2009 BMW 3 Series with Jaguar XF Grill

Features

www.autorivals.net

Photographed by furyksx

Supercar shootout at Silverstone – 20/4/2008

– License

2009 BMW 3 Series with Jaguar XF Grill
Features

http://www.autorivals.net/

O plano de renovação dos modelos continua em pauta na Jaguar. A próxima novidade de alto luxo da tradicional fabricante britânica, por exemplo, deve acontecer em 2012. De acordo com a revista local AutoCar, a empresa apostará em uma nova XF Wagon, para disputar o mesmo segmento da BMW Série 5 Touring, por exemplo. Ela virá, portanto, quando o sedã receber sua reestilização de meia idade.

A perua pode estrear ainda outra importante novidade para a marca. Trata-se de um revisado 2,2 litros a diesel, vindo da Ford/PSA, que deve alcançar até 200 cv com duplo turbocompressor. A motorização chegaria também ao três-volumes, mas não se sabe se será implantada em outros veículos.

A última aposta da Jaguar entre as peruas de luxo, com a X-Type, não foi uma experiência rentável, de sucesso. No entanto, o novo sedã da marca foi um grande salto tecnológico, o que pode apontar para uma mudança nos ventos. Será?

Honda Civic EK XF\XFR

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Current version :
Beta 2.0

Updates :

- Stock Seats
- Only Back Plate
- Front e Back Lights
- No back Mirror
- Front Window Sticker
- Full Exhaust
- Skin ( Not Fix, but can Guide anyone )
- Have Fun .
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Honda Civic Eg 6 VTI for XF\XFR

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Youtube Preview :

Current version :

- Stock Seats
- Only Back Plate
- All ligths
- No back Mirror
- No Door Window
- Front Window Sticker
- Full Exhaust
- Skin ( Not Fix, but can Guide anyone )
- Have Fun .

Thanks MartY for teaching me some stuff while modding this car
and helping me with the rollcage.
Hug for him, and for who downloads this mod and love Honda’s.

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By now I guess everyone has seen Jag’s latest incarnation of their signature XJ model. I was a little bit sceptical when I heard that they were bringing out another version of it as I’ve never liked the previous ones. The old model was a car that Alan Partridge would aspire to drive if his paycheck would allow him anything better than his Rover (with walnut dash).

Jaguar lost it’s way with the design of their cars but the latest XJ completes the transformation from dull to sexy. Look back to the 50s and 60s when Jags were sexy cars that pushed the boundaries of design and appealed to everybody, not just the golden oldies with driving gloves still working to pay off their XJ. Check out the pic below with George Best sprawled over a Jag in the 60s with a model, that’s the appeal Jags used to have.

I love the XK and the XF and now I’m in love with the new XJ although I can’t afford any of them! I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to see the new Jag XJ in the metal at it’s UK launch a few months back and it’s a serious piece of kit. I even got to meet the designer Ian Callum, the man behind the Aston Martin DB7!

Highlights on the press release included:

• dual screen – plasma screen in the central console that shows the passenger DVDs and the driver sat nav! How amazing is that? It’s like a hologram but on a plasma screen
• Bowers and Wilkins speakers. You don’t really get much better than this as it’s Abbey Road’s speaker of choice. The top of the range has 20 of them!
• It’s pretty fuel efficient too. It is supposedly a baby elephant lighter than it’s nearest competitors! (can anyone tell me how much a baby elephant weighs?!)

They’re not available until the end of the year which gives me plenty of time to save up. Here are some sneak peeks:

More info at jaguar.com

Express summary:

Aired 19 July, 2009
Guest: Sienna Miller
TG test lap car: Jaguar XFR; 1:26.7

Shortly after last week’s post my roommate called me up and accused me of hatin’ on front-wheel drive. This guy drives a Fiat…Chrysler PT Cruiser, so I didn’t dare insult him any more since he belongs to a cult of people who love that car. In a similar vein, the TG trio destroys yet another Morris in this week’s episode, likely inciting that owners’ club once again.

Jezza, Captain and Hamster take on a challenge to prove to their producers what I brought up in last week’s post:

“All teen drivers will tell you that front-wheel drive, modern cars are for the weak. And that if you’re at all serious about your driving, you have to have a car with rear-wheel drive. And we agree with them, even James May. But our producers disagree, they think we’re talking clap-trap. So, to try and prove their point, they gave each of us £1,500, told us to buy a rear-wheel drive car with it, and then to go to Calais where we would be given a number of stab wounds…no, not stab wounds…hats…what’s the word?…not sausages…challenges, yes, that!”

