Benz World Blog » QLD

Jamaican Ska

Jason Benz — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 02:55:37 +0000

Legendary Pat Powell (Patou) with the awesome Melbourne Ska Orchestra at the 2014 Blues on Broadbeach Festival. Patou is a British-born Jamaican who moved to Australia. We have likely spent a similar amount of time in all 3 countries. That is all I can claim to have in common, as no matter how much roots music I listen to, I’m still a short skinny white guy. His globe-trotting did not end there. He has sung on the biggest stages and recorded all over the world. Only a legend can get paid to watch Kylie Minogue dance. His voice is as deep, warm and smooth as he looks. You have probably heard him without realising. He is like the James Earl Jones of singing.

This photo is from the early stage of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra when they had just released their first album. Since then they have released six more studio albums, including in 2018 when they released one song a week for a whole year. Impressive for a 34-piece band. That 1 year produced 4 albums which are a homage to the original Ska movement which grew from sound system culture in Jamaica.

The speed of music production is phenomenal.

This website started 20 years ago with reggae festivals in Jamaica. Every week before we knew the No.1 US song, a local band would have arranged and recorded a reggae/ska version and had it in the shops before anyone heard the original. New tunes were just as quick. When Hurricane Ivan passed by. The song telling the story of that hurricane was on the radio before the hurricane made landfall. Since MSO mastered the ska skill of rapid recording, they created a large body of work in a short time. Now they are out of the studio and ready to party.

I highly recommend you see them live if you get the chance.

The Melbourne Ska Orchestra have been confirmed for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest at Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. However, you can change this. If 20,000 signatures are received, the NSW Parliament must debate Bluesfest’s future. #savebluesfest if you live in the state Sign up here. For everyone else, there is an international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: I had a chat with Pat. He told me he met the Melbourne Ska Orchestra at Bluesfest as he was hired by Bluesfest to drive the artists bus. Proof it is more than a festival, it does change lives. One more reason to #savebluesfest

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

Maryborough Steamfesta

Jason Benz — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 03:09:09 +0000

Steamfesta has a world record for the largest gathering of Steampunks. The Brolga Theatre in Maryborough, Queensland was a great choice as the “chuf chuf” from the Mary Ann steam train added to the atmosphere. Nostalgic passengers travelling around Queens park, put their fate in the hands of a driver who looked old enough to have built the steam engine. Fire, extreme pressure and historic metal, what could possibly go wrong?

I first became aware of Steampunk after my brother commented on this post from the UK in 2010. The style is a creative mix of old and new, so anything goes, from the mechanical to the whimsical. More specifically, it is a fantasy alternative reality of how Victorians may have envisaged a future where everyone owns welding goggles instead of smartphones.

Science fiction author K.W. Jeter created the term in 1987. This makes it the same age as my van, which I have renovated, with Steampunk in mind, by adding lots of brass, portholes and a valve amplifier. Although my effort is more Heath Robinson than Terry Gilliam.

As I approached the festival, looking for the carpark, I somehow drove into the centre of the event. Next thing, I was surrounded by costumed characters on stilts and unicycles. A nice lady, who could have stepped out of a Jane Austen novel, approached the van and showed me the way. As I could not turn, the only route was a narrow gap past a row of priceless classic cars and quirky food stalls. I inched through the crowd to eventually discover the other carpark entrance everyone else was using.

There was an excellent Steampunk band from the Northern Rivers, NSW, called LunaSea. I am not sure what I expected Steampunk to sound like, but they nailed it. I guess the same musicians had a hand in the music for the festival promo video here. There was a costume competition, which I was asked if I wanted to enter. This made me smile all day as I was in my normal clothes.

Monthly Fossil

Jason Benz — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 22:26:09 +0000

The new solar roof has reduced my carbon footprint and solved my power shortage. As well as eliminating all reliance on coal powered electricity it has enabled me to change the way I travel. When I began #vanlife in 2018, I would need to squeeze into a town caravan park every couple of weeks to recharge, restock and upload a few photos. Now I produce enough solar juice to power my laptop and fridge everyday. This allows me to stay in the bush and therefore only need to use fossil fuel on one day each month, to do the shopping run. By returning from the shops to a different camp my seasonal migration is also included.

