There are times when you wish a day so special would come - I had that opportunity for that special day last Thursday.... here is what happened!
I booked a Shallow Dolphin Experience at Dolphin Marine Magic in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia back in late February/early March (cost me A$195) - I arrived at Dolphin Marine Magic last Thursday to check in for said Shallow Experience. When I arrived, Paul, the bookings agent who took the prior Shallow Experience booking, said that the bookings staff had some very brilliant news. I walked over to the bookings counter and handed the lady there my waiver form - then she gave me my wristbands. I looked at the wristband on my left wrist - it was only then I was told that my Shallow Experience had been upgraded to the A$370 Ultimate Dolphin Swim.... I had to stand still for a couple of seconds to comprehend what I had been told.... what a interaction it was. Had our pre-encounter briefing session - Paola, the trainer who took us through that, said we were working with Calamity (Bella's mum). I looked at the dolphin who was swimming around behind us and thought to myself, "That isn't Calamity - that's Bella!" and my thoughts were later to become reality when Paola realised it was Bella! I had an absolute ball - my favourite part of the interaction was the foot push where we laid across a body board and Bella pushed us across the pool
Me and Bella - in an up-close hug
Me and Rocky - the trainers got Rocky to smile with me.... I think he outdid me!
Me and Rocky - combined hug/kiss
Me hugging Bucky and Zippy
Kisses from Bucky
Feeding Zippy during the first Marine Magic Presentation
Hand spin with Bella (and the following two photos)
I was very lucky to be able to have a few photos taken of myself and one half of this legendary fundraising duo when I was in Sydney recently. Okay - so this half is a four-legged furbaby (a Stumpy-tailed Blue Heeler) named Bundy.... here are some photos from said experience!
The Uniden iGo CAM 320 is a basic entry level DVR that is ideal if
you're new to owning a DVR. It does miss out on a lot of the features of
the higher end iGO's, such as GPS and speed display in the end video,
but what it lacks at this end, it makes up for in quality. I purchased
mine from Autobarn Dubbo at the recent Orana Caravan, Camping, 4WD, Fish
and Boat Show for $50 - RRP is $90.
How a DVR works: It works on a similar format to a digital handycam (camcorder) but instead of holding it yourself, you use a special mount that is included in the kit when you purchase your DVR. You attach your DVR to this mount, then it attaches to your windscreen using a suction cup. The iGo CAM 320 is powered by a battery that gives you 25 minutes record time before it depletes or can be powered by a power cable that hooks to the unit via your cigarette lighter. I have a specially set-up 12V/120W power outlet in my car that I use to power it - makes it easier with a smoker in the car!
The Silverado in the top post has been sold but Western Plains Automotive now have two Z71's in stock as demos.
2014 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Z71 - Black
Interior of the Z71 - ergonomics are spot on
Z71 tub decal
Silver 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Z71
Custom instrument panel with metric speedometer and odometer
Durmax 6.6 litre V8 Turbo Diesel
Since this truck was built in the USA and is post 2010, the requirement for emissions control for EPA2010 is SCR. This is the filler port for the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF, aka AdBlue in Australia)
All the contact details for importer and dealer are in the earlier post - feel free to read back over that post for their contact details and location
That's right - you have read the title of this post correctly!
Performax International, Australia's leading converter of American cars and trucks, has sold Western Plains Automotive of Dubbo, NSW a very nice Mocha Steel Metallic 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ. For $139990 plus dealer charges, you can drive this home right now!
For further info or to inspect this awesome truck, phone Western Plains Automotive in Dubbo on 68844577, Performax International in Gympie, Queensland on 07 54827833 or Freecall 1800 737367 or visit them at any of the below addresses:
Western Plains Automotive: Yard: 59-75 Victoria Street Dubbo, NSW 2830
Today, I am here to talk about supporting local businesses....I'm not referring to the big end of town, the likes of Caltex, Woolworths, Coles, BP, Shell and United - I'm referring to the little end of town. The Mum and Dad businesses who keep their money local, support other local businesses and employ local people.