What follows are the predictable break-downs, ramming of May’s car and insults directed toward the French. And like every other challenge, this one proves nothing other than the fact a brand-new Renault Twingo 133 is faster than twenty-year-old sports cars. However, I don’t think the producers of the show, who set the challenges, understand what I maintain: That rear-wheel drive is a more enjoyable, visceral experience than front-wheel drive, not that it is necessarily faster. But for that matter, in what racing league can a car with front-wheel drive be found?

The regular news segment makes note of the Autonomible (ATNMBL), developed by the firm which worked on Google’s Android phone, whose researchers came to the conclusion that driving is not natural for human beings. I suppose this makes sense only, if by applying Kant’s Categorical Imperative, you come to the same conclusion that it’s not natural for human beings to sit behind a computer and develop the Autonomobile in the first place. Imbeciles.

I was debating on whether or not I should post a picture of the ugly thing, but I figure it has some shock value. The skinny on it being that the ATNMBL drives for you, this not a revolutionary concept due to both the nature of innovation and that, as just a concept, there is no way to apply it in real-life.

I could go on forever about the decline of the automobile, but I promise I’m done…for now.

Only two more episodes left this season!

Also in this episode:

News:
Google phone developers unveil the “Autonomobile” to relieve humans of the task of driving, which their researchers maintain is not natural for us
Jaguar to launch all-new XJ: 385 hp, 121 mph top speed, 0-60 mph in 5.4 s
California Bugatti Veyron driver receives 210 mph speeding ticket, and for only $500

Review of the new Jaguar XFR, “as good as an M5,” spec summary:

5.0 L supercharged V8 RWD
510 bhp, 461 lb-ft
155 mph top speed, 0-60 mph in 4.7 s
MSRP $80,000

The trio purchases three rear-wheel drive cars for under £1,500, which are then subjected to a series of challenges.

Clarkson attaches a trailer of tomato plants to the back of a Range Rover in an attempt to eliminate its carbon dioxide emissions.

Season 13, Ep. 6 preview:

Review: BMW Z4*
Challenges/features: Are classic cars better than their modern counterparts?
Guest: Brian Johnson

* Apparently the Z4 review scheduled for this week’s episode has been pushed up to the July 26 show

Hace escasos meses, Jaguar presentaba la versión más radical del XF, el XFR. Con él, la firma británica quería plantar cara al mismísimo BMW M5. Top Gear lo ha enfrentado. ¿Habrán conseguido los ingenieros ingleses su propósito?

The embargo has finally lifted on the new Jaguar XJ and although I’ve just woken up and am still a little bleary eyed, the big Coventry cat has already made quite an impression.

Times are tough for luxury car makers and few have had it tougher for longer than Jaguar. As sales of traditional large saloons free-fall and the cost of running them continue to rise, any new entrant to the segment needs to offer distinction and at least a convincing veneer of making good financial and environmental sense. On the face of it, the new XJ seems to achieve all of this.

While the family resemblance to the XF is clear, the design team’s approach to proportion and surface resolution has imbued a more relaxed feel to the XJ, swapping the XF’s bright-eyed and bushy-tailed exuberance for the preening satisfaction of a large, not corpulent, cat enjoying a luxuriant stretch. From the front and side, there is an elongated, fluid elegance to the form that’s really quite beguiling.

The cavernous upright grille in concert with the shoulder line that plunges down to form a more sharply defined corner than on the XF  further bolster the transition of Jaguar from a brand that majored in horizontal down-road graphics (forgettable S-Type notwithstanding) to a new sort of butch, low-set verticality that’s quite distinct from the XF. In a market segment that’s dominated by kidneys, cheese-graters and  gaping maws, Jaguar has clearly been working hard to establish a new and distinctive facial identity. The satisfying head-lamp graphic, first seen on the C-XF concept and sadly missed on the XF, finally sees the light of day here although is seems that the detail resolution of the lamp-cans and LED integration may leave a little bit to be desired.

Seen in profile, there’s a pleasingly discreet muscularity to the surfaces that, once again, differentiate the car from the XF by way of having a touch more fluidity about them. The overly balanced nature of the fade of the shoulder line does give me some cause for concern however. In profile it’s not so noticeable but in any of the three-quarter views I’ve ssen (and remember, I’m only going off the press shots) the decision to break the shoulder so emphatically and equally on either side of the B-Pillar leaves the car looking a bit too static and heavy set. It would have been nice to see the break occurring a little further rearward with a touch more flounce through the rear haunch. To my mind, doing so would lighten things up a bit and reference both the XK a little more strongly and acknowledge the marque’s past XJ glories.

