Man gets Jet2 slogan tattoo

I cruised to Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions, this was the highlight

Herald Sun

15 hours ago

Herald Sun

I cruised to Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions, this was the highlight

'How far do you think it is?' asks Ivan Klochkov, one of Aurora Expeditions' sea kayak guides. We're paddling in Recess Cove, Antarctica, towards a colossal glacier. We need to stay at least 400m away for safety, but features this large distort your perspective. It feels like we're quite close; I guess 500m. Ivan points a laser rangefinder at the ice and smiles. 'Actually, it's 1100m,' he says. 'Cool, hey?' Cool? More like extraordinary. Surreal springs to mind. Astonishing – a word I've never actually said out loud before – comes tumbling out of my mouth. But the size of the landscape isn't the only thing that blows my mind on this journey. Here's how an expedition cruise to the wild south unfolds. Exploring Recess Cove, Antarctica. Picture: David Jaffe/Auroa Expeditions WEEK ONE Friday: Ushuaia We haven't even made it to the ship before the itinerary is thrown out the window. We've travelled all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina – known as 'the end of the world' – and from the hotel we can see Sylvia Earle, one of Aurora Expeditions' two purpose-built expedition ships, docked in the port. There are no signs of the storm brewing in the Southern Ocean, between Argentina and Antarctica, but it's there. And it's big. The decision is made to do the journey backwards, in an attempt to sail around it. First stop: the Falkland Islands. Second, South Georgia. And finally, the Great White Continent. Auroa Expeditions ship Sylvia Earle at Neko Harbour, Antarctica. Picture: David Jaffe/Aurora Expeditions Sunday: Falklands Seeing land, after two days at sea, is lovely. Seeing a child pop over the hill, with a crisp British accent, is a shock. We've landed on Carcass Island and we're walking towards the remote lodge where he lives, where we're treated to morning tea of homemade cakes, biscuits and scones. We move to Saunders Island in the afternoon and walk to see a colony of rockhopper penguins. I ask the landowner how often they receive visitors; he says they're expecting three cruise ships today. Aurora Expeditions ship Sylvia Earle at Saunders Island in the Falklands. Picture: Kirrily Schwarz WEEK TWO Wednesday: Jason Harbour South Georgia is sometimes described as the 'Galápagos of the South', thanks to its remarkable biodiversity. Our first stop, in pretty Jason Harbour, doesn't disappoint. It's the first opportunity for the kayakers to hit the water, so we don warm layers and dry suits before paddling over a kelp forest into a seal-filled lagoon. They're surprisingly puppy-like, curious and playful, as they check us out. Hiking at Godthul, South Georgia. Picture: Kirrily Schwarz Thursday: Sandebugten to Godthul One of the coolest things about this voyage is that itinerary-related decisions are often made in real time, depending on the weather. Today is glorious – sunny and quite warm – and we're given the opportunity to land and hike 8km from Sandebugten to Godthul (paying careful attention to the strict local biosecurity rules). It takes our group of 13 hikers and four guides about four hours to navigate the windswept landscape, which changes rapidly from marsh to rocks to snow to tussock. King penguins at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island. Friday: Prince Olav, Salisbury Plain, Prion Island Today is a three-for-one deal. First, we land at Prince Olav, an abandoned Norwegian whaling station and a photographer's dream even though the barest fraction of it actually fits into the viewfinder. Second, we land at Salisbury Plain – home to a king penguin rookery