One such Mum and Dad business I support is Dubbo-based coach operator, Langley's Coaches. Phil and Fiona Langley provide exceptional customer service, focus on the needs of the customer and create tours to suit the customer demand. Their base service is extended coach touring with a selection of day trips and overnight concert trips thrown in throughout the year. Langley's Coaches is a wonderful supporter of local businesses in Dubbo - they also employ an amazing array of drivers and coach captains all sourced from the local area. From a customer point of view, dealing with Langley's is a breeze - one phone call or email sets the ball rolling - extended coach touring or day trips can be paid for over the months leading up to the trip or can be paid in full at time of booking.
One of Langley's tidy double deck coaches - one of three Denning Landseer Deckers
One of their tidy single deck high-deck coaches - 2007 Scania K470EB 6x2*4
To book on any of the amazing trips that Langley's holds throughout the year, there are three easy ways to get in touch with them:
Phone: 68828977 (02 68828977 outside NSW)
Drop into their office: 5 Depot Road, West Dubbo 2830
Jiling, the latest addition to the Dolphin Marine Magic dolphin family
Back in March, I was very fortunate to visit Dolphin Marine Magic in Coffs Harbour on a repeat trip. It was during this time that I got this photo..... this photo is of Jiling, their gorgeous male Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) calf. He was five months old at the time this photo was taken - he is such an inquisitive dolphin who loves posing!
Readers of this blog may remember a blog entry I did back in 2012 after my first visit to Dolphin Marine Magic in Coffs Harbour (http://tiny.cc/kfr7cx).... this is a follow-up to this entry after my latest visit.
Jet - one of the dolphins you may interact with at Dolphin Marine Magic
I had an opportunity to meet Jet, pictured above, up close during my latest in-water interaction at Dolphin Marine Magic. He is such a cheeky little fella and he knows it! During the interaction, we got to pat Jet on the back and the belly - he enjoys his pats so much he allows his whole body to relax... this in turn relaxes his peduncle (the part of his back from behind his dorsal fin down to his tail flukes) which then causes his tail flukes to relax and drop.... this made for some laughs! The more we laughed, the more Jet would do it!
Bella - Jet's big sister and the first dolphin I ever interacted with at Dolphin Marine Magic
I was extremely surprised when I got to spend time with Bella (pictured above) in the main pool. Bella was the first dolphin I ever got to interact with on my first visit to Dolphin Marine Magic back in 2012 - what an amazing experience to be able to reacquaint with her in the main pool.... and to say that means a lot to me as she never forgot me! I was the first person she came up to with a ball to play with....
Here is a day to day review of my recent trip to Coffs Harbour with some photos thrown in... enjoy!
Day 1 - 10/3/14: Transiting
day - left Dubbo at 6:30am, arrived in Sydney at 7:40am. Left Sydney at
11:40 arriving in Coffs at 12:45. Checked into accommodation and went
to do some things.
Day 2 - 11/3/14 - Dolphin Marine Magic (day one of three): Went
to Dolphin Marine Magic - got to meet Jiling, their 5 month old male
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin calf. He is so cheeky -
every time he can sense someone with a camera near the viewing windows
of the pool, he will swim down to say hello. I also got to reacquaint
myself with an old friend named Bella, a 8 year old female Indo-Pacific
Bottlenose Dolphin.... she was her ever cheeky self as usual!
Bella - her presence in the main pool allowed me to reacuaint myself with her... and she remembered me!
Day 3 - 12/3/14 AM - Precision Helicopters (TIF): Did
not go too well as I had major nerves - still can't say I did not have a
go! Started with a 20 minute flight pre-brief then into the air.... Day 3 - 12/3/14 PM - Trivia Night at the Park Beach Bowling Club: What
a hoot! Did a Trivia Night at the PBBC - met an amazing local family
who welcomed me onto their team! We came 2nd last but what a night it
was - now I want to join my local clubs for their trivia nights!
Day 4 and 5 - 13/3/14 and 14/3/14 - Dolphin Marine Magic (14/3/14 - Interaction Day): What
an awesome way to spend two days on the trot - I got to spend an
amazing 20 minutes with Jet, who you see me with in photo 3 and floating
around in photo 4. He's such a funny and cheeky little dolphin - when
he gets patted during the in-water interactions, he relaxes to the point
where his penduncle relaxes and his tail flukes drop.... that made for
some serious laughs! The more we laughed, the more he did it!
