Oh wow what an awesome thing to come home to!
Damn today has been a long and tiring but wonderfully fulfilling day and to find out I've been selected for a DD has topped it off - Thanks so much, especially to `Anoya for the suggestion and ^namenotrequired for the feature. Oddly enough the suggestion comes from someone who has an amazing ID herself...!
Despite having gone a little quiet on the photo front of late due to my current working arrangements, photography continues to be a passion of mine and to be able to get such positive feedback just makes me more and more motivated to continue what started out as no more than a reason to get out of the house.
I promise i will do my best to respond to everyone's comments, but right now its just before midnight local time and i could really use a shower.
Thanks again!

$2700 of bills due before the end of the month. I believe the most acceptable response for that at the moment is....

FML

That is all.

Nicking off tomorrow to my favourite little hidey-hole up in the mountains to spend a few days away from Ballina.
Its the start of winter here and i expect it to be very cold, but my car boot is a nice warm place and i like sleeping in there. I don't bother with tents much these days on short trips - since i had a mattress made up for my boot space it is just too convenient.
There has been quite a lot of rain hanging about lately so with any luck there should be a bit of water in the falls, plus i only just bought some cheap-arse hiking shoes im keen to put through their paces. It doesn't seem to matter how much i spend on boots they all disintegrate when i get them wet, but these 60 dollar boots from Rivers (lol) and their stitched soles give me hope. I tested them the other night on the treadmill for a couple of hours to soften up the leather and they were probably the comfiest I've ever worn.
Now that the issues with my video camera appear to be sorted i am hoping to capture a few of the parks highlights this time around. I've never really tried shooting video before so i am pretty excited at the chance to maybe share a few of my favourite places in the park with you all that maybe i havent covered as much in my photo stills. Hopefully, the result isn't too boring and with any luck it might inspire a few to give it a crack for themselves.

While I'm on the subject of video, is there anything anyone would like me to cover?
Having a video camera there for the first time might be a good opportunity to talk about any techniques you might have been wondering about, maybe you have questions regarding equipment or perhaps you want me to try and shoot some of the parks fuzzy locals before they end up decorating the front of my car.
Anyhow, the offer's there to make my random video buggery useful to at least someone. Maybe you just want to hear me talk to laugh at my voice..

Regardless, hopefully i will have some nice new photos to share when i get home. If not, I have plenty of booze and snags in the esky as backup.
The only walk i will be doing come rain, hail or shine, is the hike out to Pat's Bluff on Tuesday. Its beautiful there, and it is also one of the only places in the park that i get good mobile signal. I have a job interview at lunch time
Wish me luck!

Does anyone here run a small business (sole trader - australia)?
I've spent all week trying to figure out tax and superannuation....
I'm going bonkers here...

Firstly let me apologise for my lack of activity of late. Whilst I hesitate to make excuses for myself things have a been pretty hectic juggling full time study with work and i have to emphasise the fact that such a game plan leaves little time for photography - or anything else for that matter. It shames me to know that the last time i took a photo was in January, and that these days the only time my motorbike sees the light of day is when i can ride it to uni.
It is difficult to take university seriously when it's taking away so many of the things I love. Call it immaturity, call it ignorance, call it whatever you like - but if this is what they call the real world i cannot help but wonder where i fit into it.
The way i see it, each and every one of us has but 80 years here, give or take. I hold no contempt for anyone following their chosen career path - if anything i envy them, but it concerns me that my 25 years thus far have been spent chasing what i believe to be the dreams of someone else.

In light of this revelation (if you want to call it that) I am happy to reveal that my new camera arrived today, and that i have a new lens on its way also. It is my intention to put it through its paces in the coming weeks. In the mean time, I wait patiently for my application for an ABN to be approved while i continue to ENJOY my job (however insipid it may appear), and will do my best to ride out the semester at uni as best i can.

My Mother only recently expressed her belief that i would always fall on my feet regardless of the path i chose. I hope she was right.

...Because i bought a Canon 1000D + Two lenses today with some accrued vouchers from work and i have no need for it - [link]
It'd be nice to see it go to someone who will use it properly and hell - if it's someone from here i get to see!
Even though its a base model it has a CMOS sensor so the images SHOULD be pretty clean - good value for the starting price considering the two lenses...

Even though JB HIFI had SO much stuff there i wanted for myself i am trying to be sensible and get rid of some debt.

Cheers!

If anyone out there is interested...
[link]
Cheers!

Its official - back at uni and the horrors of full time study as of Feb 2010.
Definitely a weight off my shoulders considering the fact i left my full-time job and my home to move closer to the university i had not yet been accepted to.
For the last couple of months since i arrived here I've been working for a great company with lovely people who have given me plenty of hours, and although Ballina still isn't my favourite place in the whole wide world, it's feeling more and more like home each day.
As far as my lack of photography of late is concerned, there are quite a few places around here worthy of a photo or two so ill do my best to get a few out of the way before the new year. That said, if there is anyone out there local to the far north coast who know of a few good spots I'd certainly be keen to learn of them.

In other news, providing i behave myself with my savings I'm planning to be in USA for about a month around June/July. I guess i will know for sure as i get a bit closer but it's looking good at this stage. I don't have a plan yet exactly, but it's certain to contain a shit load of driving as i attempt to see as much as i can in the shortest possible time and for the least amount of money. Lets just say that i plan for my hire car to big enough to sleep in

Anyway...
Thats it for me but have fun, stay safe and enjoy the holiday period. Might seem a tad early for some but given my track record with journals better now than possibly never

-CAM.