22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife Park 22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsymbio wildlife parkShareToday we went to the Symbio Wildlife park together with some of our friends. They don't have a lot of animals in the park, but the ones they have a pretty cool and it is a good spot to get some nice animal photos (It was especially nice to see that they had polished the glass surrounding some animals). It was also really cool to have Aiden and Sammi feed some of the more friendly animals.
22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Luke and Alexsandra's wedding 22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetluke and alexandra s weddingShareToday Luke and Alexsandra was married. She is from Serbia so the wedding itself was a beautiful traditional Serbian Orthodox wedding in a small church in Alexandria. The church was very darkly lit and I was shooting using natural light trying to be as discreet as possible using my old Nikon D50 camera (still waiting for the new D800) but by some miracle I was able to capture the above photos (by setting it to my max 1600 ISO and underexpose 2 stops and then push and noise reduce in post...would have loved to have one more stop). Luke has some Scotish ancestry so ourside the church there was a guy playing the bag pipe. Afterwards the reception was in Drumoyne with about 250 guests invited. Lots of very loud Serbian music and traditional Serbian line dancing (Not sure what the correct name is).
16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter show and EQ 16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeteaster show and eqShareSynday we took Dylan to the Easter show at Fox Studios. We had bought him a 5 hour pass as a reward for an assignment we gave him.Dylan tried a number of rides, but I think his favourite was a dodge'm'cars.While Dylan was queueing up we had a look around at the other entertainment.
15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments High Tea in Royal National Park 15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethigh tea in royal national parkShareToday we went to High Tea in Audley in the Royal National Park 30 minutes drive from where we live. Kim had bought a 2 for 1 deal and decided to try it.Verdict was that is wasn't anything special and even with the special deal it was a bit over priced.Afterwards we decided to go rowing up through the creek.Aiden was very keen to get to play with the water which was difficult in the rowing boat (next time we will get a Canoe).Afterwards we let him play a bit on land before heading back.
8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora Island Scenery 8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora bora island sceneryShareThe island itself is a beautiful place. I took a lot of photos of the lagoon and the beauty of Bora Bora....so many that it would be too many to have in the previous Bora Bora post. With the risk of creating a post full of Blue photos...I had to separate them out to prevent the other posts from getting too big. Here they are...I will let them speak for themselves...
6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays 6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsnorkeling with sharks and stingraysShareOne of the days at Bora Bora we went with a boat around the lagoon to go snorkeling and have lunch on one of the Motu's (Islands). Along the way we went snorkeling in spots where we also could see sharks and stingrays. Our first spot was a snorkeling spot with lots of coral and different fish. I Even saw a big fat murray eel. Kim also had a bit of a snorkel in the clear blue water even though the water was deep and there was a slight current. Aiden was facinated by the fish and wanted to join mummy in the water to say hello to the fish'ies... After this we went to a more shallow spot on the reef with lots of reef sharks. Yes, that is me in the water with 12 sharks circling around me (and no safety net in place).These sharks would come swimming towards me and then turn around within a meters reach. Click here to see a video I uploaded to Facebook with the Sharks getting close After lunch we stopped to feed the Stingrays in the lagoon. They are fairly harmless and I was feeding them dead fish. While doing so I was bitten by one of them that mistook the camera I was holding in my other hand as a fish.
5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora 5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora boraShare Bora Bora is a beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Kim and I had promised eachother that we one day we will go there. It is about an hours flight from Tahiti and along the way you pass a number of other Polynesian islands and atolls. When we landed we were met by the stunning blue lagoon and the very characteristic mountain which is an old extinct volcano. Aiden especially was mesmerised by the view going on the boat from the airport to our hotel. On arrival we were met by traditional Tahitian music and someone blowing a seashell. And Aiden immidiately got into the mocktails. Our hotel was on the main island itself and we had a small hut facing the lagoon and had a beautiful view every morning waking up. Every morning we had breakfast overlooking the lagoon where Aiden would stuff his face with fruits, bread and youghurt. We spent a lot of time at the small beach close to the hotel just swimming in the clear water of the lagoon. The locals were out on the lagoon showing off their skills. Aiden loved the calm clear water and the beach...it was a pleasant 27-28 degrees. Every time he saw water he would point at it and shout BoBo (Water)...and insist on going swimming. One evening I did a couple of sunset portraits. Aiden again insisted on going in the water. I also went for a swim after we finished the photos, which was absolutely magical as the light was surreal and the water was absolutely calm. Across the lagoon from the hotel we had a little island (Motu) with beautiful place to go snorkeling. First I went in the water and notices a small reef shark circling around the corals...being kinda shy. I mentioned it to Kim and as soon as she also spotted it later in the day she rushed out of the water (A couple of days later she had a similar experience with a large stingray at the beach). It was hard to leave all this beauty behind
