A night of Extreme Adventure at The Opera House

Wow, what an inspiring event this was!  Bryan Smith, one of the world's leading film makes of extreme adventure for National Geographic did a riveting presentation on his 10 year career.

Highlights:

• Sharing this amazing evening with Elizabeth, Gavin, Michelle, Srini and Zante.
• The beautiful montage of nature shots at the beginning (wow, we sure live on a wondrous planet).
• Bryan's fascinating stories; such an accomplished and entertaining speaker.
• The three types of "fun."
• How much he's achieved in just 10 years. Amazing what passion can do.
• Exquisite shots of kayaks going over waterfalls done with moving cameras on wires so you could get a real sense of how the kayaker felt. 
• An account of expeditions down uncharted Russian rivers, teaming with salmon and bears.
• An amazing scene of a volcano erupting behind them.
• Getting an appreciation of the logistics involved in adventure expeditions and the tricks needed to get planes to accept their luggage.
• Watching the legendary Dean Potter tight rope between two huge granite pillars with the enormous moon rising up behind him (absolutely sublime, see the video below.)
• Watching how the crew created an enormous ramp at the top of a high mountain so Dean Potter could leap off.
• Seeing how extreme climbing is filmed behind the scenes.
• Bryan's compelling message: "Push the envelope, be adventurous, do things where there is an unknown outcome.  At the very least, turn left where you usually go right and explore something new."

Coral, Fire and Ice at the Opera House

I went to the Opera House to see a presentation by National Geographic underwater photographer, David Doubilet.  His work was absolutely sublime.  So nice to share this with some lovely friends: Brendan, Eva and Ella, Chris, Chrisèl, Lauren and Sue.  A wonderful and inspiring afternoon...

   

... followed by a lovely and fun walk at dusk in The Botanical Gardens with Chrisèl ...

... and finished off with indescribably good Belgian Waffles and iced dark chocolate at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe.   The closest I've come to heaven in quite a while!

David Doubilet at The Opera House

I went to a presentation at The Opera House by National Geographic photographer, David Doubilet.  He's one of the world's greatest underwater photographers and his work is absolutely sublime.  I particularly loved his photos taken half under the water and half above the water.

With me at the presentation were Brendan, Eva, Ella, Chris, Chrisèl, Lauren and Sue.  A wonderful afternoon.  Photos here.

Here are some of my favourite photos that David and his wife (also a photographer) have taken.

Mattias Klum at the Opera House

Wow, what an amazing day.  For my birthday, Dani treated me to a presentation by Mattias Klum - a renowned National Geographic Photographer.  His images were absolutely sublime - including extraordinary close ups of Asiatic Lions, a 5 metre long King Cobra inches from his face, soul seering portraits of Orangutans, birds of paradise, meerkats and a Kinkajou  - the cutest nocturnal critter you've ever seen that lives only in the high canopies of the Amazon.  

To get his photos, Mattias has climbed 50 meter tall trees using only vines with 30 kg of lenses on his back, dangled from a rope attached to a hot air balloon over the Borneo rainforest and spent months getting meerkats so used to him that they perched on his camera lens.  

Not only were his photos incredible, but he was also the most entertaining, inspiring and humorous presenter imaginable.  He kept us all mesmerised.  

And it gets even better!  It all took place in the Opera House which I've seen and photographed from the outside countless times but never actually entered before.  Attending an Opera House gig has been on my bucket list ever since I came to Sydney.  So all in all, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my Sunday afternoon.  Unforgettable.

All dressed up

Inside the Opera House

... and scenes from outside