It’s also in profile that the most controversial element of the design comes in to play. To black-out the D-Pillar is an astoundingly bold move and, to be frank, one I’m struggling to see the stylistic benefit of. Lacking any visual relationship to other features seen in profile and butting up against the chromed DLO (therefore denying it the chance to appear as a continuation of the glasshouse from front to rear), it seems controversial for the sake of being so and a little bit cheap as a consequence. Every so often I see Range Rovers of various vintages with body coloured D-Pillars (and indeed pre-production Series 1 cars were so afflicted. In the Range Rover’s case the functional and stylistic benefits of the black-out were clear) and I’m now wondering how many XJ owners will go down the same path of having the pillar painted to match. It’s also interesting to note that in some of the rear 3/4 press shots, the blacked-out section is obfuscated by some none-too-artfully applied lens flare… second thoughts on behalf of the press department?

Having been a one-time owner of a Citroen CX, I never thought I’d see the day when another manufacturer would so whole-heatedly embrace the large fast-back saloon. Yet the XJ sees Jaguar strengthening it’s affinity for the body-style, having shocked me senseless with the similarly fast-backed XF. Playing up to the current vogue for coupe-esque 4-doors, there’s an elegance to the fall of the XJ’s roof line over the rear-seats into a bone-line that runs through the trunk lid. If only my eye didn’t have to do a double take every time it hit that damned D-Pillar!

The rear of the car, like the front, trades the horizontal, Aston-esque feel of the XF for a more formal vertical arrangement and, to be frank, none of the press shots seem to capture a particularly flattering view of it. The shallow, high-set appearance of the glass leads to a very deep trunk-lid and a deep, pouty bumper that all conspire to make the rear 3/4 heavy and  block-like. It’s an effect not dissimilar to the similarly heavy-handed treatment that blighted the otherwise lovely XK8.

I can’t help thinking that the rear screen shouldn’t have been pulled further down, either through a larger aperture or by masking, as Citroen did with the CX and, more recently, Volkswagen with the Passat CC, to reduce the height of the body section. Indeed, pulling the base of the rear screen lower would also allow it to key with the waist line and enable a somewhat more satisfying resolution of the D-Pillar to boot. The inward flow of the tall rear lamps also make the whole composition feel a little bit narrow from some angles.

The interior is yet another handsome departure from Jaguars past and there are some truly lovely details to be found. Favourite of these would have to be the wood or carbon fibre waist rail that encircles the cockpit, a conscious nod to sports cruiser boats like the Riva says chief designer Ian Callum. Indeed the whole leather-trimmed IP structure is a refreshing repost to the dull, high-hooded monoliths we’ve seen in recent years from BMW and Mercedes with the cowled centre vents and jewel-like clock looking particularly rakish.

On the technology front it’s noteworthy that Jaguar has joined with Land Rover in being the first to market with a completely TFT-based instrument display allowing for customisation and on-the-fly re-configurability. Given the inherent flexibility of the system, it would be nice to see Jaguar offering customers a choice of dial face as the one depicted in the press shots seems just a little heavy-handed and overly analogue in style for the underlying technology.

Given that so much of the story of a car’s interior is told through the details, I’m reluctant to go further until I actually sit in the car and can have a good feel, but I will say this: i thought the neon blue ambient lighting in the XF was a little below a Jaguar’s station in life. Here it seems inappropriately cheap and overly cold, especially against the warmer trim choices available. Neon blue against tobacco tan? No thanks.

On an environmental note, I was astonished to learn that the aluminium (50% of which is post-recycled) XJ weighs slightly less than the XF and anywhere up to an amazing 220 Kg less that the German competition. Combined with Jag’s phenomenal diesels, never mind the green-washing hybrid, we should expect a combination of performance and parsimoniousness never before seen in this segment of the market. The green argument is also helped by the car being 85% recyclable come the end of it’s (hopefully) long life.

The proof of a new car is always in the metal and it may be some time before I can get my hands -and eyes- on the real thing, but on the whole my first impression is a positive one. The XJ can’t fail to cut a distinctive swathe through the throngs of 3-box luxury saloons -more awkward design elements aside- and the interior marks a refreshing change both from the cloyingly retro feel of the previous car and the considered averageness of it’s competitors. As with Jags past, it may well be the detailing that lets it down but on first impressions the new XJ is well placed to steal the thunder of the luxury saloon market as the first green shoots of financial recovery begin to appear.

