Alison Down Under!
More adventures with the great Host Alison Haislip – this time in Sydney, Australia!
I was filming at Bondi Beach, and Alison came by to see the shoot – so of course we got a picture together…if you think this ISN’T one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, you would be WRONG:
And Don’t Forget The Opera House!
Yes, when it comes to amazing views, it is tough to beat this one, of the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge…
We filmed all around the area, and ate in the shadow of the Opera House as well – as you will soon see….but while we were shooting, Alison was off on a different adventure! First, here she is with our great Producer Torie – filming a special surfing segment – which I will showcase later – but first, Torie and Alison had to go CLIMBING…
Torie And Alison Climb Harbor Bridge!
Torie was producing segments with me in Sydney, and we came up with the idea to have Alison climb to the top of the Harbor bridge, something that thousands of people do every year…
So, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and Alison as always was up for the adventure – and so they climbed it with a group – much like this group doing it in lousy weather…you can see the group on top of the bridge on the upper right of the screen – you are tethered to the bridge and you literally walk up it!
Alison and Torie’s Excellent Adventure!
This wasn’t the duo’s first great adventure together…here is the entry I posted about their London shoot the year before…
http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/18/alison-haislip-the-london-grind-travels-with-alison/
That’s Torie with the blond hair, producing Alison’s London standups. That was then, this is now – in Sydney Australia, eager for a challenge…so they set off for the top of the Harbor bridge, and it was only later I learned that Torie had a fear of heights!
Dinner With Alison and Ross!
After everyone finished filming for the day, it was time to eat! Another Producer on the shoot, Ross, joined Alison and I for dinner – along with legendary Production Manager Todd Miller – in the shadow of the famed Opera House, in a restaurant literally underneath the bridge. For some reason, I decided to film Alison contemplating our restaurant – and captured her in all of her 360 degree glory:
Once we sat down, I got a picture of Alison and Ross checking out the menu. As soon as I took the picture, I realized it appeared that Alison was holding onto her top! So I took another picture to make sure there was no mistake:
So we ordered, and Alison dug right in to the bread…
Appetizer Dilemma!
Then Alison got her appetizer, which APPEARS to be beef Carpaccio..I honestly don’t remember now, and it looks like Alison wasn’t even sure THEN…
Alison’s Aussie Dinner Surprise!
But that was nothing compared to what showed up next! Yes, it was quite the “Surf & Turf Tower!” Chunks of grilled steak on a skewer, then hunks of fish, topped by grilled “Bugs!”
“BUGS?!?!?!”
These creatures are a hybrid of langoustines, shrimp and lobsters…here is what they look like when you buy them at the seafood counter:
The skewer of food was not only impressive in size, but a monster to try and eat! But after her initial shock, Alison dug in and did what she could…and then it was time to attack dessert!
As a great Supervising Producer, Ross seemed to be trying to “COAX” the flavor out of his dessert…but both were delicious…and I can now assume Ross will NEVER let me photograph him eating again…
Alison seemed pleased to discover the cake-and-jam center to her boxed confection…
Afterwards, for reasons that I still don’t remember, I decided to film them outside the restaurant, as Alison discusses her upcoming shoot where she dives with sharks:
It was a great night – good food, fun conversation, the Sydney Opera House in the distance – just one more reason that Sydney Australia is such a great city!
Categories: Alison Haislip, Australia, Books/Media, Celebrities, Documentary, Exotic Travel, Extreme Travel, Food Travel, Technology, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Travel Writing, Uncategorized, Wild Travel
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