with an estimated 250,000 birds. Fluffy brown chicks, as tall as their parents but with soft down coats, yell at full volume as their mothers and fathers race to feed them. Third, just as I'm thinking this is the best day of my life, we visit Prion Island and launch the kayaks for a golden-hour paddle with seals for company. Wildlife at Salisbury Plain. Picture: Kirrily Schwarz Saturday: Grytviken The scale of the former whaling operations at Grytviken, in South Georgia, is impressive and confronting. Work started in 1904 when Carl Anton Larsen, a Norwegian, ventured south with the Swedish Antarctic Expedition. The first season, they nabbed 183 whales right in the harbour. As the station developed, they added plants for cooking meat and bone, as well as blubber. At its height, it employed up to 400 men and processed up to 30 whales per day. It only closed in 1966. The former Grytviken whaling station, South Georgia. WEEK THREE Thursday: Point Wild, Point Walker, Gibb Island After another four days at sea, we see land. It's Elephant Island, about 61 degrees south, a rocky refuge where Sir Ernest Shackleton's crew sheltered for more than four months after their ship, Endurance, was lost in the ice of the Weddell Sea in 1915. We cruise past Point Wild, where they lived – a minuscule sliver of land cut off by a near-vertical mountain, which is equally beautiful and wretched. Kayaking off the Sylvia Earle expedition ship. Picture: Ivan Klochkov Friday: Half Moon Bay Kayaking, with Aurora Expeditions, is essentially an expedition within an expedition. Today, four of us paddle through a sea of brash ice around Half Moon Bay on Livingston Island as we make our way towards a chinstrap penguin colony. They're magnificent climbers – we watch one chip away at an enormous vertical face to reach its family at the top and the speed at which it hikes is amazing. Penguin Highway, Half Moon Bay. Picture: Kirrily Schwarz Saturday: Antarctica Today is the most anticipated day of the voyage. It's time for the polar plunge, which sees a plucky few don their swimmers and jump from the stern into the frigid waters of the Antarctic Circle. I'm among those questioning their life choices as I line up – under the gaze of saner travellers on the decks above – and leap. The endorphin rush is powerful, and after a sauna and then a soak in the hot tub, I can confirm it's incredibly invigorating. But the crew isn't done yet. Today we're also offered the chance to camp on the Antarctic Peninsula, rolling out bivouacs at Argentina's Almirante Brown base. Kirrily Schwarz camping at Skonthorp Bay. Sunday: Skonthorp Bay Improbably, the crew has saved the best for last. Skonthorp Bay is a glacial gallery – we're carving a path through ice with our kayaks, marvelling at the huge icebergs, when we hear a tremendous boom. An avalanche releases to our right and a valley's worth of snow rockets into the sea. It's an awesome thing to witness (from a safe distance). Ivan turns to me and grins. 'Cool, hey?' The writer travelled as a guest of Aurora Expeditions. Kayaking off Sylvia Earle. Picture: Ivan Klochkov How to get to Ushuaia, Argentina Book a flight with Qantas or LATAM to Buenos Aires (via Santiago), then jump on a connecting flight to Ushuaia (just make sure you double check the airport name as Buenos Aires has two). It's well worth booking a transfer as it will streamline your arrival after a long trip. Cruising Antarctica Aurora Expeditions' 23-day Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula cruises start from $US19,197 ($29,490) per person, twin share. The next journeys are in December 2025, March 2026 and October 2026, departing from Ushuaia, Argentina. Originally published as I cruised to Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions, this was the highlight

