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Ecochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )

Magellan HotelMoving into SilamRepeater StationInjured CompetitorTransporting a Repeater StationBeetleKids in Village
ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe Village

View from from balcony of our room


Preparations at the Magellan Hotel
( Kota Kinabalu ) . . .



All the Ecochallenge teams gathered together at the Magellan Hotel in anticipation of the race, which was due to start on 20th August.

During our stay at Kota Kinabalu, we were staying at the most extravagant hotel - as pictured on the right. It is huge! It has 3 swimming pools, and takes us an hour to walk around the perimeter.

The radio communications team had to arrive a few days before the start of the race because we had to hand out over 2,000 pieces of radio equipment. We had problems getting the necessary approvals for helicopters so I ended up having to hand out most of the equipment whilst Glen and Paul sorted out the issue of the helicopters. We had to get all the equipment and our team to Silam before the the race started.

Paul & Glen preparing the equipmentPaul & Glen preparing the equipmentPaul & Glen preparing the equipment

Glen and Paul checking all the equipment and re-programming some of the radios.
Yes, I'm busy working too!



Behind me are all the radio equipment, ready to be handed out. I am standing here waiting for the competitors to arrive as I have to sign out the equipment as I give them out.


We had to improvise a lot of the furniture, using old crates to set up tables.

Vegging in really nice rooms




After the race, Glen and I decided to make most of the luxury and just veg... aaahhh... bliss!

Relaxing on our balcony













Created: 7 Dec 2001

15. August 2000 10:39
by Rene Pallesen
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Ecochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )

15. August 2000 10:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

ecochallenge sabah 2000
Ecochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )

Magellan HotelMoving into SilamRepeater StationInjured CompetitorTransporting a Repeater StationBeetleKids in Village
ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe Village

Click here for full size map of Sabah, Borneo

Ecochallenge in 2000 was held on the east coast of Borneo, in the jungles of Sabah. It was an extreme race where the competitors taking part have to endure 10 days of running through the jungles; kayaking and swimming many kilometres offshore; and mountain-biking for 150km on dirt roads. All in all, the fastest competitors travelled 600km in a space of just over 5 days!


I had the privilege of being there, being the developer of software that was used by the radio communications team. I also helped out with the setting up of all equipment and made many trips to the repeater stations.

Being in the jungles of Sabah, let alone part of the Ecochallenge preparations, has proved to be a challenge and an experience worth remembering, and hope to be part of any future Ecochallenge events.

As shown in the map, the red trails are where most of the competitors either ran or walked. The purple trail was the kayaking/canoeing leg. The orange trail was the mountain-bike leg and the blue trail was where the competitors had to swim with all their equipment.

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Created: 7 Dec 2001

4. March 2000 11:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Chilli Festival ( 4th March 2000 ) . . .

4. March 2000 11:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

chilli festival 4th march 2000
Three Dancing girls


On this particular Saturday, I drove to Terrigal to see the Mexican Chilli Festival... it was excellent. I shot two rolls of film up there. Some of these pictures have turned out beautifully!

A couple of my Mexican friends were doing the entertainment there. Victor is very good at playing the mexican harp. His wife, Shiraz, is an excellent dancer.

I took a series of shots in colour and a series in black & white. I shall first show you the ones in colour and then in b&w, as the b&w ones are very artistic!

Victor playing the harp

Victor playing the harp

Victor playing the harp

Victor plays the harp like a dream!

I was once at Lance's place - Lance was helping Victor record his music onto CD. The harp does not look like your ordinary orchestral harp. It was ornate and somehow different. It is was a very beautiful instrument.



One of 3 dancers

Shiraz

One of 3 dancers

As you can see, these women are gorgeous! Something about silk stockings, I think...

Shiraz is the photo in the middle. She did quite a few numbers, and this was one of them. All 3 girls danced in a colourful combination!



Dancing couple

Dancing couple

Dancing couple

Here you see Shiraz dancing in a duet.

I have seen her do this dance at a similiar concert May last year, here in Lindfield. Victor and a couple of guitarists provided accompaniment to the dancing. Shiraz moved so fast that at times, all you could see was this colourful wave of skirts.

Her partner's costume reminded me of the costumes the Spanish toledos wore (except without the cape).



Shiraz in white

Shiraz with feathers

Shiraz in red

As you can see, Shiraz danced a number of dances that day.

It takes a lot of energy to do those dances!

4. March 2000 11:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Chilli Festival

4. March 2000 11:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

chilli festival
My gallery of black & white photos of the Chilli Festival!


