with a view
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Bridge Climbers
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Jacaranda Trees
Sydney, 17 November 2002
I still had to wait a few more hours for my hotel room to be ready, so I took a cruise across the Sydney Harbour....
My room was ready... Again after I had been here in May 2001, I was staying in the ANA Harbour hotel, where the conference also took place... This was the view from the window... Wow! I love Sydney! I had to squeeze myself into the window which is why I look like a hobbit in this photo....
 ...walking back down on the bridge....
 Jacaranda trees - the same ones that are all over South Africa.... I had tried to rest in my room, but I was too hyped up and eager to see more of Sydney in the sunshine....
Polarized Opera House
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Stairs in front of the Opera House
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Bar inside the Opera House
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Indian Music Video
Sydney, 17 November 2002
Deep Blue sky....
Click, click, click, click.... Photos, photos, photos...
 ...and looking out at the Harbour Bridge...
 Down at the Opera House in front of the Harbour Bridge a group of Indians were making a music video.... all dressed up in gorgeous, individually colored Saris...
Indian Music Video Continued
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Girls in Saris
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Luna Park
Sydney, 17 November 2002 		Stripes
Sydney, 18 November 2002
...while three white girls in dull colored clothes were staring at them from above...
I wonder if they are famous in India....
 Luna Park was given by the city of Sydney as a present to its people after they had to endure construction noise and hassle during the construction of the Harbour Bridge. Ironically, because of its own noise, Luna Park is now a ghost park and shut down....
 One day later... Dinner at the Circular Quay.... Had the most amazing starter - Raw Red Snapper with Granny Smith apple and chili sauce... Then some more photos... here a boat crossed into my shot....
Park Hyatt
Sydney, 18 November 2002 		Couple in front of the Harbour Bridge
Sydney, 18 November 2002 		Sydney Skyline at Night
Sydney, 18 November 2002 		Circular Quay
Sydney, 18 November 2002
Under the bridge....
Nice of people to stay so still....
 As seen from the Opera House....
 The girl sat still for 4 seconds....
The mother of all Bridge Photos
Sydney, 19 November 2002 		All things Sydney
Sydney, 19 November 2002 		Sydney Reflected
Sydney, 19 November 2002 		Sunrise over Circular Quay
Sydney, 21 November 2002
Makes my 2002 Top Ten....
Opera House, Harbour Bridge and its Flag...
Amazing Colors....
 How many more photos of the Opera House can you take?
Kangaroo
Sydney, 21 November 2002 		Koala in the trees
Sydney, 22 November 2002 		Koala up close
Sydney, 22 November 2002 		Koala Couple
Sydney, 22 November 2002
Was actually really quite nice....
The next day I took a tour to the Blue Mountains that also made a sidestop at an Australian animal park....
Very cute creatures.... Peaceful... Or stoned? Apparently eating Eucalyptus all day does that to you....
 Hugging in the tree....
Time for my close-up
Sydney, 22 November 2002 		The beauty.....
Sydney, 22 November 2002 		And the beast...
Sydney, 22 November 2002 		You're so vain....
Sydney, 22 November 2002
I really like this photo... It kinda reminds me of Jennifer Lopez at some awards show...
...click to the next photo....
 No wonder we eat the turkeys and not the peacocks...
 ...but kinda rightfully so....
Amazing Colors....
Sydney, 22 November 2002 		Ozzie fauna and flora
Blue Mountains, 22 November 2002 		Our Tour Guide
Blue Mountains, 22 November 2002 		I won't let you die in vain!
Blue Mountains, 22 November 2002
...must-have-new-pet....
Or guide explained it to us all....
 Slightly obnoxious, but once he stopped singing about and praising the US, he was quite okay....
 Cicadas grow underground for eight years, then they come out to play for five days, mate and die.... The noise they made in Oz was deafening... Louder than an airport... All screaming for attention and for sex until the party is over.... This one was silent, on the ground, it's time was over... So all I could do is photograph it and put it on this webpage...
Australia's Grand Canyon
Blue Mountains, 22 November 2002 		Haze....
Blue Mountains, 22 November 2002 		Three Sisters
Blue Mountains, 22 November 2002 		Through the Mirror
Blue Mountains, 22 November 2002
That's what this area in the blue mountains is called....
