Each day this week, Charlotte and I have endevoured to take in a different part of Perth. Yesterday we went and watched “Australia” in a Gold Class cinema… What’s that you ask - well let me just describe it like this, it’s to movie theatres what business class is to airplanes. As far as I know, it’s a uniquely Australian experience, and the first time I’ve experienced it.

If you do get a chance, check out “Australia” the film - although it has some pretty large overly broad stereotypes, it’s also packed with emotion and is beautifully filmed and the CG is done mostly tastefully.

Enough of the movie review! The reason I’m writing is to share with you the Indiana. For many years it’s been the “it” place to grab a drink and look down at beautiful Cottesloe beach. It stands above the local surf life savers and has a wonderful breeze blowing through all day long. It’s a beautiful spot to spend an hour or two drinking and eating great food.

I love this shot of Charlotte enjoying a cool beer with the gentle sea breeze blowing in. Just another priceless memory

Finally, this shot is one I grabbed as a waded into the shallows after the beach. Man, the water was actually pretty cold, but well needed seeing that it was about 35 degrees outside!

After our long flight from Hong Kong at last we arrived in Perth, Australia!

We were so excited to get here and get settled for a month of fun including engagement and family shoots and not to mention Louis and Jasmine’s wedding just around the corner!

Since Dave is originally from Australia but has lived in Canada for the last 6 years, almost his whole family is here in Oz. We loved making our first stop and catching up with Mick, Shar and little baby Zara!  We were also stoked to be taking a road trip with them to Margaret River, Western Australia for a few days of relaxation together in one of the most beautiful nature and surf spots on Earth.

When we drove through the hills of Margaret River, it instantly reminded me of Malibu. Stunning cliff side beach homes overlooking the crashing waves below. Surfers floated by waiting to catch the perfect wave.  We unloaded the car and got settled in a beach home of our own, well at least for a few days anyway :).

It was a perfect nature retreat with a gorgeous wrap around balcony hosting panoramic views of nature and not to mention the Indian Ocean. We loved sitting out there taking in some fresh ocean air. Surrounded by Gum Trees and Jacaranda’s the Kookaburra’s, and Willy-Wag Tails filled the air with melodies.

The brilliant vibrancy of parrots swooping through the trees reminded me that we were in our own perfect little paradise. Dave and I decided to check out the town of Margaret River, then stopped in on local surfing hot spot.

We were definitely stoked we brought our cameras along to take a few snap shots. This place was incredible. We watched the waves crash to shore and the surfers riding high on the tides, it really made me want to take up surfing some day. Mick and Shar (and baby Zsa Zsa as we sometimes call her) a big thanks to you guys for planning a great little get away for us and it was fab hanging out with you guys for a little while in Margaret River!!

Wow… 16 hours on a plane, I honestly did not think I was going to make it. Dave is way more experienced at these lengthy overseas flights then I am and assured me this would be  a piece of cake. As I sat back in my seat, adjusted my koala ears (head rest) and enjoyed another hilarious episode of The Office, I realized 16 hours isn’t that long after all

We landed in Hong Kong just in time to watch the coral colored sun rise over the silhouetted hillside. It was simply magical. It reminded us how important it is to appreciate the beauty in the world that’s all around us and we sometimes take for granted.

In between meals, movies and magazines, we tried to get as much sleep as we could possibly could in flight. We didn’t want to be too jet lagged on arrival so we could enjoy Hong Kong to the fullest. We checked into our hotel and decided to explore a little, before any shops had opened. The streets were quiet, but you could hear the new day slowly awakening as we made our way towards the subway.

We hopped on the subway with our Octopus Cards, a little re-fillable card that can be used to purchase products, parking and transportation through out the city (Toronto seriously needs to get on this system, its soo convenient!) We didn’t really have any particular stop in mind, but found a gorgeous little park outside of the city. It was like paradise, immaculately landscaped with winding trails, palm trees and water fountains, sooo tranquil and peaceful. Many people use the park for Tai Chi and stretching and mini boat racing in the ponds

We were told that Hong Kong’s street markets were a must see so Dave and I made our way over to check them out. We met a few funny characters in the markets. This kind lady was very nice and helped us find the perfect jade trinkets. She was soo cute and giggled when Dave took our picture!

We’re excited to be in Hong Kong for Yanyan & Clement’s Engagement shoot in a couple of days! We’ve scouted out so many awesome locations here in Hong Kong for the shoot. Stay tuned to the blog for more awesome adventures coming soon!!

