Plans for Christmas?

Nesti (Mark) · #1 02-11-2009, 06:34 PM

Well it's near the silly season and once again it's time to relax and unwind (for some of us at least).

What are your plans for the Christmas break?

I'm off to Thailand...again...Thai Green Curry and Heineken heaven.

BTW. For Thai food addicts visiting Bangkok in the future; world's best Thai Green Curry is at S&P diner just to the right of the main entrance of Pantip Plaza.

renormalised (Carl) · #2 02-11-2009, 06:46 PM

Nothing at present...probably just another quiet one

Nesti (Mark) · #3 02-11-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

Nothing at present...probably just another quiet one

I lived in Townsville for 4 years..."quiet one", no such animal!

Octane (Humayun) · #4 02-11-2009, 06:50 PM

Yeah, same.

Saving all my leave for a month-long photographic expedition next year.

Destinations are either, Banff, Yosemite/Yellowstone, or Fiordland.

At the moment it's looking like New Zealand again.

Regards,
Humayun

Nesti (Mark) · #5 02-11-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

Yeah, same.

Saving all my leave for a month-long photographic expedition next year.

Destinations are either, Banff, Yosemite/Yellowstone, or Fiordland.

At the moment it's looking like New Zealand again.

Regards,
Humayun

You seen Scotland during winter? There are no words to describe it.

renormalised (Carl) · #6 02-11-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

Yeah, same.

Saving all my leave for a month-long photographic expedition next year.

Destinations are either, Banff, Yosemite/Yellowstone, or Fiordland.

At the moment it's looking like New Zealand again.

Regards,
Humayun

Gotta be Yosemite/Yellowstone!!!!

That would be fantastic, especially just as winter ends and spring begins

matt · #7 02-11-2009, 07:01 PM

Yeah.

Have got Xmas/New Year off.

We've got no major plans. Similarly to H, I'm saving up annual leave for a big trip OS later in 2010.

And we too are looking at Yosemite and Yellowstone as part of an overall 6-week US odyssey which will include the Grand Canyon and Napa Valley, Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and the New England region. We'll probably be travelling in Oct/Nov, to catch the 'fall'.

Nesti (Mark) · #8 02-11-2009, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

Gotta be Yosemite/Yellowstone!!!!

That would be fantastic, especially just as winter ends and spring begins

Where's your dream spot Carl...Orocopia Mountains perhaps...some geo sightseeing?!

Nesti (Mark) · #9 02-11-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt

Yeah.

Have got Xmas/New Year off.

We've got no major plans. Similarly to H, I'm saving up annual leave for a big trip OS later in 2010.

And we too are looking at Yosemite and Yellowstone as part of an overall 6-week US odyssey which will include the Grand Canyon and Napa Valley, Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and the New England region.

Geez, if the exchange rate keep climbing you'll be having a nice trip.

Octane (Humayun) · #10 02-11-2009, 07:09 PM

Mark,

Scotland is another place I would dearly love to go to.

I might add it to the list and start researching.

Thanks.

Regards,
Humayun

lacad01 (Adam) · #11 02-11-2009, 07:11 PM

Spending time with family then a week in Kosciusco Nat Park

Nesti (Mark) · #12 02-11-2009, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

Mark,

Scotland is another place I would dearly love to go to.

I might add it to the list and start researching.

Thanks.

Regards,
Humayun

The place is one-of-a-kind. The first night I arrived I stayed in Fort William. I drove up to a little water fall at the base of Ben Nevis. The snow was radiating a visible blue light. It was so bright that I didn't need my headlights on to drive; so I drove in the dark...in the blue actually. The light snow fall was also blue, so it was really weird seeing these blueish snowflakes falling.

I'm sure that you could get it on film...you know, 1600ISA and 10-30sec exposure.

Oh yeah, that reminds me. One morning I went to this small creek. There was a thick layer of ice across it...when I looked closer, it was dripping! What the?! The water underneath has sunk through the sand leaving only a layer of ice, 1-2m above the sand, and you could walk across it. It stretched for a couple of hunded meters and anywhere from 1-10m wide.

renormalised (Carl) · #13 02-11-2009, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nesti

Where's your dream spot Carl...Orocopia Mountains perhaps...some geo sightseeing?!

Anywhere in that area....geo sightseeing for sure and hopefully a bit of a chat with the local rock doctors

Want to do a bit of skulking around the Montana and the Alberta badlands to look for some dinos as well

Maybe one day

Octane (Humayun) · #14 02-11-2009, 07:30 PM

Mark,

Landscape photography is one of my passions. I'm not sure if you've seen my posts in the terrestrial photography forum.

I've always wanted to image the castles at sunrise/sunset.

The things you're describing sound surreal.

Regards,
Humayun

Nesti (Mark) · #15 02-11-2009, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

Anywhere in that area....geo sightseeing for sure and hopefully a bit of a chat with the local rock doctors

Want to do a bit of skulking around the Montana and the Alberta badlands to look for some dinos as well

Maybe one day

Yeah, that would be cool. I would like to scout around the Messel Pit myself.

renormalised (Carl) · #16 02-11-2009, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nesti

Yeah, that would be cool. I would like to scout around the Messel Pit myself.

That would be an interesting spot, the Eocene in that part of the world was quite some place

renormalised (Carl) · #17 02-11-2009, 07:41 PM

Another thing I wouldn't mind doing is to get over to the UK and Europe to chase down some family history stuff. Go visit a few family relics and places

Go visit a few dead rellies

Pay some respects

Nesti (Mark) · #18 02-11-2009, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

Mark,

Landscape photography is one of my passions. I'm not sure if you've seen my posts in the terrestrial photography forum.

I've always wanted to image the castles at sunrise/sunset.

The things you're describing sound surreal.

Regards,
Humayun

Nope, haven't seen them as yet. Will look now tho.

If that's your poison, that's your place. Surreal is the word.

In that Cairngorm Mountains they have these automated weather huts which open up every now and then. One of them had fence posts and wire around it. The ice forms sheets from the wind turbulence. The wires looked like helicopter blades...so weird!

I was climbing Ben Nevis with a group German climbers looking for other climbers caught out over night. The surface of the snow was about chest height. It couldn't support my weight so you have to chop your ice axe like a machete in the jungle, and push your way through (exhausting work). A Jaguar and Tornado fighter jet rolled over the top of me inverted at about 200ft...scared the %#$*& out of me! I could see inside the cockpit (a flash).

The cornices (ice overhang) over the top of the cliffs were about 10-20m. Climbers were digging up, to reach the surface...insane!

You just can't experience things like that in too many places...photography in that environment would be difficult.

You wanna take shots like this, right???
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/...5f697318c9.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/...cb3c650870.jpg

Darth Wader (Wade) · #19 02-11-2009, 08:04 PM

I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks off, my daughter's first Christmas, my wife's awesome roast pork (mmm crackling!) and consuming decent amounts of beer. Also a few yard projects I haven't had time for!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nesti

I'm off to Thailand...again...Thai Green Curry and Heineken heaven.

Me = extremely jealous! Thailand is awesome.

Octane (Humayun) · #20 02-11-2009, 08:06 PM

Mark,

Better than those, if I can.

It really does sound like another world from your descriptions. I've added it to my short list. I have to research when to go and where do I want to concentrate my efforts.

Regards,
Humayun