4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Flowers of French Polynesia 4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetflowers of french polynesia Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 9. August 2011 04:56 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Rostock and Warnemunde 9. August 2011 04:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetrostock and warnemundeShare On one of the other days we did a trip to Germany to a town called Rostock (former East Germany). This is a two hour ferry ride from where my dad lives. Rostock is one of the old Hansestads and the inner city has a lot of old houses and beautiful water fountains. It started raining so we decided to drive up to one of the other coastal towns called Warnemunde. This is a little very charming place with old houses, fishing boats and along the coast there are very nice groovy cafes. In the later afternoon we took the ferry back to Denmark. Aff the Danish coastline they have constructed a massive windmill park with hundreds of windmills generating Electricity. 8. August 2011 04:38 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Hans Christian Andersens House 8. August 2011 04:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethans christian andersens houseShare We went to HC Andersens house in Odense in Denmark. This is the house that he was living in and behind the house they have now build a museum and a park with a castle theatre for the kids. We started out in the park as there was a play about to start in the theatre. The play was a 15 minute recap of all the most famous stories and it was very well done and very funny (especially the Emperors new Clothing). Both Aiden and Bedstefar really enjoyed the play together. Afterwards we went to see the actual house HC andersen was living in. HC Andersen is one of Kims favourite writers. And we also visited the museum. 7. August 2011 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Egeskov Castle 7. August 2011 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetegeskov castleShare After visiting HC Andersens house we went to Egeskov Castle. This is a castle that has now been converted into a museum and the surrounding area has been converted into very nice gardens, playgrounds, ponds etc. The museum hosts old armory, paintings and the owners dad used to go big game hunting in Africa and a lot of the trophies are on display. Inside the castle they have one of the most amazing doll houses. It is very detailed and some of the pieces have been donated by the royal families of europe. In one of the adjacent building have now have a museum for old cars and motorcycles. This was one of Kims favourites. They also had a museum for old fire engines. While I was busy with the fire engines my Dad and Kim did the tree-top walk nearby. After this we took the ferry back home to complete the tour. By the end of the day we had driven across 9 different islands (Falster -> Masnedø -> Sjælland -> Sprogø -> Fyn -> Tåsinge -> Siø -> Langeland -> Lolland). A long day but well worth it. 7. August 2011 06:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Meeting the relatives 7. August 2011 06:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetmeeting the relativesShareThis week we travelled to Denmark to meet the relatives. We flew straight from Sydney to Copenhagen with short stopovers in Singapore and London. Aiden behaved like a little angel pretty much all the way although he was pretty tired on the last stretch from London. The purpose of our trip was initially to introduce Aiden to both his Grandmother and Granddad (Bedstefar), but since my mum passed away last month he could only meet my dad. It took a couple of days for both granddad (Bedstefar) and Aiden to get used to each other, but now they really enjoy each others company and have fun playing with eachother (although it will take some time before we get him to babysit as he refuses to change nappies). We also went to the cemetry to visit my mum who passed away recently and my brother. It is a pity my Mum didn't get to meet Aiden, but at least he has now been to the cemetry. We also went to visit my grand parents (Aidens great grandparents) as well as my great grand parents and great great grandparents (5 generations in one place). One afternoon we went to my Aunties house to visit. On a couple of evenings we had an outdoor BBQ. My dad was looking after the meat and we were looking after the side dishes and deserts. On the first evening my dad managed to burn the chicken a faid bit. One afternoon we all went to the local zoo (It must have been 30 years since I last went there). We tried the swings there, but Aiden wasn't happy with them (Maybe when he is older). In the evenings we went down memory lane where my dad pulled out old 16mm film from when I was a toddler.We were in Denmark a week and a half and it was really nice to see Aiden and my Dad getting along. I am hoping that my dad will come to Sydney in the near future and spend more time with Aiden...it will be good for him to know Bedstefar as he is growing up. 10. July 2011 10:30 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Jerusalem Bay 2011 10. July 2011 10:30 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetjerusalem bay 2011ShareToday was a beautiful winters day...cool, windy and blue skies and we decided to use this beautiful Sunday to go on a bushwalk with Aiden (his first real bushwalk). The walk we decided to do was one up at Cowan from the station down to Jerusalem Bay (5km return). I carried Aiden all the way in a small sling/backpac we have for him. He is still not used to the sling and keeps leaning back...but hopefully we can get him a bit more used to it before our holiday to Croatia. The walk follows a creek with a small stream running through it. Eventually it reaches the bay which is a picturesque little place. It was a great trip and it was great to get out and get some exercise. Afterwards we had lunch at Berowra at a place I had been to before. Unfortunately it had changed owners and didn't have the same quality to it any longer. 4. July 2011 12:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Getting Aiden used to the Sand 4. July 2011 12:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetgetting aiden used to the sandShareWe had a beautiful winter day yesterday and we decided to head down to the beach to get Aiden used to the feel of sand.He took it a lot better than expected and although wasn't playing with the sand at least he tolerated his feet and hands touching it.He was also quite content sucking his fingers being full of sand.