Dancing couple 1

Dancing couple 2

Dancing couple 3

Dancing couple 4


Victor playing the harp


Shiraz in white

Shiraz in red

Shiraz in white


14. November 1999 11:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Donkey Day Out . . .

14. November 1999 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

donkey day out
Grandparents on donkeys


Whilst we were in Morocco, our whole family went riding on donkeys.

That included my grandparents! They needed a bit of support to keep their balance, but otherwise they were doing all right.

You can see my grandmother, my brother Claus and my mother in succession behind by grandfather.

My father on a donkey!



Here is my father! Do you not think that he looks so much like his brother in one of the photos on the 80th birthday page?


Claus on a donkey!




Here is my brother on the donkey. It is quite amazing how much these small animals can carry.


Mum on a donkey!



My mum on her donkey. Not quite as elegant (maybe relaxing a bit would have helped) as the rest of the family, but at least she didn’t fall off!


This is one of the few pictures I have of her where she is not smoking! (oh, and the other one at my grandmother's 80th, of course! It was a very nice picture of her smiling!

Me on my donkey!

Finally, someone got a photo of me on my donkey!

14. November 1999 10:59
by Rene Pallesen
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Morocco ( 1999 ) . . .

14. November 1999 10:59 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

morocco 1999




Our main reason for the trip to Morocco, was to come together as a family and attend my grandmother's 80th birthday. We also managed to explore Morocco, and even had a fun day riding donkeys - yes, the whole family - my grandparents, parents and brother!

We met different people and there were some really beautiful women in this country. There were some interesting buildings and we even found some strange goats!

The Women of Morocco . . .


One beautiful girlAnother beautiful girl

Girl being offered


People in the city tend to be more extremist/fundamentalist when it comes to religion, then those who come from the country areas.

One reason could be that the people living in the cities are mainly Arabic, and those living in the countryside are Berbers.

Berber women are less dressed up than in the cities.

Some of them are extremely beautiful.

Also, I noticed that those in the city tend to be more self-conscious of photos being taken than those in the country.People are naturally a bit shy, but by showing friendliness, it a makes it a lot easier to take good photos.

Hmmm... Do you know that I was actually offered to buy this girl on the right for two camels? I do not know why they wanted to get rid of her. Maybe she was making too much trouble in the village?

Anyway…I refused the offer.

Henna hands




The girls decorate themselves with what is called henna. It is a dye that stains there hands for a long time. They paint different patterns onto their hands and it actually looks very pretty. Much nicer than tattoos - which are permanent!





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Goats . . .

A goat in a treeA goat in a tree (black & white)More goats in a tree!

We came across a couple of trees full of goats. They were climbing around the tree to reach all the green leaves. Our first though was that someone put them there, but they were too much out of reach for that idea.
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10. June 2014 11:06
by Rene Pallesen
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Aidens 4th Birthday

10. June 2014 11:06 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend we celebrated Aiden's 4th Birthday.Because of the weather forecast we decided to have i
This weekend we celebrated Aiden's 4th Birthday.

Because of the weather forecast we decided to have it here at home rather than at the park as originally planned.

As entertainment we had hired a pirate who came to do magic tricks and games with the kids for a few hours.


















We had combined Adams and Aidens birthday parties so there were a lot of kids and parents and lots of food and cake.




10. June 2014 11:06
by Rene Pallesen
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Mothers day card 2014

10. June 2014 11:06 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here is the Mothers day card that Aiden made this year.
Here is the Mothers day card that Aiden made this year.


10. June 2014 11:06
by Rene Pallesen
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Spiderman face paint

10. June 2014 11:06 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day Aiden cam back from daycare with Spiderman face paint.Normally he avoids face paint so
The other day Aiden cam back from daycare with Spiderman face paint.

Normally he avoids face paint so him having the whole face painted was a first.


14. May 2014 07:05
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden at the filming of 'Play along with Sam'

14. May 2014 07:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Yesterday Aiden went with his daycare group to the filming of 'Play along with Sam'.All very formal
Yesterday Aiden went with his daycare group to the filming of 'Play along with Sam'.




All very formal with model release forms to be signed, what T-shirts they had to wear etc. Aiden said that he liked the dancing!

I hope we get a chance to see the show at some stage and it will be interesting to see if we can see Aiden in it (he was sitting to the side).

8. May 2014 11:05
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden meets the Rabbitohs

8. May 2014 11:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Earlier this week Aiden went with daycare to the local park and they happened to meet some of the pl
Earlier this week Aiden went with daycare to the local park and they happened to meet some of the players from the Rabbitohs (National Rugby League).




