Benz World Blog » Gold Coast

Sayonara Southport

Jason Benz — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 07:54:20 +0000

These buildings are part of Southport Central in Queensland. I have been living and working in Southport on the Gold Coast since 2013. The 5-year project which brought me here was the Global Reef Record which my former employer Panedia has been a big part of. Although it was the longest and most interesting Photography job I have done, I am excited about what comes next. Since moving here my weekends have been spent upgrading my van (which I consider part of my photographic equipment) to tackle Australias remote areas. I have installed a solar panel and a 250ah battery which allows me to shoot, process and upload images in areas without mains electricity. I have also built extra storage for water, fuel and gas. Once I am back on the road (2nd March) I expect to increase my photographic output so the amount of Stock Photography will go up.

Warm Winter

Jason Benz — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 11:09:20 +0000

These kites were photographed earlier this year on the Broadwater Parklands in Southport. In 2017 Queensland, Australia had its warmest winter on record. It has also been very dry here on the Gold Coast. The rain finally arrived this weekend and was preceded by an early spring heat wave. The temperature quickly dropped by 10C when the weather changed.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Latest Mayhem

Jason Benz — Sat, 02 Sep 2017 07:44:26 +0000

Earlier this year I saw someone filming someone else trying to drown themselves in the most creative way possible. At this spot, near the bridge between Southport and Surfers-Paradise in Queensland, I saw a Hydro Jetpack performing a similar task in 2015. Evidently, handlebars are no longer required.

This week the Gold Coast pulled off a coup to host the annual TV awards. It has been traditionally been held in Melbourne and occasionally Sydney. The local Major had a classic retort, When facing criticism that the Gold Coast was too tacky for Australia’s prestigious night. He said it was the perfect fit for a tacky industry in a tacky city.

Mango Biscuit

Jason Benz — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 10:36:24 +0000

One morning in 2015 I woke to the sound of my neighbours’ mango tree being cut down. I asked the team cutting up the tree where the wood would go? When they said landfill, I asked for some. This is part of what they called a biscuit. It has been drying for 2 years and is ready to be shaped into a table for the van. Last weekend I used a wood router to make the outline of Australia so you can run your finger around and feel the coastline. In keeping with the egalitarian nation, I positioned the centre between three states, Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales.

Economic Record

Jason Benz — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 10:46:06 +0000

Today Australia took the record from the Netherlands for the longest time (26 years) without a recession. The mining industry helped the economy dodge a bullet when the GFC arrived so there was no need for a bank bailout or austerity like the UK. In the last budget, the current government introduced a surprise big bank tax which must have left the Labor opposition outflanked.

Butterbum Thornbill

Jason Benz — Sun, 21 May 2017 22:45:21 +0000

This is a Yellow-rumped thornbill, Also known as a Butterbum to Australian bird watchers. They feed on insects and seeds. They can also mimic the calls of other birds. I guess this makes them multilingual. This one was photographed on The Spit, Gold Coast, Queensland next to the set of the new Aquaman movie.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Powered Paragliding

Jason Benz — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 10:28:38 +0000

There seems to be no end of ways you can get around the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

This form of ultralight aviation is called powered paragliding or paramotoring.

The aircraft can be used to herd reindeer, transport soldiers or hire to adrenaline junkies.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Grey Butcherbird

Jason Benz — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 22:36:36 +0000

This grey butcherbird visited our garden in Southport, Queensland, Australia. They prey on insects, lizards and birds. They have an extraordinary vocal range and this one was especially talkative. It sounded like it was telling a frantic story interspersed with imitations of other bird calls.

A similar image of this bird has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Supermoon Sculpture

Jason Benz — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 22:09:33 +0000

This is one of six metal fish in Harley Park, Labrador, Queensland, Australia. I chose this spot to photograph last nights supermoon so I could experiment silhouetting the sculptures. I the event there was enough light to illuminate the fish and bring out the rust colours.

Leaf Rain

Jason Benz — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:52:10 +0000

The colours in this leaf on the grass in my garden caught my eye. It is the dry season here in Queensland, Australia but no one told the rain. The Gold Coast has a subtropical climate. This time of year is the build up to the hot wet summer but sometimes it arrives early.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.