 ( Pictured Taronga Zoo heritage- building entry & Harbour Bridge & Opera House Sydney ,Photos taken by Trieste Visier )

Taronga zoo was officially opened on Saturday October 7, 1916 with 177 animals and 329 birds transferred from Moore Park.  Although briefly closed in 1917 to house strike breakers of the 1917 General Strike, the zoo has remained open since 1916.  Changes in animal husbandry and zoo management have been reflected in the physical layout of the site and the exhibits and all of these layers are still visible at the zoo.

I would have to say that Taronga Zoo is the most beautiful Zoo in the world !,  that is a pretty grand statement to make but it is none the less the truth . Not only is Taronga Zoo set in spectacular harbour surroundings with million doller views , it also comes with other magnificent attributes as-well and I’m not just talking about the exotic and extraordinary inhabitants residing there such as Asian Elephants, Lions ,Zebras , Giraffes or Monkey’s for that matter – we will have a chat about those later … I’m talking about the people behind the scenes ,the staff members who spend each and every day looking after Taronga zoo and their amazing residents , for example I spoke with Marine Mammals supervisor Danielle Fox during my visit to Taronga , Danielle was a vital part of the reason that Taronga Zoo recently Celebrated another conservation breeding success with the arrival of an Australian Sea - Lion pup , the first to be born at the zoo in seven years .

The new arrival named ” Nala ‘ ( pictured ) was born to first time mother “Kira’ and father “Malie’ late in the evening of January 31 2009 she has since left her creche to begin exploring the zoo’s marine exhibit ,Energy Australia’s Great Southern Oceans.

The new pup was only recently named ‘Nala’ . Which is an African name and was also the name of the lion princess in the Disney movie the ”lion King ’  The keepers chose the name ‘ Nala’ from a public naming competition because it reinforces the fact that she is a Sea-Lion rather then a true Seal and apparently the name suits her for more then just that reason alone according to Danielle foxand fellow keepers who say that Nala defiantly thinks she’s also the ‘princess ‘of  Taronga’s’ Seal Cove.

‘Nala’ is very social and  has already made herself a bestfriend  ‘Tathara ’ a New Zea-land Fur -Seal ,  both enjoy a game of Frisbee together and occasionally they enjoy sharing some ice chews as-well , an interesting fact I also learnt from Danielle is that Seals see in shades of blue and green so its no coincidence then that their favorite Frisbee just happens to be coloured blue and green  .

Marine Mammals supervisor , Danielle Fox said : ” The arrival of a strong healthy pup was quite a cause for celebration. Australian Sea-Lions are endangered and also  have a very long pregnancy , up to 14 months , so they had been waiting for the birth for sometime.  ‘Kira’ who is also a first time mum did an exceptional job as-well caring for’ Nala ’

 ( pictured Meerkat’s & Carnivore Keeper Bobby-Jo -Photos Taken by Trieste Visier )

 Another successful breeding program is that of the Meerkat’s

“Meerkat” is a loanword from Afrikaans. The name has a Dutch origin but by misidentification. Dutch meerkatrefers to the “guenon”, a monkey of the Cercopithecus genus. The word “meerkat” is Dutch for “lake cat”, but the suricatais not in the cat family, and neither suricatas nor guenonsare attracted to lakes; the word possibly started as a Dutch adaptation of a derivative of Sanskrit markaţaमर्कट = “monkey”, perhaps in Africa via an Indian sailor onboard a Dutch East India Company ship. The traders of the Dutch East India Company were likely familiar with monkeys, but the Dutch settlers attached the name to the wrong animal at the Cape. The suricata is called stokstaartje = “little stick-tail” in Dutch.

According to African popular belief (mainly in the Zambian/Zimbabwean region), the meerkat is also known as the sun angel, as it protects villages from the moon devil or the werewolf which is believed to attack stray cattle or lone tribesmen

I spoke with Carnivore Keeper, Bobby-Jo  (pictured ) ,who said: 

Taronga Zoo is celebrating the birth of two Meerkat pups, the first to be born at the Zoo in nine years.

The two pups, named ‘Zanzibar’ and ‘Nairobi’, were born on Friday, January 23 to mother ‘Malawi’ and have just started venturing out of their nest box to explore the Zoo’s African-themed Meerkat Desert

Bobby-Jo said: “Meerkat’s are social animals and everyone has a role in raising the young.  All the females are vying for the opportunity to baby-sit. ‘Pretoria’, one of the aunties, seems to think the pups are hers! Her maternal instincts have definitely kicked in, which is a good sign for the future of our breeding program here at Taronga Zoo.”

”Taronga’s females, Kenya and her four daughters Pretoria, Tanzania, Sahara and new mother Malawi arrived from Mogo Zoo in late 2007 to breed with Taronga’s resident males.  They helped form a new bloodline for the species in the Australasian region, so the birth of these two pups is an extraordinary achievement for the breeding program here at the Zoo.”

