Back from Cowra

Just had a great couple of days in the NSW country town of Cowra. People remember Cowra as the place where the Famous Cowra Breakout occurred during the 2nd World War when interned Japanese prisoners escaped and many people died.


Well this trip was about showing some fun and good times to 3 kids who who don't normally experience many good things in life. Our three kids were borrowed and not sick or disadvanteged. Not this time. They were there to help me produce a promo video about the future 2 day camps which will be held once a month and will cater to terminally ill kids, and disadvantaged kids. Their carers will also be able to attend and the camp doesn't cost them anything.

This whole idea is the brainchild of Graeme Hutchinson who operates Hawkesbury Powered Parachutes out of the Hawkesbury and from Cowra Airport. He is doing this out of his own pocket and with some fantastic support from a few people and organisations in Cowra. You can visit his website : http://hppc.com.au/

Graeme has named these camps, The Cowra Break Away. Anyone wishing to know more about this can contact Graeme on: Mob: 0414 862 397

We will be posting links to the video on our website: http://filmu.com.au/ as soon as it is ready.
Watch this spot.

Giving back

Later today I head to Cowra for a couple of days filming. I am producing a promo video for a business colleague who has decided to spread the love and give a little happiness to some less fortunate. In particular, we are talking about terminally ill kids. My colleague is planning to offer these 2 day escape trips to ill kids who are still able to do a few things. They will be accompanied by parents or carers and will be offered the chance to fly in a Powered parachute, ride in a ski boat, visit some of Cowra's main attractions and generally forget about their problems for a couple of days.

This is one of those projects we get involved in because it is the right thing to do. This first trial weekend is the test. It looks like the weather could also be a test with forecasters predicting heat and showers.

I am hoping for a bit of fun and will file a report upon my return.

Bushfires & Cyclones

Today we should all spare a thought for those fighting fires around Australia. and preparing to face cyclone Yassi in Far Nth Qld.
As I type this a little after 8am on Wednesday Feb 2nd, the temperature here in the Hawkesbury NSW is already 28 degrees. Yesterday I filmed bushfires where temperatures reached the high 40's. Firefighters must wear full protective clothing as do do the media. In those conditions, sweat leaves the body by the litres and heat exhaustion is s real threat. Having had a few small tastes of those conditions, I take my hat off to the fire fighters who stay on the fire ground for hours at a time until the job is done. Many homes stand today because of their efforts in the last 2 days here.

In Qld this morning, people are fleeing their homes and businesses by the 10's of thousands. With Cyclone Yassi being upgraded to a level 5, many towns and cities I have visited will never look the same again. We wish our Northern neighbours well in the next 24 hours. In reality, we now know that many more builders and tradespeople from the rest of the country will be need up there to rebuild. We should also prepare for a shortage of all the crops that will be wiped out. Banana farms that have only just recovered from the 2006 cyclone will be wiped off the map around Innisfail.

Myself, well I am hoping for a nice quiet boring day.

My last thought on the aftermath of storm events is that it should not only be legal to shoot looters, shooting them should be encouraged. When looters have been shot, they should be shot again. This is Australia. A land of ANZAC's who help each other. Not steal from each other.

Here is a link to video of yesterday fires: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etKNx9SlRa8

Video Innovations http://www.filmu.com.au