Jet and I during my in-water interaction
Jet after said in-water interaction
Day 6 - 15/3/14: Free
day - took off to The Clog Barn and took a look at Holland Downunder (a
miniature Dutch village with all the buildings made by hand from resin
and glue). Had a few minutes to buy a few things from the gift
shop (lollies) then back to the hotel. Had a fair wait till that night
then I went out and saw a friend of mine who I had wanted to see for a
while - what an experience meeting Vanessa was!
Holland Downunder - miniature Dutch Village at The Clog Barn
Day 7 - 16/3/14: Free
day - had a day to myself and relaxed. Went to the hotel's big St.
Patrick's Day party after the F1 GP - what an experience my first St.
Paddy's Day party was - Guinness and green everywhere! Live music played
by an amazing band from Queensland called The Bostocks....
Day 8 - 17/3/14: Last day of the trip - heading home is always the saddest part of any holiday out of town!
On Saturday, I was fortunate to be able to do a helicopter joyflight - thanks to Precision Helicopters, I am able to present to you this video I did.... it's 12 minutes long as that was how long the flight was....
Just a update - I have a upcoming photoshoot (August - am held up as the R66 is not here yet - arriving at the end of July) for a mate of mine and his awesome Robinson R-Series helicopter fleet.... just a little bit of a rundown on the R-Series:
R22 Beta II - a 2 seat lightweight utility helicopter, powered by a Lycoming O-360 360 cubic inch aircooled flat four cylinder engine with carburettor fuel delivery
R44 Raven II - a 4 seat lightweight utility helicopter, powered by a Lycoming IO-540 540 cubic inch aircooled flat six cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection
R66 Turbine - a 5 seat lightweight utility helicopter, powered by a Rolls-Royce RR300 turbine. The RR300 was specifically designed and built for the R66 Turbine and is a more compact version of the RR250-C20B used in the larger Bell JetRanger
This is basically the main differences between the three helicopters - the outside of the fuselage (with the exception of the R66 Turbine - which has been made wider to fit the extra seat) is the same.... the fronts of all three will be the same as well!
Stay tuned for the first photos of our region's first R66!
Last weekend, I was very lucky to be able to have a chance to cast my little beady peepers over the new Holden Colorado7 wagon.... in the top line LTZ specification.
The new Holden Colorado7 LTZ 2.8CTDi Wagon
The Colorado7 LTZ wagon utilises the Colorado LTZ 4WD ute's underframe then Holden simply place a 7 seat wagon body over the top instead of the ute. It also shares the same 2.8 litre CTDi 4 cylinder intercooled turbo diesel engine and 6 speed auto transmission as the ute. The Colorado7 LTZ depicted in these images is in Summit White
Engine bay - the 2.8 CTDi engine is the same as the Colorado 4WD ute
18 inch alloy wheel and Bridgestone Dueler H/T 684II tyre (LTZ spec only - LT has 16 inch alloys)
Technical Specifications on the Colorado7 LTZ - engine: 2.8 litre Duramax 4 cylinder turbo diesel
MegaTruckers - from left to right: Dave, Ryan, Jon, Brad and Chris
Thursday April 4, 2013 - keep that date free! Get your butt down to Sanity or JB HiFi and grab yaself a copy of this.... if you order online via Sanity, you will get a signed copy by the bald fella himself!
DVD Synopsis: Big Trucks, Big Loads, Bigger Egos
In the big country, boss Jon Kelly and his elite team of mighty
truckers defy the odds to haul some of the biggest loads you'll ever
see. No mission is impossible for the Heavy Haulage Australia drivers
and their gleaming chrome machines. When it can't be done, the call the
MegaTruckers. Every job is a nail-biting logistical nightmare where
anything can go wrong at any time. With big stakes, big loads and even
bigger egos, MegaTruckers is the must-see television series for every
real-life action fan.