It has taken only two years to breed these pups which is an extraordinary feet in captivity and also not withstanding the circumstances as-well , Meerkat’s are fiercely territorial animals and will not readily except newcomers into their territory/ group and throughout this program Bobby Jo said that it was incredible how the team had managed to introduce the 5 unrelated females and establish them as members of the group and they were very pleased and excited at having achieved a successful breeding program the way they have. During the process of introduction a time share system is used in the den where the girls are placed in the den for a period of time during the day separated from the boys using a mesh divider then the process is reversed allowing time share for the boy’s this method stays in place where both parties male and female can still smell and see each other through the mesh divider but are unable to have any other physical contact , until such time as good signs appearing when the boys and girls sit along side each other near the mesh divider in the den

Bobby – Jo also recounted a funny experience to me about the first introduction in the den where the Meerkat boy’s from Taronga performed a war dance arching their backs when they first caught sight of the five ”Mogo” girls arrival

A Meerkat pregnancy is a 77 day gestation period , Bobby – Jo said she was just full of excitement when she noticed that Milawe’s stomach looked like a little watermelon because that indicated there was only four weeks till birth expectancy

Bobby Jo said : “‘Malawi’s’ mother, ‘Kenya’, is the alpha female, so they were wary of how the group would react to the pups because in the wild the alpha female will sometimes kill any young which is not her own to maintain her status, but Kenya has accepted these new pups into the family group and, if anything has been over protective of the youngsters.

She also said : they have a hunch that the father may be ‘Bob’ who is the resident Casanova, and alpha male.” Bob was the last Meerkat to be born at Taronga in 2000.  “The pups’ sex  will be established at eight weeks when they have their first vaccinations and a veterinary examination, although keepers suspect there is a male and a female “

Meerkat’s are native to southern Africa and can be found in the Kalahari Desert. They have adapted to living in very harsh conditions and climate, with little water, limited food and many predators.  They have ears that can close in the event of a sand storm and dark patches around their eyes lessen the desert glare like sunglasses.

The best time to see Zanzibar and Nairobi is during the numerous Meerkat feeding sessions through the day.

( photo Meerkat’s taken by Trieste Visier )

 There are even more exiting births are on the way as-well , 

 ( pictured from left – right top page ) Terry Hatcher & James Nesbitt ( right top ) Terry Hatcher directing her daughter Emerson Hatcher to smile for Darkspy’s cameras  .  ( Pictured left – right above ) James Nesbitt with Oliver and ( right )  Miranda Otto attend the Australian premiere of ‘Coraline’ as part of the Sydney Film Festival 2009 at Greater Union George Street on June 10, 2009 in Sydney, Australia ( Photos taken by Trieste Visier )

( pictured left ) Judges Lone Scherfig , Oliver Hirschbiegel ,Rolf De Heer, Miranda Otto,and Ted Kotcheff  ( pictured -right ) attend the Australian premiere of ‘Coraline’ as part of the Sydney Film Festival 2009 at Greater Union George Street on June 10, 2009 in Sydney, Australia (pictured right ) Cedar Boys attend the Australian premiere of ‘Coraline’ as part of the Sydney Film Festival 2009 at Greater Union George Street on June 10, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. ( photos taken by Trieste Visier )

CORALINE

As the tale begins, Coraline and her parents move into a new apartment. Coraline’s parents are always busy with their work and pay her little attention. Isolated, Coraline goes off to explore. She meets the other inhabitants of the house, Miss Miriam Forcible and Miss April Spink, two elderly women retired from the stage and an even older man named Mr Bobo, who trains mice to play music. She finds a locked door in the drawing room, though the entrance beyond is bricked up. The next day she takes the key to the door, opens it, and finds a dark corridor leading to an apartment identical to her own. This alternate world is inhabited by her Other Mother and Other Father, who are near-replicas of her real parents, except they have buttons for eyes. These Other parents at first seem more interesting, fun and caring than her real parents. At the day’s end, Coraline’s Other Mother offers her a chance to stay in this world forever if Coraline will sew buttons over her eyes. Coraline decides she would rather go home, much to the disappointment of her Other Mother.  Upon her return to her apartment, Coraline finds her real parents are missing. They do not return by the next day, and Coraline, discovering they were kidnapped by her Other Mother, resolves to rescue them.