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

Sydney Morning Herald

a day ago

Sydney Morning Herald

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

It was always expected Western Australia's first purpose-built movie studio would be big. It's one of the reasons the state government decided to shift the $233 million screen facility from Victoria Quay in the heart of Fremantle to the southern edge of Whiteman Park in Perth's northern suburbs. But it is not until you get up close and personal to Perth Film Studios, as it has been rebranded, that you fully appreciate the size of the four state-of-the art boxes that in years to come will host large-scale Australian and international productions that will put our city on the filmmaking map — that is, if everything goes to plan. Taken aback by the size of the facility – in particular the sound stage in the most advanced stage of completion – the first question to Perth Film Studios' British-born chief executive Tom Avison must be: 'What level of production could it not accommodate?' 'Not many,' replied Avison, who was head-hunted from London to shepherd the studio into operation and help lure the kind of big-budget film and television productions for which it was designed. 'A James Bond movie or a Mission: Impossible might require something bigger. 'But for most things these four sound stages are comparable to facilities in the UK such as Pinewood, Leavesden or Sky Studio Elstree. 'They're plenty big enough for most of the movies and television series being shot around the world.' The facility boasts 19,232 square metres of production space — including 8361 square metres across four sound stages — and a backlot bigger than the playing field at Optus Stadium. Equally impressive is the overall quality of the build and various facilities that will be used to support the sound stages — production offices, dressing rooms, spaces for costumes and laundry. 'A movie studio is like a reef. It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between.' Perth Film Studios CEO Tom Avison And in Avison, the WA Labor government and Home Fire Creative Industries – the Perth company that won the much-publicised competition to build and operate the studio – have found a chief executive with recent experience opening a similar facility, Sky Studios Elstree, in London. Sky Studios was a baptism of fire for Avison in his role as director of operations, as the new studio's first production was Wicked, Universal's blockbuster musical that took over eight of the studio's 12 sound stages. 'We had just completed the build when Wicked moved in. Builders out on Friday, production in on Monday,' Avison said. 'It was a challenging time but very exciting and incredibly rewarding. 'It battle-hardens you and your staff and forces you to get up to the highest standards very quickly. 'When a film is green-lit it goes fast. The train is leaving the station and you have to climb on board.' It is doubtful that Perth Film Studios will kick off in the first quarter of next year with a production the size of Wicked. However, if Hollywood wants to shoot a mega-budget musical, or an action fantasy, or a series about the world overrun with the undead, then Avison and his team will be ready. 'We will have conversations with producers who have the biggest projects to those with the smallest,' Avison said. 'And the studio will be a fantastic option for local and national projects. 'A good example are the two recent television series that were filmed in Perth, Ghosts and The Postcard Bandit. We want the Perth Film Studios to become the hub for the Western Australian screen industry.' Avison says that he was lured away from his big job in one of the world centres of film and television production because of the excitement around the WA film industry and the support of the state government, which is backing its investment in the studio with an array of incentives to ensure it doesn't become a 'white elephant'. 'There is an industry here that has been growing organically and successfully and a government that is supporting it,' Avison said. 'And when you factor in organisations like ScreenWest and the crew of highly skilled freelancers you feel that Western Australia is on the cusp of something great. I wanted to be a part of that.' Avison said there was also the understanding that it was not enough to just build a studio: 'You need to build an industry to support it.' Ever since the movie studio was announced by then-premier Mark McGowan during the 2021 state election in a starry press event at Victoria Quay with local stars such as Tim Minchin, Kate Walsh and Ben Elton, the industry has been debating the issue of whether Perth is ready for a movie industry. There are arguments that WA's industry is not mature enough to service a movie studio, and that most of the talent will have to be imported, raising costs and make it less attractive to American studios and other production entities around the globe. Loading Avison disagrees that WA is putting the cart before the horse. 'A movie studio is like a reef,' he said. 'It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between. 'In the past productions have come here to take advantage of the wonderful locations then go somewhere else for the studio component. They will now be able to do everything here.' He also sees potential for crews returning if they have a good experience in Perth, giving the example of a series production, which could take months. 'That means that the various services that support a production are assured of long-term work,' he said. 'All of this occurs because at the centre of the ecosystem is a movie studio.' The other big challenge is distance. Perth is, as we hear ad nauseum, the most isolated capital city in the world. Loading So, will the production entities in the United States, Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia be willing to send their projects across multiple time zones to do what could be done on their respective home territories? Adding to the challenge is that, since the rise of streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple, screen facilities have been popping up across the United States and across the globe, with Sydney recently announcing plans for a second studio. While some aspects of international filmmaking are out WA's control — the rise and fall in the dollar, and Donald Trump's tariffs have added another element of uncertainty — Avison believed the studio would overcome distance by offering a unique, high-quality experience. 'Filmmaking is complex and stressful, with tight deadlines and fixed budgets. So crews need to feel reassured they can do their jobs,' he said. 'We will create an environment that will not just get the job done but will allow filmmakers to flourish. 'We want them to be reassured that they don't have to worry about the basics, and they can put all their energy into their creativity.' While there is pressure on Avison and his team to lure the kind of bigger budget productions that will brush aside the naysayers, he believes it will take time for the studio to build a reputation and drop into the field of view of the global film industry, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. 'I come from an industry where studios have been there for 100 years,' Avison said. 'That is what we want to build — a facility that is not a flash in the pan something that will serve the local industry for generations to come. We will be ready in the first quarter of next year, but our eyes are also on the future.'