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

Kookaburra Cash

Jason Benz — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 08:50:28 +0000

This family of Kookaburras on a wattle branch was taken at Crows Nest National park in Queensland.

It is hard to predict which stock photos do well. Even when they start to sell you do not know if you have a small part of a big market or a big part of a small market. However, I had a good feeling about this image as my previous best selling bird was an average shot of a Kookaburra on a metal rail. Only 5.7% of those buyers were searching for “Kookaburras”, most were searching for “Australian” and this shot had iconic Australian birds sat on Australia’s national tree in front of Australia’s national colours. So it did not surprise me when this became the best selling image from 2018.

I am staying in the Blue Mountains until the Australian federal election on 18th May. While I am here I am upgrading the power control board in my van and uploading stock photos.

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

Outback Road

Jason Benz — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 06:30:29 +0000

Outback driving is a unique experience. Even the main roads have so little traffic, passing motorists wave to each other to acknowledge the existence of other humans in the vast hot dry expanse. If you saw anyone outside here they would need the fortitude of a Mars colonist. The main ecosystem is that of the Raptor>Roo>Road-train. The latter being a large truck with typically 3-4 trailers over 50 meters long which buffet you to the sound of a Tie fighter as they pass.

They are essential for turning kangaroos into regular piles of cooking meat on the asphalt for the raptors. There are more roos in Australia than at any point in its history. This is because the cattle stations out here are the size of European countries and manage the land in a way that is good for cows and roos. They graze together as no one is crazy enough to build a roo-proof fence after the failed rabbit-proof fence of 1901.

Unlike the roos, the raptors have adapted well to the roads. As you approach they leave it to the last seconds before taking flight after which you are engulfed in a cloud of wings and claws. Except for the mighty wedge-tailed eagles who just stare at you as you drive around them. All the birds seem to have mastered the road which cannot be said for the roos who seem to defy natural selection by failing to evolve any road sense at all.

Unusually the humans are the only part of this system which is under threat as self-driving vehicles are likely to replace people long before roos learn to cross the road.

I have not hit any roos in my van yet by avoiding evening and night driving and being in one of the slowest vehicles. I will be returning to the Gold Coast to pick up some mail before a house-warming in the Blue Mountains in December.

Walkabout Creek

Jason Benz — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 04:18:56 +0000

This is the Walkabout Creek Hotel in McKinlay, Queensland. It was made famous by the iconic Australian film Crocodile Dundee in 1986. The pub is decorated with props and photos of the cast and crew. If you are lucky the friendly bar staff will hand you a 16″ Bowie Knife to pose with. It shows a remarkable level of trust to give a lethal weapon to people who have had a few drinks. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Like many outback pubs, the population of the bar often exceeds that of the town. Since recently acquiring phone coverage the landlady has introduced a no mobiles at the bar policy which guarantees you get a good old fashioned chin-wag with everyone.

The day and night temperatures have been increasing over spring and inside my van it exceeds 50°C when on the road. I plan to leave the tropics in a few days and look forward to some cool mountain air once I reach the Great Dividing Range.

Morning Glory

Jason Benz — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 06:58:44 +0000

This cloud formation above Burketown, Australia is known as The Morning Glory. You would think 30 years in the UK would be enough to see every type of cloud but this meteorological phenomenon is especially rare. The roll or arcus cloud stretches from horizon to horizon but is only 100-200 metres above the ground. They have been seen randomly around the world but here in the southern part of the Gulf of Carpentaria is the only known location where the shape of the coastline ensures you have a good chance of seeing one every spring. This attracts glider pilots with the chance to ride a 1,000km wave.

My next stop will be the Burke and Wills Roadhouse after which I will photograph the mining towns of Cloncurry and Mount Isa.

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

Cape Tribulation

Jason Benz — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 04:31:24 +0000

This area is known as Kurangee by the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people. Meaning place of many cassowaries. It was later named Cape Tribulation by the English explorer James Cook shortly after he discovered the Great Barrier Reef by sailing into it and creating a titanic hole in his ship the Endeavour. Only the quick thinking of one of the crew who pulled a sail under the ship to plug the hole stopped the Endeavour turning into driftwood. This single intervention ultimately ensured Australia’s fate would be forever changed. Tribulation was only the beginning.