Our tour guide explained to us the background of the blue haze of the Blue Mountains... Unfortunately I wasn't listening.... Here a beacon of the sun shines on some of the trees... The haze in the back is visible....
 Famous Australian rock formation with an old aboriginal story behind it about three sisters that were told by their father to stay behind....
 Shot through the mirror in the back of my room with 100mm and indirect flash.... Too bad that the setup took slightly too long and just seconds before this the sun had made the bridge golden....
Bat Party
Sydney, 22 November 2002 		Fiji Moon
Korotogo , 23 November 2002 		Bright Hot Sun
Korotogo , 24 November 2002 		Diving!
Coral Coast, 25 November 2002
After sunset in Sydney, the fruit bats come out to play.... That particular night they all circled for an hour around the Harbour Bridge... Massive beautiful creatures, shrieking and leaving their trails visible in the photo....
The plane was delayed, so I arrived late at my next location in Fiji. Orginally I had wanted to go to Bali as my holiday, but after the tragedy I decided to go to Fiji and Newzealand. When I arrived at the hotel, there was a noisy and annoying function, people dancing around doing the Tonga with politicians masks.... It was a total horror, I wanted to move out at once... But it was all different the next day....
 ...got me a nice tan.... I lived in one of those little huts....
 In the back our dive master, then from left to right Matt who is travelling around after working for Intel, Olivia and Andy (Honeymooning couple) and in the background Kathy who got a bit sick during our dive....
Big Grin
Coral Coast, 25 November 2002 		Kula Eco Park
Korotogo, 25 November 2002 		Model
Korotogo, 25 November 2002 		More of the Giant Spider
Korotogo, 25 November 2002
Felt great to be underwater again... That day wasn't so nice, but the one afterwards we did a dive through archways accompanied by Barracudas.... Really neat....
A really nicely done park that happened to be right next to the hotel... Most animals had great compounds, apart from the poor bats... This one looks quite amazing through.... And with a shellshocked look on his face....
 In Kula Eco park this spider spun its giant web.... It had several baby spiders around as well....
 With a baby to the left....
Fiji Bitter and a Hammock....
Korotogo , 25 November 2002 		Symmetric Shapes
Korotogo , 25 November 2002 		Dive buddies
Korotogo , 25 November 2002 		Spearfishers
Sigatoka, 26 November 2002
All you need to relax.... after a day of diving and taking pictures of bats and spiders...
I love this photo becayse of the symmetric shapes of the clouds, sky, sea, shore, beach....
 Matt, Olivia and Andy.... Long exposure with flash... Mental Note: Need to learn how to use my flash properly.
This was on the next day... Actually really nice diving.... There were few big fish here at the Coral Coast... The reason is that the locals are spearfishing along the shores and the reefs....
Tavuni Hill Fort
Sigatoka, 26 November 2002 		Executioner's stone
Sigatoka, 26 November 2002 		Tavuni Hill Fort Panorama
Sigatoka, 26 November 2002 		Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park
Sigatoka, 26 November 2002
I took a rental car for a day to also use it to drive me to Denarau island the next day... I drove up north from Sigatoka.... High up the hilltops lies the Tavuni Hill Fort, a former Fijian stronghold....
On this stone, victims were laid down, killed and later transformed into a British ragout. Sometimes I wonder if the cannibal past of Fiji is just a lie to attract more tourists....
 The main river, winding its way through Vitu Levu.
Former troublespot in Fiji has been transformed (someone update the Lonely Planet, please) and now features a really nice walk through a rain forest, past high sand dunes and along the beach....
Preparing the Kava
Korotogo , 26 November 2002 		More Kava ceremony
Korotogo , 26 November 2002 		Fijian Dance
Korotogo , 26 November 2002 		Late Night Drinks
Korotogo , 26 November 2002
Kava is a powderized root that you mix with water. It is an important part of Fijian culture. It has a slight sedating effect, numbing your mouth and lips... When you drink lots of it, it makes the men impotent. Apparently the Fijians can drink up to 50 cups in a row.
Drink and clap and shout out some strange Fijian sentences!
