Father and daughter Bob Mason and Carmen Retzlaff are like two peas in a pod.
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They both like adventures and getting out of their comfort zone. So they jumped at the chance to star in a new commercial for Great Northern beer, focusing on the power of Father's Day.
Their involvement began when an advertisement for a casting agency, seeking a father and daughter, popped up in Carmen's Facebook feed.
Hundreds of people applied, but Carmen and Bob got the gig.
"We thought it'd be a bit of fun," said Carmen, of Hamilton.
Filming was done at the Cowrie Hole, Newcastle Ocean Baths and Coal Point, along with Laguna and Wollombi in the Cessnock area.
Bob and Carmen have been going on adventures together since she was a young girl. They'd never been in a TV commercial, though.
"As a kid, we'd be up early and go on bike rides together, while my mum and sister were still asleep. We've just had this special bond," Carmen said.
"Dad is more of a risk-taker and braver than me, but we still have the same love for the great outdoors. Even to this day, with dad's injuries, we still get together outside and do things."
A lifetime of living life to the fullest has taken its toll on Bob. His injuries include osteoarthritis in his feet, a fused shoulder and two knee replacements. He stays active, despite his injuries.
"I ride the bike most days, swim and go to the gym," said Bob, of Hamilton.
The pair have been meeting for early morning ocean swims during the pandemic.
"I run and he rides his bike and we meet at the beach for a swim, then we go back to our houses. It's a nice way to catch up," Carmen said.
The ad, released ahead of Father's Day, is about "giving your dad the gift of time", Carmen said.
"When you have that opportunity to see your dad, prioritise it and have some fun. For those who can't see their dad this Father's Day, it's a bit of an IOU to get out and do something together that you loved doing when you were younger."
In the ad, which is a tear-jerker, Carmen says: "Everyone says we're alike. I hope he's proud of that. I know I am".
"It makes me sad to think there might be a time limit on our adventures. Dad always says: 'Make the most of every moment. Life is for living'. That's why I never tell Dad to slow down. This is what we live for."
Bob likes to go camping, bushwalking and "getting out of the normal daily environment".
"Carmen took to it like a duck to water. Now she's doing it with her kids."
Adrenaline Junkie
Bob, 68, was an avionics technician at the RAAF base at Williamtown, working on Macchi, Mirage and F/A-18 jets. He's been on numerous jet flights and done about 80 skydives.
Bob and Carmen have a similar outlook.
"We both don't stress," Bob said.
Bob recounted a couple of malfunctions during his skydiving days.
"One time, the reserve chute came out with the main chute. It can potentially be a fatal incident because they can twist."
He survived because he didn't panic, cutting away the main chute at the right time.
The very next day, he stared down death again. As he went through thick cloud, his chute wouldn't open. He stayed calm, kept on trying to open the chute while dropping a couple of thousand feet before it finally opened.
The ad was filmed over three days in July.
"It was such an awesome experience and we did it with such professional people," Bob said.
"We clicked so well with the director Eddy Bell. It was like going out with old mates."
In one scene, they're walking on a cliff-top in fog near Wollombi.
"We had to be on set at 6am. It was minus-three that morning. It was cold as. I didn't even feel it because you just focus on the task," Bob said.
"That was a good scene. Eddy said to think of something deep that's emotional. My mum passed away late last year. I thought of that."
Bob and Carmen let some emotion out, then moved on quickly. They're resilient folks.
Bob, for example, lives with chronic pain.
"You've got to learn to live with it. Don't dwell on the negatives and go with it. You keep working with what you've got," he said.
"Every year we have a different adventurous project. We go somewhere different instead of sitting in our own little circle. It's amazing what we've got in this country, in our backyard. You've just got to get out there, find it and do it."
Carmen said things that are a bit scary can be "the most amazing times of your life".
"It's not letting fear stop you from doing the things you want to do. For example, my husband and I packed up our kids and did a half lap around Australia."
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