9. August 2011 04:56 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Rostock and Warnemunde 9. August 2011 04:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetrostock and warnemundeShare On one of the other days we did a trip to Germany to a town called Rostock (former East Germany). This is a two hour ferry ride from where my dad lives. Rostock is one of the old Hansestads and the inner city has a lot of old houses and beautiful water fountains. It started raining so we decided to drive up to one of the other coastal towns called Warnemunde. This is a little very charming place with old houses, fishing boats and along the coast there are very nice groovy cafes. In the later afternoon we took the ferry back to Denmark. Aff the Danish coastline they have constructed a massive windmill park with hundreds of windmills generating Electricity.
8. August 2011 04:38 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Hans Christian Andersens House 8. August 2011 04:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethans christian andersens houseShare We went to HC Andersens house in Odense in Denmark. This is the house that he was living in and behind the house they have now build a museum and a park with a castle theatre for the kids. We started out in the park as there was a play about to start in the theatre. The play was a 15 minute recap of all the most famous stories and it was very well done and very funny (especially the Emperors new Clothing). Both Aiden and Bedstefar really enjoyed the play together. Afterwards we went to see the actual house HC andersen was living in. HC Andersen is one of Kims favourite writers. And we also visited the museum.
7. August 2011 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Egeskov Castle 7. August 2011 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetegeskov castleShare After visiting HC Andersens house we went to Egeskov Castle. This is a castle that has now been converted into a museum and the surrounding area has been converted into very nice gardens, playgrounds, ponds etc. The museum hosts old armory, paintings and the owners dad used to go big game hunting in Africa and a lot of the trophies are on display. Inside the castle they have one of the most amazing doll houses. It is very detailed and some of the pieces have been donated by the royal families of europe. In one of the adjacent building have now have a museum for old cars and motorcycles. This was one of Kims favourites. They also had a museum for old fire engines. While I was busy with the fire engines my Dad and Kim did the tree-top walk nearby. After this we took the ferry back home to complete the tour. By the end of the day we had driven across 9 different islands (Falster -> Masnedø -> Sjælland -> Sprogø -> Fyn -> Tåsinge -> Siø -> Langeland -> Lolland). A long day but well worth it.
7. August 2011 06:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Meeting the relatives 7. August 2011 06:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetmeeting the relativesShareThis week we travelled to Denmark to meet the relatives. We flew straight from Sydney to Copenhagen with short stopovers in Singapore and London. Aiden behaved like a little angel pretty much all the way although he was pretty tired on the last stretch from London. The purpose of our trip was initially to introduce Aiden to both his Grandmother and Granddad (Bedstefar), but since my mum passed away last month he could only meet my dad. It took a couple of days for both granddad (Bedstefar) and Aiden to get used to each other, but now they really enjoy each others company and have fun playing with eachother (although it will take some time before we get him to babysit as he refuses to change nappies). We also went to the cemetry to visit my mum who passed away recently and my brother. It is a pity my Mum didn't get to meet Aiden, but at least he has now been to the cemetry. We also went to visit my grand parents (Aidens great grandparents) as well as my great grand parents and great great grandparents (5 generations in one place). One afternoon we went to my Aunties house to visit. On a couple of evenings we had an outdoor BBQ. My dad was looking after the meat and we were looking after the side dishes and deserts. On the first evening my dad managed to burn the chicken a faid bit. One afternoon we all went to the local zoo (It must have been 30 years since I last went there). We tried the swings there, but Aiden wasn't happy with them (Maybe when he is older). In the evenings we went down memory lane where my dad pulled out old 16mm film from when I was a toddler.We were in Denmark a week and a half and it was really nice to see Aiden and my Dad getting along. I am hoping that my dad will come to Sydney in the near future and spend more time with Aiden...it will be good for him to know Bedstefar as he is growing up.
10. July 2011 10:30 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Jerusalem Bay 2011 10. July 2011 10:30 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetjerusalem bay 2011ShareToday was a beautiful winters day...cool, windy and blue skies and we decided to use this beautiful Sunday to go on a bushwalk with Aiden (his first real bushwalk). The walk we decided to do was one up at Cowan from the station down to Jerusalem Bay (5km return). I carried Aiden all the way in a small sling/backpac we have for him. He is still not used to the sling and keeps leaning back...but hopefully we can get him a bit more used to it before our holiday to Croatia. The walk follows a creek with a small stream running through it. Eventually it reaches the bay which is a picturesque little place. It was a great trip and it was great to get out and get some exercise. Afterwards we had lunch at Berowra at a place I had been to before. Unfortunately it had changed owners and didn't have the same quality to it any longer.
4. July 2011 12:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Getting Aiden used to the Sand 4. July 2011 12:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetgetting aiden used to the sandShareWe had a beautiful winter day yesterday and we decided to head down to the beach to get Aiden used to the feel of sand.He took it a lot better than expected and although wasn't playing with the sand at least he tolerated his feet and hands touching it.He was also quite content sucking his fingers being full of sand.