 It was getting late so Jocy and Tony who I met at the Tavuni Hill Fort and myself just headed to the main restaurant where the meal was actually traditional Fijian. Lots of cooked roots, tasting potato-like and fish-stew. Quite nice actually. Then there was a dance and song presentation. It was actually really great. Wonderful harmonies. Really reminded me of the famous song in 'The Thin Red Line', one of my favourite films....
 Anthony and Jocy from Melbourne after the Fijian Culture music presentation. Was a great evening. Until then I had concluded that Fijian culture was belligerent and violent, that instead of the flowers that people wore in their heads which they must have copied off Hawaii, they should wear Bones. But I turned out to be wrong. Those songs had completely changed my mind and made me a bit embarassed about my quick assumptions.
Momi Bay Guns
Nadi, 27 November 2002 		Fiji Noon
Nadi, 27 November 2002 		The Thin Red Line
Nadi, 27 November 2002 		Sunset
Denarau Island, 27 November 2002
The next day I took my rental car up to the Denarau island resort where I was going to stay for another two days. On its way there I visited the Momi bay site... The tourist centre door was shut and loud snoring came from it...
Bluest sea, gentle wind...
Hans Zimmer's music was running in my ears, even though this was obviously not Guadalcanal.
Sunset at the Denarau Sheraton....
Perfect
Denarau Island, 27 November 2002 		More Hammocks
Denarau Island, 27 November 2002 		Denarau Island
Denarau Island, 27 November 2002 		Last N4500 picture
Denarau Island, 27 November 2002
Two days more relaxing in Fiji....
Seems to be a theme...
 Noone on the beach....
 I took the N4500 camera with me into the water to take some sunset photos from sealevel.... Two days later I left the camera on board of an Air New Zealand plane where someone took it....
Sunset Drums
Denarau Island, 28 November 2002 		More sunset drums
Denarau Island, 28 November 2002 		New Zealand!!!
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Heading to the Abyss
Waitomo, 30 November 2002
After a couple of great Scuba dives (I saw a massive stonefish, the size of a microwave oven), I enjoyed relaxing back at the resort... The sun went down while Fijians banged sticks on hollow trees....
...this time with an elegant fill-in flash....
 After a nine hour delay, I got into Auckland at midnight... All my plans were screwed up, but I got up very early next morning and rushed to Waitomo to do the Lost World Abseil....
 All in our gear... after a training run heading out to the abseil into the Lost World Cave....
Click and Jump
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		People Below
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Heading down...
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Heading down...
Waitomo, 30 November 2002
So... you hook onto the rope and then slowly glide down.... Not Ninja style, doing the 120 meters in 3 seconds though....
120 meters below you can see the red helmets of a group that headed down there before us....
 Frida and Sara from Sweden....
 Looking out into the cave... All I thought about was that I should have used either the film camera or just the 17mmx1.7 on the D30.... 28mmx1.7 was still too narrow to show the entire scope and effect of the cave....
Halfway there....
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Danger!
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Alice in Wonderland Characters
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Drop
Waitomo, 30 November 2002
Sadly this picture is a bit out of focus....
Sara got her hair stuck in the abseil device... But no worries, no emergency hair cut is needed... Our guide lifted her up and slowly detangled her hair....
Everyone gets freaked out by the picture on the right as I look like some weird condom-headed cartoon character... But turn the light on and see how it came to be....
 On the top you see the platform where we left... And in the middle you see the group dangling in there after us... The white spots are their boots...
Waitomo Glowworms
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		40 meter ladder hanging over....
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Back out in the Sun!
Waitomo, 30 November 2002 		Sunset at Mount Taranaki
New Plymouth, 30 November 2002
Waitomo is famous for its glowworms. The main cave for the tourists has a gorgeous boatride across a lit sky of glowworms, but unfortunately absolutely no photography is allowed (also the boat is moving).... But, down in the Lost World cave, there were some as well and I put the camera on my lap and held still for several seconds....
The last part of the Waitomo cave is a huge ladder that hangs to its back.... You hang in there and climb it up fast and it turns out to be much longer than you thought initially....
Our group finally out there again, helmets off... Great experience!
 After Waitomo I drove myself to New Plymouth to see Mount Taranaki.... It took me ages to find a nice spot...
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