Charlie Landsborough - photo from his Facebook fan page
I'm so looking forward to seeing this Welsh-born Liverpudlian in concert in Dubbo in a bit over a month's time..... Here are the dates/times and venues for this tour - promoted by Terry Gordon:
Queensland: Thursday May 2nd - Toowoomba City Golf Club 8pm Friday May 3rd - Twin City Services Club 8:30pm Sunday May 5th - Kedron Wavell Services Club 2pm
NSW: Tuesday May 7th - Grafton Services Club 8pm Wednesday May 8th - Laurieton Services Club 8pm Thursday May 9th - West Tamworth Leagues Club 8pm Friday May 10th - Newcastle West Leagues Club 8pm Saturday May 11th - Smithfield RSL Club 8:30pm Sunday May 12th - Burns Club Canberra 2:30pm Tuesday May 14th - Goulburn Workers Club 8pm Wednesday May 15th - Young Services Club 8pm Thursday May 16th - Dubbo RSL Club 8pm (my concert) Friday May 17th - Albury Commercial Club 7:30pm Saturday May 18th - Coomealla Club Dareton 8pm
SA: Sunday May 19th - Renmark Hotel/Motel 3pm Monday May 20th - SA Salt Church Gawler 8pm Tuesday May 21st - Victor Harbour Theatre 8pm
Victoria - Leg 1: Tuesday May 23rd - Warrnambool City Memorial Bowls 8pm Friday May 24th - Plaza Theatre Kyabram 8pm Saturday May 25th - Sphinx Hotel Geelong 8pm Sunday May 26th - Bendigo Club 8pm
Tasmania: Tuesday May 28th - Burnie Arts Centre 8pm Wednesday May 29th - Launceston Country Club 8pm Thursday May 30th - Wrest Point Casino Hobart 8pm
Victoria - Leg 2: Saturday June 1st - Frankston Art Centre 8:30pm Sunday June 2nd - West Gippsland Art Centre Warragul 2:30pm
Do you remember when your first dream came true???
I can actually do that - it was back on July 14, 2012 (to be exact) when I got to meet the most gorgeous and mischevious dolphin at the Pet Porpoise Pool! The dolphin that matches the description I have just given is 7 year old female, Bella - photo of the two of us to come!
For me, it was actually not one but TWO dreams come true: dream 1 was to get the opportunity to interact with a dolphin for the first time, dream two was to actually get the dolphin I had dreamt of doing it with!
Who says dreams cannot come true??? I am a fitting example of this - not just once but TWICE in the same day....
3 weeks ago, I was very fortunate to be able to fly up to Coffs Harbour on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, Australia for a four day break.... during this break, I was able to get an amazing opportunity to do something that I will never forget. It was the second day of my four day break which I spent at the Pet Porpoise Pool - during that day, I got to have my dream of getting to interact with a dolphin for the first time come true... that was part one of the dream. The second part of this dream revolves around a certain dolphin in the Pet Porpoise Pool's dolphin family - that dolphin was a 7 year old female named Bella.
Maybe these fine words from English singer-songwriter, Charlie Landsborough, may make you understand what I am saying:
A Dream Or Two
Written and performed by Charlie Landsborough
If ever you're alone
And life becomes
A stone around your neck
And hard times beckon you
In your heart
Always carry a dream or two
Don't let the shadows creep
Into the hope that keeps
All fears at bay
And luck will favor you
In your heart
Always carry a dream or two
A dream is a magic boat
That keeps your soul afloat
A dreams a prayer the angels wrote
And only those with loving hearts can see
So open up your heart and dream with me
I'd gladly throw away
The gift that yesterday has given me
If only I could be with you
In my heart
I still carry a dream or two
A dream is a magic boat
That keeps your soul afloat
A dreams a prayer the angels wrote
And only those with loving hearts can see
So open up your heart and dream with me
I'd gladly throw away
The gift that yesterday has given me
If only I could be with you
In my heart
I still carry a dream or two
In my heart I still carry a dream of you
Also these words from Scottish singer, Isla Grant:
A Dream Come True
Written and performed by Isla Grant
CHORUS:
It's a dream come true, standing here, sharing time with you
It's not so very long ago, I thought I'd never see another show
But then I asked my Lord, to give me strength to face the world again
I prayed each night, don't let the music end
It's what I know, it's been my life, it's what I do
Give me hope and make my dreams come true
Every day I ask myself if I am dreaming
In my troubled mind I try to find a meaning
My world is filled with all kinds of confusion
Could this be real or just some sad illusion
Now it's been a long hard mountain for me to climb
Thoughts of giving up has happened many times
But always in my heart I guess I always knew
Without a song for me there's nothing left to do
It's a dream come true, standing here, sharing time with you
It's not so very long ago, I thought I'd never see another show
But then I asked my Lord, to give me strength to face the world again
I prayed each night, don't let the music end
It's what I know, it's been my life, it's what I do
Give me hope and make my dreams come true
INSTRUMENTAL
It's a dream come true, standing here, sharing time with you
It's not so very long ago, I thought I'd never see another show
But then I asked my Lord, to give me strength to face the world again
I prayed each night, don't let the music end
It's what I know, it's been my life, it's what I do
Give me hope and make my dreams come true
Here's a video from Noel Flynn with the above song in it:
And for those who have not yet seen the photo of me and Bella, here it is:
On Saturday July 14, 2012 at 10:40am, I was very fortunate to do a shallow water dolphin experience at Dolphin Marine Magic - Pet Porpoise Pool in Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia. Here is a review of the experience!
