For over four decades I have been a rail and bus photographer.
However, during this time I have aimed the lens at other subjects, be they different transportation, scenery, buildings and other bollocks.
Given these do not really fit the scope of my other sites, I felt compelled to set up a new site so as to inflict my other photographic garbage upon the world.
While primarily Philippine and Australian content, there will be the occasional forays into Fiji and Hong Kong. Perhaps other locations should the current pandemic ever allow it.
So sit back and enjoy, or hate, even be indifferent. That choice is purely up to you.

Official Home Of the 'Brad N Virls Adventure Series' - Images are copyright, so contact us if you would like to use any photos on your site/video! (We don't bite)


Sunday, 12 April 2020



Fiji Part 2

The second installment in our 2006 trip to Fiji.
It is becoming readily apparent that I aimed my camera at many a passing bus, at the expense of photographing much else (other than cane trains).
  Anyway, it is what it is. I desperately wish to go back and see how much it has changed.



One of my favourite shots of a cane train bridge and it does not even include a train.
But how could you not love that old Toyota truck.
Model: DA116
Rego: BT-482

Spent the whole trip looking around for a Bure to take a photo of. I remember my grandparents often talking about staying in one during their regular visits.
I was of the belief that I would see them everywhere, I guess like many tourists expect to see kangaroos roaming Sydney streets :-)
But, it was not until our last day, and through sheer luck down a back road, that we came across the one above. A quick stop of the car, window down, and a fast photo grabbed so as not to freak out whoever was living there.
I could happily return home now :-)


Despite appearances, the bus is passing over another road/rail bridge, on a road that Google does not seem to have named. That is the Queens Road (Saweni) in the background, and we are a few kilometres out of Lautoka.
If I recall correctly, and I very well may not, this was a circular cane line that junctioned (I have a shot of said junction somewhere) closer to Lautoka, served farms on the east side of the Queens Road, before swinging back over the road here, and rejoining the mainline a kilometre or two behind me.
  It had not seen use for some time when we visited, and I am doubtful it has since, with cane fields all but disappeared from the area.
As always, if the last 14 years have clouded my memory, please feel free to let me know and I shall update.

Yet another classic old Fiji bus.
If 'Unicom Network' are still in the same location, this is Naviti Street, Lautoka.
Oh, and if you happen to pass there, you may wish to tell them that their website is not working :-)

Now, one for the Avgeeks.
ZK-PBB was three years old, having been delivered to Virgin Blue (in Pacific Blue livery) as VH-VOP.
Named 'Whitney Sundays', it would operate in Australia until early 2005, when it was ferried to Christchurch and entered the New Zealand registry as ZK-PBB and leased to Pacific Blue.
It would be renamed 'Indian Head' in 2012 and continue in the New Zealand registry until early 2015, when it returned to Australia and it's original registry of VH-VOP.
Today, she remains in service with Virgin Australia. Although, very likely now grounded due to the Coronavirus.

Koronubu Village. Can't remember much about this place, other than we stopped between cane trains and, most importantly, thy had an extra cheesy type of Twisties that I can't recall ever seeing in Australia.
Oh yeah, it was not far from the Toyota truck at the top of this post.

Naickers CY-740 on the Nadi Back Road near the turnoff to the Hotel San Bruno Ltd (believed to now be the Bluelight Village).



DEE CEE's DP-716 departing Lautoka headed to Vuda Marina apparently.

Nothing like an ol Leyland Bus.

A railway hopper, presumably used for perway duties, looks like it has partied a little too hard at the last staff party.

Still a third part to come.
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2 comments:

  1. I think all these buses are still in operation with various other companies notably Classic Buses (who fitted then with personalised plates), and a couple may have been handed on from them to other operators. Will post some more recent shots with details

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks mate. Even more reason to try to get back there.

    ReplyDelete