The Age

a day ago

The Age

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

It was always expected Western Australia's first purpose-built movie studio would be big. It's one of the reasons the state government decided to shift the $233 million screen facility from Victoria Quay in the heart of Fremantle to the southern edge of Whiteman Park in Perth's northern suburbs. But it is not until you get up close and personal to Perth Film Studios, as it has been rebranded, that you fully appreciate the size of the four state-of-the art boxes that in years to come will host large-scale Australian and international productions that will put our city on the filmmaking map — that is, if everything goes to plan. Taken aback by the size of the facility – in particular the sound stage in the most advanced stage of completion – the first question to Perth Film Studios' British-born chief executive Tom Avison must be: 'What level of production could it not accommodate?' 'Not many,' replied Avison, who was head-hunted from London to shepherd the studio into operation and help lure the kind of big-budget film and television productions for which it was designed. 'A James Bond movie or a Mission: Impossible might require something bigger. 'But for most things these four sound stages are comparable to facilities in the UK such as Pinewood, Leavesden or Sky Studio Elstree. 'They're plenty big enough for most of the movies and television series being shot around the world.' The facility boasts 19,232 square metres of production space — including 8361 square metres across four sound stages — and a backlot bigger than the playing field at Optus Stadium. Equally impressive is the overall quality of the build and various facilities that will be used to support the sound stages — production offices, dressing rooms, spaces for costumes and laundry. 'A movie studio is like a reef. It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between.' Perth Film Studios CEO Tom Avison And in Avison, the WA Labor government and Home Fire Creative Industries – the Perth company that won the much-publicised competition to build and operate the studio – have found a chief executive with recent experience opening a similar facility, Sky Studios Elstree, in London. Sky Studios was a baptism of fire for Avison in his role as director of operations, as the new studio's first production was Wicked, Universal's blockbuster musical that took over eight of the studio's 12 sound stages. 'We had just completed the build when Wicked moved in. Builders out on Friday, production in on Monday,' Avison said. 'It was a challenging time but very exciting and incredibly rewarding. 'It battle-hardens you and your staff and forces you to get up to the highest standards very quickly. 'When a film is green-lit it goes fast. The train is leaving the station and you have to climb on board.' It is doubtful that Perth Film Studios will kick off in the first quarter of next year with a production the size of Wicked. However, if Hollywood wants to shoot a mega-budget musical, or an action fantasy, or a series about the world overrun with the undead, then Avison and his team will be ready. 'We will have conversations with producers who have the biggest projects to those with the smallest,' Avison said. 'And the studio will be a fantastic option for local and national projects. 'A good example are the two recent television series that were filmed in Perth, Ghosts and The Postcard Bandit. We want the Perth Film Studios to become the hub for the Western Australian screen industry.' Avison says that he was lured away from his big job in one of the world centres of film and television production because of the excitement around the WA film industry and the support of the state government, which is backing its investment in the studio with an array of incentives to ensure it doesn't become a 'white elephant'. 'There is an industry here that has been growing organically and successfully and a government that is supporting it,' Avison said. 'And when you factor in organisations like ScreenWest and the crew of highly skilled freelancers you feel that Western Australia is on the cusp of something great. I wanted to be a part of that.' Avison said there was also the understanding that it was not enough to just build a studio: 'You need to build an industry to support it.' Ever since the movie studio was announced by then-premier Mark McGowan during the 2021 state election in a starry press event at Victoria Quay with local stars such as Tim Minchin, Kate Walsh and Ben Elton, the industry has been debating the issue of whether Perth is ready for a movie industry. There are arguments that WA's industry is not mature enough to service a movie studio, and that most of the talent will have to be imported, raising costs and make it less attractive to American studios and other production entities around the globe. Loading Avison disagrees that WA is putting the cart before the horse. 'A movie studio is like a reef,' he said. 'It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between. 'In the past productions have come here to take advantage of the wonderful locations then go somewhere else for the studio component. They will now be able to do everything here.' He also sees potential for crews returning if they have a good experience in Perth, giving the example of a series production, which could take months. 'That means that the various services that support a production are assured of long-term work,' he said. 'All of this occurs because at the centre of the ecosystem is a movie studio.' The other big challenge is distance. Perth is, as we hear ad nauseum, the most isolated capital city in the world. Loading So, will the production entities in the United States, Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia be willing to send their projects across multiple time zones to do what could be done on their respective home territories? Adding to the challenge is that, since the rise of streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple, screen facilities have been popping up across the United States and across the globe, with Sydney recently announcing plans for a second studio. While some aspects of international filmmaking are out WA's control — the rise and fall in the dollar, and Donald Trump's tariffs have added another element of uncertainty — Avison believed the studio would overcome distance by offering a unique, high-quality experience. 'Filmmaking is complex and stressful, with tight deadlines and fixed budgets. So crews need to feel reassured they can do their jobs,' he said. 'We will create an environment that will not just get the job done but will allow filmmakers to flourish. 'We want them to be reassured that they don't have to worry about the basics, and they can put all their energy into their creativity.' While there is pressure on Avison and his team to lure the kind of bigger budget productions that will brush aside the naysayers, he believes it will take time for the studio to build a reputation and drop into the field of view of the global film industry, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. 'I come from an industry where studios have been there for 100 years,' Avison said. 'That is what we want to build — a facility that is not a flash in the pan something that will serve the local industry for generations to come. We will be ready in the first quarter of next year, but our eyes are also on the future.'

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I cruised to Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions, this was the highlight

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

Man gets Jet2 slogan tattoo

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I cruised to Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions, this was the highlight

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

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