Jemapela Photography

The annual photo expo by PMA (Photo Marketing Association of Australia) in 2010 was held in the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Center. Issued with industry passes bearing our names, Averal and I attended this event together on 5 June 2010.

She tries out the Nikon D300s with a massive expensive 500mm super telephoto lens.

The opposite of me, she prefers Nikon to Canon, and was keen to try out the professional Nikon equipment on display.

Still reeling on a high by our recent Good Friday Easter Sunday long weekend road trip, Averal and I decided on another road trip during the ANZAC Day long weekend; this time to Grampians National Park. This popular park is about 3 times the size of our island homeland of Singapore.

Adding a few days of annual leave to extend the ANZAC Day long weekend, Averal and I did a 5-day-4-night road trip to, and around, Grampians National Park in a Toyota campervan from a popular company called Britz. This was my very first time driving a campervan, and of course, leading to my very first experience with caravan parks in Australia.

The neatly modified Toyota HiAce had a battery-powered fridge, mains-powered microwave, gas stove, wash basin with water from a built-in refillable tank, several drawers of crockery and cutlery, a clothes closet with hangers, a bed to fit 2 adults, an upper-deck bed to fit 1 adult, a indoor dining table, and an outdoor dining table. Almost everything required to live inside the van was provided. How cool is that?

After filling the campervan with our clothes and toiletries, we departed Melbourne for Grampians National Park. Along the way, just outside the regional city of Ballarat, we stopped to visit Castle Kryal. Then we continued our journey stopping at Ararat for some groceries. Our first night was at Grampians Paradise Caravan Park in a village called Pomonal in the Grampians region.

On route to Grampians National Park in our Britz campervan.

Arriving Pomonal village in Grampians National Park in our Britz campervan.

At Grampians Paradise caravan park.

At Reed Lookout in Grampians National Park.

At MacKenzie Falls in Grampians National Park.

At Lake Wartook in Grampians National Park.

At Lake Bellfield in Grampians National Park.

On the way to another Aboriginal rock art site in Grampians National Park.

Like motels and hotels, check-out time at caravan parks were typically 10am or 11am, and as expected, late check-out surcharge applies. After having breakfast cooked by her inside the campervan, by about 10am every morning, we would have washed up and locked away all crockery, cutlery and stuff in the cabin, and left the caravan park for the drive to our next intended destination.

By night, we are checked into a caravan park having self-cooked dinner.

At Wonderland carpark in Grampians National Park.

During the day, we drove many kilometers to visit and enjoy several sites around the huge national park. By nightfall, we would arrive at a pre-booked powered site in a caravan park where she would cook food from our on-board fridge for our dinner.

At Grand Canyon in Grampians National Park.

Sunset on Mount William in Grampians National Park.

My first ever use of a modified full-spectrum digital camera, a Nikon D70, occurred on this road trip.

This 5-day long campervan road trip traveled us 980km.

More images of our road trip are in our Facebook profiles.

During the recent Good Friday Easter Sunday super long weekend, Averal and I went on a 790km return road trip.

Starting at Melbourne CBD, we drove through the regional city of Geelong and on to the world-famous scenic Great Ocean Road (B100). At the coastal town of Lorne, we went to see Erskine Falls, then continued to the next coastal town of Apollo Bay. Continuing on route B100, we drove through the towering trees of Otway Ranges and some farms until we reached Port Campbell National Park where the famous 12 Apostles stand.

At the Great Ocean Road memorial.

At dusk, we arrived at the town of Port Campbell to spend the night in a motel, and dined at a local beach bar amusingly called 12 Rocks. After washing down our delicious dinner and dessert of rich chocolate cake with a bottle of chardonnay, we swayed back to our motel room for the night.

Dessert of chocolate cake washed down with chardonnay at 12 Rocks bar-restaurant in Port Campbell.

We rose the next day to explore more of Port Campbell and then continued further west to the regional city of Warrnambool where we stayed a night at Herb’s Hus. Our kind hosts recommended us a restaurant called Breakers for dinner. Early next day, we followed our hosts to their farm to watch cows being milked. Later that same day, we drove to Port Fairy where we had ice coffees and a brownie cake while watching the ocean from the verandah of a café called Time & Tide Café.

Exploring more of the rugged shipwreck coast at Port Campbell National Park.

Dinner at Breakers restaurant in Warrnambool regional city.

Watching about 100 cows being milked at the farm of our hosts.

After retrieving our belongings from Herb’s Hus, we made a stop at Hopkins Falls outside Warrnambool, then got on Princes Highway (A1) for the road back home to Melbourne.

During this road trip, I also used my newly infrared-modified Canon PowerShot SX120IS camera. Infrared images will be uploaded in the relevant category soon.

More images of our road trip are in our Facebook profiles.

Averal returned from her holiday in the US to Melbourne in time for Australia Day 2010, and also to experience the new lunar year celebration in Melbourne Chinatown.

Averal and I on Australia Day 2010.

Averal and I with our housemate and Aussie friends dinning Szechuan on the eve of lunar new year.

Currently staying in Melbourne, she is pursuing her interests in writing through an online writing class and developing her e-commerce website knowledge, while learning to cook meals and further maturing herself towards independent living in a foreign country.

As of 17 December 2009, Averal was admitted to the Bachelor degree of business and commerce, specializing in management and marketing.