REVIEW

Coraline is nothing short of a masterpiece  ! , A highly inspired original and  imaginative work of art , My eyes were transfixed behind my 3D glasses throughout the whole duration of this film , I consider director Henry Selick  ( The Nightmare before Christmas ) and writer Neil Gaiman ( Stardust ) nothing more then a magician’s as Coraline captivated me beneath a thrilling spell of  unmeasurable proportions from beginning to end . The characters played by an outstanding cast including - Dakota Fanning as the voice of Coraline , Terry Hatcher as the voice of Mother / Other mother ,  Jenifer Saunders as the voice of Miss Spink , Dawn French as the voice of Miss Forcible and introducing Emerson Hatcher as the voice of a Magic Dragonfly were all worthy of standing ovations .

I want to see this film again and again,  it is a true visual /story , inspired piece of genius !

I rate it 11/10

Written by Trieste Visier

( pictured from left to right ) Oceanworld , Manly – one of their  spectacular marine life exhibits a Starfish ( photos taken by Trieste Visier )

Over the long weekend I took a trip to Oceanworld set on the picturesque harbour foreshore in Manly , Sydney , NSW 

From the moment you enter this historic harbour Jewel you are immediately surrounded by the many beautiful marine -life attractions it has to offer , such as this spectacular starfish  ( pictured above )

 ( pictured left -right ) Happy Shark Janine Pegus ( mum ) 39,( Children )  Oliver ,5 , Jake ,5 , Jamison ,2 . Underneath the entry Jaws -Oceanworld ( photos taken by Trieste Visier )

All The usual suspects can be seen at Oceanworld like the happy Shark smiling the picture above and that’s exactly who mum of 3 Janine Pegus ,39 and her son’s Oliver , 5 brother Jake , 5 and brother Jamison , 2 had come to see on their third visit to Ocean World , ( mum ) Janine Say’s it’s just a great family day out that the kids and herself really enjoy it and they’ll be back for a fourth visit too for sure !

( pictured left -right ) Shark Dive Xtreme-me and other divers swimming in the shark tank at Oceanworld – Outside the tank view of happy shark.

At Oceanworld you can get right up close and personal with all the amazing marine life there , but I don’t just mean looking through glass … I mean right up close ,  have you ever heard the expression  ”swimming with the fishes “  ? well that’s a reality at Oceanworld Shark Dive Xtreme and you don’t even need to be experienced either anyone  can do it ! Shark Dive Xtreme is for 1st time divers in Oceanworld’s controlled environment with expert instructors , dive with Huge Sharks , Rays , Giant Sea Turtles & a vast array of marine life

( pictured left – right ) me taking snaps of sharks – patting my new friend in Oceanworld’s Shark Dive Xtreme experience

 I just couldnt resist the oppurtunity to try Shark Dive Xtreme after all taking photos through the glass is somewhat impersonal and I like to get a Little closer to my subject.

All Shark divers receive : – Shark dive certificate – Optional up close & personal photo with Sharks – An unforgettable experience of a lifetime plus free entry to Oceanworld ( including daily animal shows & guided tours )

Friends and family who come to watch receive 20% off their Oceanworld admission

( Pictured )  Karen Bourke  ( mum ) Box Hill , Nth Melbourne ,with her son Leo Bourke ,3 .( photos taken by Trieste Visier )

Mum of 3 kids Karen Bourke said this was her third visit to Oceanworld every-time there is a new addition in the Bourke family they visit Oceanworld and she was visiting this Queens birthday - long weekend with her third child Leo ,3 . Leo loves the Shark tank and Turtles , he is also a big fan of the red icy – poles sold in the cafe .

HISTORY OCEANWORLD

Oceanworld was Sydney’s first public aquarium and became one of the origonal icons of Manly . Opening in 1964 under the name of  Marineland ,the concrete circular structure was 55 feet in diameter and contained 250,000 gallons of seawater. People were able to view and study the marine life through viewing portals and from above the tank.

Darkspy.Publications would like to give readers the chance to experience all the great attractions that Oceanworld has to offer . All you need to do is write in 25 words or less What your favorite marine creature is and how what each of us can do daily at home or work  ensure the protection of their environment and future survival .

Write to darkspy.publications@yahoo.com.au include your Name -Address -Contact-daytime telephone number and email address

Competition closes midnight EST June 30 2009

Oceanworld

Travel : Board the Ferry @ Circular -Que in Sydney , Platform 5  , Manly ferries depart every 30 minuets daily

Located ; West Esplanade Manly Sydney NSW 2095

Site www.oceanworld.com.au

Written by Trieste visier

Clare Stewart , Sydney Film Festival Director with Rowan Woods Directior of ” Winged Ceatures “ (  pictured top right ) Clare and stewart making a fashion splash in their matching Vuvox shoes ( photo taken by Trieste Visier )

Clare Stewart Sydney Film Festival director and Rowan Woods the director of “Winged Creatures ‘  made quite a fashion splash in their matching Vuvox shoes as they both walked the red carpet at the prestigious State Theatre in Sydney for the premier event of  ” Winged Creatures “  over the long weekend .

