Photo by Frank Gasteiger

Archive for May, 2009

Date: May 14th, 2009
Cate: Accommodation, Photo News, Web-Design

Revamping a 5-star website

In December last year, Heidi and Werner Pluss of the 5-star rated luxury bed and breakfast The Peppertree in Blenheim contacted me to take some photos of the gardens and orchard surrounding the Peppertree. They were very happy with the results and asked if I would take photos of the rooms too. denise
I happily agreed because with a background of almost 10 years interior advertising photography in Germany I was pretty sure I could deliver the quality Heidi and Werner require. 

The Peppertree is owned and managed by this lovely couple from Switzerland. They have rebuild and styled the gracious Edwardian Villa to highest quality and treat guests with exquisite charm and hospitality.  But they also expect the same love to detail and perfection from everyone who works for them.

For the web-design Robert Boren got involved.
Robert is the man who does the work for love of it. A genius with the code and retired enjoying the New Zealand lifestyle, he spent endless hours to battle problems like new releases of IE8 and cross-platform and browser compatibility.
We met at least once a week to discuss the design and whether additional photos were needed to deliver a complete package. By keeping the Peppertree’s colour scheme, Robert redesigned the site with fresh and contemporary flair and features like quick loading movie-style slide shows. See for yourself and visit The Peppertree website.

Date: May 11th, 2009
Cate: Uncategorized

Visit your friendly orthodontist

Last Monday our son Danilo visited the Nelson Orthodontics to get his braces fixed. Dr Andrew Marriott and his team were very friendly and they did an absolute professional job.
Literally, orthodontics means “straight teeth”. An orthodontist is not only trained to straighten teeth, but to evaluate and treat anomalies of the jaws, monitor growth and diagnose, liaise with dentists and other specialists and carry out the complex treatment required. This might sound scary but it is not and Danilo handled it very well and with a smile.
Click on the thumbnail image to see an enlarged photo.

Date: May 10th, 2009
Cate: Virtual Tour, Web-Design

G-raff.co.nz / They build websites!

Last weekend I looked at the new web-site of the Garin College where my children study.  I really liked the design, scrolled down to the footer and there is a link. Site by G-raff. Never heard of these guys… so I checked out the G-raff web-site and was blown away by the cool stuff they do.
World class web design by a very talented group of artists, designers, animators and copywriters who are actually based in different places and even different time zones. It shows again that the world is a village.

I wrote an email to Neil Macneil, who is one of the G-raff boys and based in the Motueka area, telling him how much I like the work they do and I hope we could do a project together and a short time later he replied…

“Hi Frank!
Thanks for your email. We like the stuff you do too!
But to be honest, that is a bit of an understatement… we LOVE the stuff you do.
A fabulous portfolio, simply stunning, one of the best we’ve seen in a long, long time. Where have you been hiding ?!
Loved your VR Panoramas – I dabbled in QTVR for a few years, but your work leaves mine for dead! ”
Neil Macneil, G-raff

Thanks Neil, one of the nicest comments I’ve received in a long, long time.

Date: May 2nd, 2009
Cate: VR-imaging News, Virtual Tour

Earthrace – the coolest boat on the planet

A few days ago I have been on the coolest boat of the planet. The Earthrace !

With a 5000 watt music system and a wave-piercing hull design that allows you to pierce through the water (up to 7 meters below surface) rather than riding over the top – that sounds like serious stuff.

What is earthrace?
In June 2008, the amazing Earthrace vessel set a new world record for a powerboat to circle the globe, and she did this with 100% renewable biodiesel fuel, and a net zero carbon footprint.  The voyage was over 24,000 nautical miles, and took 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, smashing the old record by over two weeks. 
Earthrace is one of the most eco-friendly boats ever made, running on 100% biodiesel. The team’s philosophy is that it is not just about running the right fuel, or the type of car you drive, it is about all the things you do…and by thinking a little about it, and taking small steps in the right direction,  you can make a big difference. But this shouldn’t stop you from doing fantastic, exciting and amazing things in your life.
I totally agree !!

I took three full-screen QTVR panorama:
- At the berth in Picton.
- View from the deck.
- Look around the helm.

Earthrace is currently running promotions in New Zealand > Feb – Jun 2009.  The aim of these tours is to connect with people , and encourage debate and understanding about biofuels, carbon footprints, and the many other aspects that affect our environmental footprint. 

Would you like to own the coolest boat in the world?
For US$1.5 million, she’s yours!  Contact pete@earthrace.net

earthrace_deck2