Averal and I at her graduation ceremony in Monash University Clayton campus.

Now on holidays in Singapore and then in the US in early January 2010, Averal intends to continue studying in Monash University in 2010 towards a Master degree.

Unlike tiny and crowded Singapore, the beauty of Australia is in her vast open spaces and ample natural assets. As the world’s largest island, Australia can truly fill a person’s entire lifetime with countless scenic holidays. In fact, the travel industry ranks Australia as the world’s best country to visit for her natural beauty.

From September to December 2009, Averal and I have taken 5 road trips out of Melbourne to the countryside in Victoria (VIC) state, and also into New South Wales (NSW) state reaching as far as Sydney.

Our first road trip was on 20 September. We went to the annual tulip festival in Silvan. We stopped along the way at Sassafras for lunch before reaching the tulip farm. After the tulip farm, we had a late afternoon tea picnic at Olinda. The distance traveled was 178km.

Averal and I at the annual tulip festival at Silvan.

Averal enjoying the afternoon tea picnic at Olinda.

Averal and I having an afternoon tea picnic at Olinda.

Our second road trip was on 27 September while hosting a holidaying Singaporean friend named Kenneth. Together with Kenneth, we had an English country-style tea at Sassafras.

Averal and I having an English country-style afternoon tea at Sassafras.

Our third road trip was a 2-day 1-night road trip from 31 October to 1 November. I drove us southeast of Melbourne to Phillip Island, and after a night’s stay at the seaside country town of San Remo, we drove off to Wilsons Promontory the next morning. The distance traveled was 615km.

Averal and I at Bass River winery on the way to Phillip Island.

Averal and I at Phillip Island Penguin Parade.

Averal and I at Wilsons Promontory Tidal River.

Averal and I having a picnic at Wilsons Promontory.

Our fourth road trip was on 5 December. I drove us to the west of Melbourne to Werribee Park Mansion and Point Lonsdale beach. The distance traveled was 292km.

Averal and I at Werribee Park Mansion.

During Averal’s mother’s visit to Melbourne in December 2009, we did our fifth road trip from 9 to 13 December. Together with her mother, we departed Melbourne to Warragul, Lakes Entrance, Orbost, and across the Victoria state border into New South Wales state where we spent 2 nights at Eden (NSW).  After Eden, we drove on to Bega (NSW), Tilba Tilba (NSW), Kiama (NSW), Wollongong (NSW), and finally to Sydney (NSW). This 5-day 4-night road trip traveled 1325km.

Averal and I at Lakes Entrance.

Averal and I at Ben Boyd National Park (NSW).

Averal and I having fresh oysters at an oyster farm at Pambula River (NSW).

Averal and I outside the toilets of Bega cheese factory in Bega (NSW).

Averal and I at the Kiama blow hole in Kiama (NSW).

Averal and I outside the Sydney Opera House in Sydney (NSW).

More images of our road trip are in our Facebook profiles.

For many years, I have stood behind cameras directing and photographing people. However, occasionally I do come in front of a camera to pose and be photographed.

In September 2009, Averal and I posed ourselves as a couple for a photo shoot. With a mutual liking for long trench coats, we styled ourselves in them while my Aussie mate Lincoln provided a variety of Japanese samurai swords.

Averal and I pose as a couple for a photo shoot.

Averal and I pose as a couple for a photo shoot.

Averal and I pose as a couple for a photo shoot.

This was a collaborative effort with Lincoln who likes collecting swords.

The images were shot using the humble Canon EOS 1000D and the powerful flagship Canon EOS 1D Mark III.

In early July 2009, a young precocious woman arrived Melbourne to complete her studies which began in Singapore. Named Averal, she is studying a business and commerce degree specializing in management and marketing offered by Monash University, and is due to complete her degree in December 2009. We met for the first time even though we had corresponded by e-mail over a year ago.

Averal and I having pasta at La Porchetta restaurant near QV Market.

Unlike many typical young Asian women, Averal is well-read, unusually sharp for her age, and armed with motivation and goals unexpected of most of her meek and passive peers. She also does photographic modeling for story concepts and has worked with a few talented photographers.

Averal and I having iced chocolate at San Churro cafe in QV Mall.

Like many other Asians who educate themselves away from the restrains of conformist and conservative Asian societies, Averal feels that Melbourne can be more liberating and less judgemental in some aspects of life. This is probably the “freedom” many Asian migrants love about being in an open-minded western society such as Australia.

Averal and I having a Korean dinner in Dae Jang Geum restaurant in Melbourne Chinatown.

After spending a lot of time together on the weekends, often eating at La Porchetta restaurant where she loves the mushroom pasta, Averal and I became a couple in early September.

Averal is responsible for building this website.

After much delay and procrastination in the pursuit of other life matters and priorities, this Jemapela Photography website has finally been revamped on 22 Nov 2009.

This website works best with Mozilla Firefox version 3.5.7 and Microsoft Internet Explorer version 8.0. Older versions are likely to display the format and appearance of this website incorrectly. Your screen resolution is recommended to be 1024×768 pixels.

This blog-style website would not be possible without the expertise of my best mate Vasko and the assistance my girlfriend Averal.

Averal, Vasko and I having a Korean dinner in Dae Jang Geum restaurant in Melbourne Chinatown.

Thank you very much Vasko and Averal.