REVIEW

Winged Creatures opens with a powerful and thought provoking scene  in which an ordinary day within the premises of an  LA diner is abruptly thrown into chaos as a lone gun man enters and indiscriminately massacres the patrons

I was disappointed as the film continued , I had high expectations of strong performances considering the superb menu of  the featured cast  such as the likes of  Guy Pierce , Forest Whitaker , Kate Beckinsale , Dakota Fanning , all of who’s lives are intertwined and changed as a consequence of the horrific massacre ,  however I felt that each portrayed a rather weak and unappetising performances to support an equally weak and tasteless script not to be to harsh but the only winged creatures I could best relate to this film at conclusion are the variety that gather to garbage

I gave it  2 / 10

Written by Trieste Visier

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Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World located at Darling Harbour Sydney ( left ) Kim Ward ,Katherine Pearsol & Erin Katzen Pictured underneath the entry Jaws at Sydney Aquarium. ( photos by Trieste Visier )

It was an early start for me this morning as I waited at 9am for the doors of the Sydney Aquarium to open, but I wasn’t the only one keen to be swallowed into the jaws of fun ! First time visitors Kim Ward 21 , Katherine Pearsol 21 & Erin Catzen ( pictured above ) who are all backpackers from the US were also keen to get inside and see the many cool attractions , Kim Ward wanted to see the sharks obviously … she was also excited about the Dugong’s as-well , Katherine Pearsol is a Platypus fan and was thrilled that she was getting the chance to see one for the first time today ,she was also excited about seeing the Dugong’s as-well  , Erin catzen had mainly come  for the Dugong’s and was very interested to see what they looked like ? as she had never heard of Dugongs before her visit to Australia .

 ( photos by Trieste Visier )

 I ventured to the shark tank where I was able to get up close and personal with these deadly creatures of the deep though not as close as this guy (pictured) Hi buddy! I said waving back trying to direct his attention to the Great White Shark nearby whilst inferring that at any moment he might become the star attraction if he didn’t watch out! …Is that the theme tune for the movie JAWS playing in the background ?

 ( photos by Trieste Visier )

Next up I went to see the Turtles and one of them gave a wave to my camera, then demonstrated his interpretation of a sea angel. ” show off “ !

(Pictured from left to right) Mathew Darley, (Dad) Brett Darley & Adam Darley ( photos by Trieste Visier )

Mathew Darley and his brother Adam Darley could not be found in school today , they were out enjoying themselves with their dad Brett Darley watching schools of fishes instead .

Mathew Darley said Jelly fish are his favourite he thought that their tentacles looked like steam and I was delighted to hear such an interesting and highly imaginative perspective, Adam Darley Liked the sharks, he thought it was cool to watch them breath through their gills

(Pictured back-row left to right) Students from Doonside Technical High School NSW Deanna Bonello 14 , Jodie Osborne 33 ( Teacher ) Samantha Brown 14 .( pictured front row left to right ) Nicole Wood 14 , Taylor Susnjara 14 , Stephanie Mclean 15.   (Pictured right side)  Angela Capel 23 , Staff , Aqua Snap ,Located inside - Sydney Aquarium.( photos by Trieste Visier )

The students and their teacher from Doonside Technical high School NSW loved having their picture taken alongside the popular Dugong -Mermaid chair which is located at the entrance to the Dugong’s above water pool where these mysterious and beautiful marine mermaids play

Students Deanna Bonello and Samantha Brown were participating today in a program hosted by their High school called LEAPS ( Lawyers encouraging and enhancing promising students ) both students expressed that their visit with the Dugong’s at Sydney Aquarium had indeed been highly motivating and  excellent experience all ’round ! 

I suggested that whilst they were all in the mood to have their picture taken why not visit  Aqua Snap where Angela Capel 23 ( Staff , Photographer )  loves to offer visiting students and any-body else who might be interested  a chance to have a bit of fun whilst creating a great souvenir keepsake .

Angela Capel 23 is a fabulous photographer! ,  in just minuet’s she can have ready an incredible photo of you desperately  trying to escape our very own version of JAWS in Sydney Harbour , I did it ! And I had a great deal of fun…

 ( photos by Trieste Visier )

Thanks Angela !