Fallingwater. There’s nothing like it. Truly ahead of it’s time, and to this day an inspiration that has to be experienced. Hailed by TIME magazine shortly after its completion as Wright’s “most beautiful job,” it’s now listed among Smithsonian magazine’s Life List of 28 places you must visit.

I visited Fallingwater last year and called Charlotte and told her I HAD to bring her down here… I took me a year to get her here, but it was worth the wait. These shots are all done using our iPhone, so it’s a little dicey on quality, but hey, you get the idea

The design was - and still is - revolutionary. Designed with cantilevers throughout - meaning the long overhangs are created using counter weighting rather than vertical supports underneath. Frank Lloyd Wright was passionate about using horizontal forms to make your eye flow out of the house rather than leaving you feeling trapped inside.

He designed with with human scale in mind - large windows, low furniture, large living areas and ample outdoor spaces. In this photo below, you’ll also see the pool that’s feed by fresh spring water… no chemicals needed. Is Nice!

Isn’t this view from the balcony just amazing! And the sound of the fall floods through the whole house. Just amazing.

Above: Guest house, The Fall from one of the balconies, the main living room.

Below: Charlotte did this stunning shot in a rock pool by the stream… beautiful eh?

After we’d finished up a meandering walk through the property, we decided to check out another house Frank Lloyd Wright designed called Kentuck Knob. Very cool property, with a lot of sculptures & installations. We stumbled on three old English phone booths and couldn’t resist doing a cute shot of Charlotte.

Well this ends our long road trip! We arrived back in Toronto on Thursday and are loving being home. We hope you’re enjoyed hearing about our trip - we’ve certainly loved sharing it with you.

I leave you with this cute shot of my beautiful girlfriend and our two precious babies

Savannah - The Most Haunted City in America. Charlotte and I agree. It’s also the most beautiful!!! If  was trippy for sure. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel very welcome by everyone we met. The southern hospitality did blow us away. Very impressed with how knowledgeable and helpful every person we encountered was.

Many films have been made in Savannah… and not without reason - it’s stunning. Beautiful old architecture, Spanish moss drooping from every tree and dozens of Squares scattered through the city, creating a wonderful sense of common public space.

In this photo, Charlotte’s standing (coffee in hand!) by the location of Forrest Gump’s very famous bus seat. Sadly it was a prop bench, and was removed and re-planted after filming wrapped. In Something to Talk About, the Sixpence Pub also features, which is where I’m standing in this shot.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was another classic flick filmed here. We were indulged by our tour bus driver who knew everything about everyone from all the films and was able to fill us in with lots of trivia. This fountain is in Forsyth Park - a very famous garden - and very beautiful - check out the size of the trees we’re standing under!

Adjacent to the park was the old Candler Hospital with a stunning facade, but sadly beginning to fall into disrepair. We heard about a developer who planned to buy it and turn it into condos, but found out he wouldn’t be allowed to remove the 270 year old oak from the parking lot… You wouldn’t believe the size of this tree - it was a monster. We’re both really glad the locals are so protective of their trees though - they really are stunning.

We did several evening walks through the city during our stay. The city goes to sleep really early at night though, so we often found ourselves wandering the streets without seeing another car or person for a few minutes. Kinda cool… and kinda creepy!

I love this shot Charlotte took of me, using the lamplight in front of an old church. Very cool.

So, South Carolina you say… getting warmer by the day, and we’re inspired to keep on truckin until we hit Florida! From what we can tell, Hilton Head Island is a playground for golfers and retirees… and a LOT of tourists!

It’s a carefully planned community well known for it’s “eco-friendly” development style, with strict building codes in place to ensure minimal impact on the environment, with the style of buildings and how they are situated amongst existing trees being strictly enforced. This includes everything down to the colour you can paint the building, the height and even the size and placement of corporate brands. As a great example, there’s a McDonalds that doesn’t even have have their golden arches on the building! Just a small discreet sign among the bushes at the edge of the road. Incredible!

We spent three days on the island, going for long walks and rides along the beach and exploring the many, many miles of bike paths stretching across the island. It was a totally relaxed few days with lots of time to unwind. Perfect

During one of our rides we did spot this gator… scary… I immediately decided not to let the dogs off the leash!! Yikes.

We didn’t have our camera gear on most of the bike rides, so the iPhone was put to good use on several occasions… sorry about the image quality guys!