Most of Queensland’s rainforests are in pockets on remote inland mountaintops and the coral reef is far out to sea. However here in far north Queensland the mountains touch the ocean and the rainforest meets the reef. The Wet Tropics Rainforest and The Great Barrier Reef are two of a handful of World Heritage sites which fulfil all of the UNESCO criteria including extraordinary levels of biodiversity. There is so much life around this coast the number of species can only be guessed at. There are also more things that can kill you here than anywhere else in Australia. This risk of death elevates any holiday into an adventure.

What is also extraordinary is you can stay in this abundant environmental paradise for less than the price of a coffee. Each state has different ways of charging for National parks. In 2013 Queensland brought in a statewide online prebook system. There are no entry or vehicle charges, only a nominal $6.55 per person per night to camp in any park. For a solo traveller, this is very attractive when compared to being packed into a caravan park where you pay the same as a family for a spot, from $25 to $60 per night.

For me, there is no contest. Being able to camp surrounded by (non-human) wildlife is why I have spent more time in rainforests than anywhere else in 2018. The next stage of this continents exploration will be radically different as I am about to cross the deserts of outback Queensland. I am going to start with Burketown which is the only known location where a cloud formation called the Morning Glory regularly appears between late September and early November. I will stay until I get a good photo or run out of supplies after which I will drive the 600km South to Mount Isa.

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

Wild Cassowary

Jason Benz — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 03:31:57 +0000

This is a wild Southern Cassowary. I had seen one before in Australia Zoo but it was standing still in an enclosure about 5 meters away. This did not prepare me for the wild face to face encounter with what is essentially a deadly living dinosaur.

Having arrived at Murray Falls in Queensland, I was sat in my van eating some brie and crackers with the side door open. Looking out into the forest I saw this Cassowary walking towards me. I grabbed my camera which had a wide angle lens on. Normally I photograph birds with a telephoto but it did not matter as within seconds it was stood in front of me although it looked further away through the camera. Moments after taking this photo it put its head into the van and lunged at my lunch. I instinctively moved my body between the bird and the food and said “no no no” This was enough to discourage it and it wandered off. I quickly switched lenses a continued photographing it as it disappeared back into the forest.

Two days after this encounter some rangers arrived warning visitors about this partially curious cassowary and advising strategies to deal with it. Most National Parks have signs advising you not to feed the animals. This park had additional notices warning you feeding Cassowaries can result in a $3,000 fine. I have not fed any wild animals but as a photographer, it makes my life easier when previous visitors have.

I am currently in Cairns to restock before a week at Noah beach in the Daintree National Park which is part of Australia’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

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

Wallaman Falls

Jason Benz — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 23:29:13 +0000

This is Wallaman Falls in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It is Australia’s highest permanent single drop waterfall. This photo was taken from a viewing platform a short walk from the national park campsite. From here you have the option of walking down a track to the base of the falls. Once you start the decent helpful signs remind you of the various dangers you will face and how previous walkers have died. Along with the standard crop of deadly snakes and spiders, there is a native stinging tree which releases a neurotoxin and a bird capable of delivering a fatal blow.

After surviving the solitary trek down the hill I was somewhat relieved to find the base of the falls occupied by about a dozen people scattered about in small groups. On closer inspection, everyone looked about half my age. Evidently only the fit or foolhardy attempt this path. Being the old man on the hill for a change was an unusual reversal. Generally, my fellow travellers are grey nomads(A breed of Aussie who on reaching retirement sell their house, buy a caravan and start doing laps of the continent) I think these coffin dodgers are discouraged from visiting this spot by declaring the access road is not suitable for caravans despite it being tarmacked the whole way. My classic van had no trouble climbing the mountain in 3rd gear. I did, however, find myself employing the Jamaican taxi drivers technique of using the horn before blind corners.

While the weather and road conditions stay good I will continue North. It is probably too late in the season for my old van can make it all the way to the Northern tip of Australia this year as the dirt road will be quite rough by now. I am planning to get as far as Cape Tribulation by the September equinox before turning inland towards Mount Isa and then down through Queensland’s outback before “The Wet” arrives.

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