Benz World Blog » Grass

Numinbah Valley

Jason Benz — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 03:32:07 +0000

For the last week, I have been camped in the Numinbah Vally. Over the weekend I was on this 2500 acres cattle property. There was only a handful of cows and no other campers when I drove into the field so I picked this beautiful spot next to the Nerang River and settled in to enjoy my birthday surrounded by flora and fauna. On Monday I moved a few miles to another spot close to where a wild platypus has been seen feeding at 5pm each evening. It was a bit of a climb down to the rock pool but there was a rope slung around some trees on the steep sections. I sat on the edge of the pool for 3 consecutive nights followed by a torturous climb up the hill in the dark. The only things I saw feeding were mosquitoes, leeches and a brown snake which missed me by a few inches. After a second chat with the caretaker, I discovered the platypus had not been seen for months. Next time I will ask these questions before booking. I live and learn. So far the weather on this trip has been almost constant rain. I cannot complain as farmers across Queensland are gratefully receiving the first significant rain after years of drought. The climate has however taken its toll on the 2nd battery which powers my laptop and is only recharged with a 100 watt solar panel. I have rewired the van again so I can give it a boost from the alternator when I’m driving, but this means I can no longer claim to produce purely fossil free photos.

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

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.

Young Magpie

Jason Benz — Sat, 12 Sep 2015 23:12:00 +0000

This juvenile Australian magpie has been hanging around our garden on the Gold Coast. This was the first time I have seen it without its parents. It was busily hunting bugs in the grass this afternoon. The adult bird has black and white feathers like magpies in the UK although it is more closely related to a Currawong.

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

Rednecked Wallaby

Jason Benz — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 13:47:08 +0000

This Red-necked Wallaby was the first thing I saw when I emerged from our van in the Guy Fawkes National Park in New South Wales. It had been a wonderful night. We camped in a spot next to the river and our own little waterfall. The ranger had left a huge pile of chopped wood ready for campfires, and as evening fell the bush around us filled with fireflies. We almost did not discover this idyllic spot. The listing warned of “24km dirt road No Caravans or Motorhomes” but as we are in a Classic Campervan which seems to be capable of anything at a certain speed, we gave it a go. No Dramas.

Southport Fisheye

Jason Benz — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 22:10:09 +0000

This is Southport Central in Queensland, Australia. My boss at Panedia lent me an 8mm fisheye lens which has a 180 degree field of view. It was an interesting experience shooting with such a wide angle. I normally cannot shoot wider than 24mm which is about 65 degrees. It is three cameras and lenses just like this which are used in the underwater photography we are currently working on for the Seaview Survey.

We also met up with Blan today who was visiting a local artist Marji Hill. Blan treated us all to fish and chips on the Spit.

Australia is having a general election today, we are yet to discover the result!

Bush Turkey

Jason Benz — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:20:13 +0000

This is an Australian Brushturkey also known as a Scrub Turkey or Bush Turkey. We have encountered them at four campsites in the last week. It is the first wild Australian bird I would not mind seeing on a plate. Like most of Australia’s bold birds it seems completely unafraid of humans. It is a small wonder any of these walking Christmas dinners survived the starvation years of the early European settlers.

We crossed from New South Wales into Queensland on Wednesday night. We have just arrived at The Woolshed Backpackers in Hervey Bay where we will photographing the hostel and surrounding area for their website.

Brushy Cutting

Jason Benz — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:45:11 +0000

This is the view from Brushy Cutting Lookout shortly before we arrived at our current camp-site. After leaving Sydney we camped outside Gosford then Bungwahl rest area. We had planned to travel via Myall Lakes but we were turned back at Forster because a house had exploded in Tuncurry. Tonight we are camped at the federation style town of Wingham which was was settled in 1853. This afternoon we walked through the sub-tropical rainforest next to the camp and as evening fell thousands of Flying Foxes filled the sky as they swarmed. Tomorrow we are going to Ellenborough Falls in the Tapin Tops National Park before heading towards Wauchope.

Perth Chogm

Jason Benz — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:58:16 +0000

This image of Perth in Western Australia shows the preparations for the 2011 CHOGM(Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) and a giant public barbecue hosted by the Queen.

This could be a contender for the Australian Skylines Calendar.

Exhibition Building

Jason Benz — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:22:37 +0000

This is a view of The Royal Exhibition Building from Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Victoria. It was the first building in Australia to be awarded UNESCO world heritage status as it is one of the last remaining 19th Century exhibition buildings. Today it is the largest item in Museum Victoria’s collection.

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

Wild Wombat

Jason Benz — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 05:09:21 +0000

This wild wombat is one of Australia‘s marsupials. We saw this animal on the side of the road in Victoria. I jumped out the van and started taking pictures as I approached. According to my camera’s autofocus, I managed to get within 10 meters before it dived into the undergrowth. These solidly built herbivores are only about 1 metre long but can weigh between 20-35kg and are capable of flipping a car if hit.

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