Greta and Fritzi both loved exploring the beach and digging in the sand… and BOTH managed to find something nice and smelly to roll in!!! They were both treated to a bath when we got back to the hotel… do they look a little guilty to you?

We got a kick out of having our babies dressed in matching costumes this Halloween… Aren’t they the cutest??!!

Well, it’s been a long time between posts… We’ve had a fantastic trip and I wanted to share some of our experiences with you all! The body of this post will be short and sweet, but at least you’ll get a feel for the second half of our trip

After Rodanthe, we headed south, necessitating two ferry rides. It’s was a trippy experience to pull our RV onto the ferry, park and proceed to have a relaxed time sitting on the couch, looking out the window at the ocean pass by!! Not something you get to experience everyday.

This shot was done using our tilt and shift lens - enabling it to shift the focal plane so only to bird closest to the back of the ferry is in focus. Pretty sweet lens.

Arriving at Ocracoke, a cozy little port town on a sand barrier island, we decided to settle in for the day and enjoy the beach. The winds picked up and we were forced to stay a couple of days (the ferries don’t run when the wind is too strong).

Here’s a shot of Greta, doing her favourite things, wrestling Fritzi to the ground! Fritty’s such a good sport about it though - he lets her get away with it even though she’s half his size. She gets away with a lot because of those adorable eyes!

These little guys (Sanderlings) are the cutest things. As the waves washed in and out, they would run away from them, then chase them back out and proceed to dig up as many shells as they could.

When we did hit dry land in North Carolina, we were amazed at the vast number of military bases as we drove south. We continued to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At one spot in particular, there was an airfield with fighter jets landing and taking off every 2 or 3 minutes! It was very cool to get out and stand underneath them as they flew over top. You can see how close were were to them in this shot.

More posts VERY soon

Last week we finally hit coastline at Virginia Beach. We spent a day cruising around and had a great time. With everyone back at school and work it was a little like a ghost town though. The beach was nice, and this King Neptune sculpture was pretty impressive. It stands about 6 metres high and is made of bronze.

The next day we cruised south… passing through some pretty amazing towns along the Outer Banks… for example, Kitty Hawk was the location for the Wright brother’s first flight. We also passed Nags Head - a town I’ve heard about many times over the years - known to be a great location to kite surf, drive dune buggies, do some beach combing or check out a ship wreck. We drove a little further south and crossed a massive bridge, to arrive at Rodanthe. FYI, here’s a map of our road trip so far.

We took an early morning walk up the beach to see if we could find the house used in the Richard Gere film, Nights in Rodanthe. Along the way though we came across something pretty crazy….

This house seemed to have fallen off it’s stilts during a storm! I can only imagine the sound it would have made as it went! After asking a few of the locals what happened, we discovered that two weeks ago during a storm, the waves crashed against the house and brought it down. All the locals were going on about the fact that they built it on 8 foot stilts instead of 18 foot. Makes sense but apparently it costs a lot of money to bring in really long stilts… would have been money well spent in hind sight I guess! Thank goodness insurance covers the damage and nobody was hurt.

How often do you get a chance to lift a house???

The Rodanthe Pier also featured in the film a few times I hear.. for a seafood feast as well as being the convenience store they used. We chatted to the owner of the pier as we took a walk out on it and asked him whether it was always this wobbly. He tells us that it’s designed with a lot of give to withstand the storms. It totally makes sense but doesn’t reassure us much as we stand at the end, shifting left and right about a foot with each wave passing underneath. You wouldn’t find me out there during a storm though!

It gave me opportunity to grab some pretty cool angles on the waves below. This one above reminds me of the feeling as you’re paddling out for a surf and you crest the wave and look back over your shoulder.

Needless to say, my reptile hunt continues… I finally found a snake - I think - it may be a species of legless lizard, but Charlotte wasn’t too keen on me trying to identify it. If anyone out there knows what species it is, can you let us know? Thanks

We spent three days in Rodanthe, with our RV parked about 10 metres behind the first dune - we were all in heaven. It turns out the dogs love the beach.

When it finally came time to leave, we headed south again (searching for that elusive warmer weather). Cape Hatteras is another famous historic location along the outer banks. The lighthouse there has an awesome barber’s pole swirl painted around it.

As we drove out of the lighthouse parking area there was a big swamp area next to the road and I caught a glimpse of what I thought was one or two turtles… We pulled over and after rustling through some bushes we found that there were literally dozens of turtles hanging out, sunbathing and generally just being turtly. How cute is the little guy in the front row!?

Upcoming posts… Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island & Savannah.