About the Dugong’s 

There are only 5 dugongs on exhibition anywhere in the world and 2 are at Sydney Aquarium! Sydney Aquarium’s new exhibit is called: Mermaid Lagoonand celebrates the inextricable link between dugongs and mermaids. It is believed that mermaid myths were born from pirates and sailors sighting dugongs. The tropical water habitat features two dugongs making Sydney Aquarium the only place in Australia where you can see these unique sea mammals up close.

Sydney Aquarium’s dedicated aquarists engage in the daily process of threading 80-90kg of cos lettuce into weighted custom-made feed plates that sink to the bottom of the exhibit. The lettuce substitutes for the dugongs’ natural low-nutrient diet of seagrass. Seagrasses are protected, and are not harvested as it could be harmful to the environment.

In an incredible story of rescue and rehabilitation, the docile and endearing marine mammals – whose numbers are declining in the wild due to a number of human threats including degradation of habitat, boating injuries and drowning in nets – have been relocated from Sea World, where they were raised after being rescued as orphaned calves, to their new home at Sydney Aquarium.

SOME COOL CONSERVATION LINKS :

Let Lucy Live!

This campaign is dedicated to the protection of Australia’s friendliest shark – the Grey Nurse.

Lucy is the face of these harmless Grey Nurse Sharks.

With fewer than 500 Grey Nurse Sharks remaining on the east coast of Australia, this animal looks set to become extinct within our lifetimes.

This section of the NPA~Marine website is designed to tell you all about the Grey Nurse Shark including what you can do to help protect them.

More information on NPA~Marine and it’s projects can be found on the NPA~Marine website

What is HarbourKeepers? 

( photo taken by Trieste Visier )

What is HarbourKeepers?

HarbourKeepers involves the community in regular activities which explore and safeguard Sydney Harbour.

HarbourKeepers extends from the seafloor to the water’s surface, onto the beaches and surrounding bushland and includes Sydney Harbour’s islands. HarbourKeepers offers a fun and social way to learn more about our marine environment and contribute to helping protect it.

HarbourKeepers involves volunteers in various activities including marine surveys, removal of underwater debris, bush regeneration, removal of beach rubbish, removal of aquatic weeds, volunteer training days and other community events in and around our harbour.( read more ) http://www.harbourkeepers.org.au/what.htm

THE NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF NSW

( photo taken by Trieste Visier )

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW and leading national and state environment groups have come together to make it clear we do not support the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) in its current form.

We’re concerned the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are already above safe levels, and the CPRS will not effectively reduce carbon pollution.

We’ve put together a Plan B of measures that could be enacted in the next two years and would set Australian up to meet the vital target of halving our greenhouse pollution over the coming decade.

The environment groups behind Plan B, with a combined membership of more than 400,000 Australians, call on the Rudd Government to abandon the fundamentally flawed CPRS and commit Australia to this new approach to tackle climate change.

Plan B outlines five priority areas where we could achieve significant pollution reduction in the next few years and make deep cuts in emissions over the next decade.  ( read more ) http://nccnsw.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2828&Itemid=1

1) Prioritise saving energy

2) Fast-track the switch to a renewable energy economy

3) Drive the shift to low emissions vehicles and sustainable cities

4) Protect our forests and woodland as a carbon store and make agriculture a part of the solution

5) Grow the green job economy

The Plan B agenda will provide tens of thousands of green jobs based on saving energy; enable a fast transition away from coal and towards renewable energy; and protect precious forests and establish carbon sinks.

DARKSPY.PUBLICATIONS -COMPETITION

I had an absolutely fabulous day visiting Sydney Aquarium and I would like others to share my experience so Darkspy. Publications is offering readers the chance to win 1 of 4  family passes to see the mysterious Dugong ’s including full day entry to Sydney Aquarium valid until June 2010  

If you like a chance to enter this competition all you have to do is write to us and tell us in 25 words or less ways we can better help improve our environment to ensure the survival of our marine life.

write to www.darkspy.publications@yahoo.com.au

Please include your name , address and daytime T number plus an email address

Competition closes June 30 2009 midnight EST , all winners will be notified by mail .

 Sydney Aquarium www.sydneyaquarium.com.au

Location : Aquarium Pier , Darling Harbour , Sydney , Australia 2000

P: 8251 7800

Opening times : 9 am – 10pm daily

Except for Christmas Day and
New Years Eve where Sydney
Aquarium closes at 6pm
(last ticket sale at 5pm).

The opening and closing times of Sydney Aquarium are subject to change, without prior notice.

For further information refer to main site www.sydneyaquarium.com.au

Written by Trieste Visier