Apparently he went missing from the group at one point and when they went looking for him it turned out that he was chatting to the players.

5. May 2014 15:05
by Rene Pallesen
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Australian Museum - Dinosaurs

5. May 2014 15:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Autumn has arrived and this weekend was really cold and wet so we decided that Sunday morning should
Autumn has arrived and this weekend was really cold and wet so we decided that Sunday morning should be a museum day.

We had heard that the Australian Museum has a dinosaur exhibition on, so we thought this could be fun for the kids.



They had some pretty cool interactive displays on where you could interact with the dinosaurs.





The kids handled it pretty well without being too scared (although they jumped a few times when they heard the loud roars).

Some of the displays were pretty scary.





And Aiden certainly wasn't too happy about posing next to the big teeth (reminds me of a photo with a crocodile from last year).



...so dad had to show him that it wasn't scary at all.



The skeletons were really impressive.

















Lucas was hing a good time staying close to mummy.



And Aiden was having a great time exploring.








4. May 2014 09:05
by Rene Pallesen
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Don Quixote - The Russian Ballet

4. May 2014 09:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend Kim and I went to the State Theatre in Sydney to watch the Russian ballet perform Don Q
This weekend Kim and I went to the State Theatre in Sydney to watch the Russian ballet perform Don Quixote.



The performance was pretty good and apparently they will be back next year performing Swan Lake.


1. May 2014 15:05
by Rene Pallesen
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Toronga Zoo April 2014

1. May 2014 15:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

A couple of weeks ago we made a trip to Taronga Zoo.One of the families from daycare had a spare pas
A couple of weeks ago we made a trip to Taronga Zoo.

One of the families from daycare had a spare pass that we borrowed for the day.

First we went through the bird sanctuary and the kids were not overly impressed and were more interested in the waterfalls and the leaves fallen off the trees.




After that we walked past the playground and Lucas immediately ran off (Aiden was a bit more hesitant as he is more cautious) and couldn't get enough of going down the big slide (by himself).




The seal show was more to the taste of Aiden even though he'd seen it before.





After this we went to the Australian section of the park to see some kangaroos (including a tree kangaroo) and other wildlife.







23. April 2014 12:04
by Rene Pallesen
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Open day photo shoot - Other various

23. April 2014 12:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here is some more photos from the shoot the other day. They are not my favourites, but good enough t
Here is some more photos from the shoot the other day. They are not my favourites, but good enough to share I think.



Model: Kerry Ann Peterson



Model: Gabriella Srage



Model: Emma Perceval
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5. February 2026 16:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Islands - Snorkeling

5. February 2026 16:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We went snorkeling in the lagoon
We went snorkeling in the lagoon








































5. February 2026 16:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Islands - Long Boat

5. February 2026 16:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On a rainy afternoon we went in a longboat. The idiot at the back almost got all of us killed by hav
On a rainy afternoon we went in a longboat. The idiot at the back almost got all of us killed by having no idea how to steer (that was his one job) and landed us on the outer reef.




5. February 2026 16:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Islands - Boys at Black Rock Beach

5. February 2026 16:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I also took some photos of the boys at Black Rock Beach.
I also took some photos of the boys at Black Rock Beach.













5. February 2026 16:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Island - Turtles

5. February 2026 16:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One day we went snorkeling with the turtles in the lagoon.
One day we went snorkeling with the turtles in the lagoon.































5. February 2026 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Islands 2026

5. February 2026 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This year we decided to travel to Rarotonga in Cook Islands. Some of the immediate family booked at

This year we decided to travel to Rarotonga in Cook Islands. Some of the immediate family booked at the same time so that we 
had some days together.






5. February 2026 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Islands - Eating out

5. February 2026 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In the evenings we were eating out. Every restaurant was facing the lagoon.Also cocktails were cheap
In the evenings we were eating out. Every restaurant was facing the lagoon.

Also cocktails were cheap, strong and flowing...









5. February 2026 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Islands - Games

5. February 2026 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Other times were spent playing games - Dark, Snooker Fuzball, building cairns and chasing crabs.
Other times were spent playing games - Dark, Snooker Fuzball, building cairns and chasing crabs.







5. February 2026 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Cook Island - Lagoon

5. February 2026 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The beautiful lagoon surrounds the island, so much of the time was spent in the water.
The beautiful lagoon surrounds the island, so much of the time was spent in the water.