I arrived at Dolphin Marine Magic just after 9am after picking up my wetsuit from Jetty Dive Dive Centre and was lucky to meet up with my two co-participants, 11 year old Bridget and 15 year old Brittany, before the encounter.... we managed to get half an hour of the 10am dolphin show in before we had to head off to the encounter meeting point. We then met up with Amy, the first trainer, who took us through a safety brief before we changed out of our street clothes - I was lucky I decided to keep my wetsuit on under my clothes as it was quicker for me being 5' 11" tall and a bit round in the belly - then we sanitised our hands while waiting for Aaron, the trainer who was taking us into the water. Amy also told us which of the three dolphins we were going to work with - when she said we were working with Bella, I could not contain my excitement... I dreamt of Bella being the dolphin I would be interacting with as it was my first time interacting with a dolphin.
Bella is a 7 year old female inshore
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin born at the Pet Porpoise Pool - she is
one of the stars of all the dolphin experiences there. I met up with the
other participants, saw half an hour of the
first show then went off to the encounter meeting point. We met up with
our first trainer, Amy, who told us which of the dolphins we would be
working with (as soon as she said Bella's name, I'm standing there
thinking, "OMG! Is this for real???" - it was only then I realised my
dream was definitely coming true because it was Bella I had dreamt of
doing my first ever interaction with!) then gave us a briefing on where
we could touch Bella and where we couldn't then it was time to sanitise
our hands and wait for Aaron, the other trainer who was to take us
through the interaction. We got to spend the most awesome 20 minutes in
the water with Bella - got to feed her, tickle her tongue (and see how
she would have suckled when she was a baby - the sides of her tongue are
feathered and when she loops her tongue into a circle, the feathered
edges link together and form a "straw" where she can take milk from
Calamity (her mother)), pat and rub her (both on the back and the belly -
another totally useless fact: the way to tell the age of a Indo-Pacific
Bottlenose Dolphin is to look on their belly - the amount of spots are a
indicator of the age.... as Bella is only 7 years old, she still has
white patches on her belly... as for her father, Bucky - he is 41 years
old and has no white patches left anywhere on his belly), play ball,
have a water fight (Aaron sent Bella to me first for my water fight.... I
have never laughed so hard in all my life.... I almost fell over),
danced with her, heard her sing and got to feel the force with which she
can exhale from her blowhole (you definitely don't want to hold your
hand any closer than 15cm above her blowhole because if you did, there
is a possibility of breaking bones), see her underwater while throwing
her a ring and much more... pity it was only 20 minutes... would have
loved another 10 minutes.
In all, it was worth it to make new friends - and what wonderful friends they are (Bella, Brittany and Bridget)! A experience I will never forget in a hurry... highly recommended! If you would like to book in for this experience, phone the Pet Porpoise Pool Experiences Bookings department on 66591910 (02 66591910 outside NSW, +61 2 66591910 outside Australia) or 1300KISSES (1300 547737).
Me and Bella hugging during my Shallow Water Dolphin Experience at Dolphin Marine Magic recently
The final countdown is on! 2 weeks to go..... flying out of Dubbo on Friday July 13, 2012 at 0630 on a QantasLink flight (QF2037, de Haviland Canada DHS Dash-8 Q315) with a 4 hour layover in Sydney then onto a Virgin Australia flight (DJ1165, Embraer 190).... will keep you all updated as the countdown enters it's final phase!
Posts
