Mattias Klum at the Opera House

I went to watch Mattias Klum, a wildlife photographer for National Geographic at the Opera House with Dani.   Photos of us here.

Mattias's images were absolutely sublime - including extraordinary close ups of Asiatic Lions, a 5 metre long King Cobra inches from his face, soul seering portraits of Orangutans, birds of paradise, meerkats and a Kinkajou  - the cutest nocturnal critter you've ever seen that lives only in the high canopies of the Amazon.

To get his photos, Mattias has climbed 50 meter tall trees using only vines with 30 kg of lenses on his back, dangled from a rope attached to a hot air balloon over the Borneo rainforest and spent months getting meerkats so used to him that they perched on his camera lens.  Not only were his photos incredible, but he was also the most entertaining, inspiring and humorous presenter imaginable.  He kept us all mesmerised.

Here are some of his amazing images we saw and heard the background stories to...

 

Some favourite Images 2012

Hunter Valley, Sydney

Hunter Valley, Sydney

Hunter Valley, Sydney

Bi-Centennial Park, Sydney

Whale watching, Sydney

Whale watching, Sydney

Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains

Sydney fireworks, New Year's Eve

Sydney fireworks, New Year's Eve

The Mackster

Penrith Whitewater

Mardi Gras, Sydney

Mardi Gras, Sydney

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Newcastle

Vivid Festival, Sydney

Fish River Canyon, Namibia

Orange River, South Africa

Orange River, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa

  

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kruger National Park, South Africa