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9. December 2011 08:06
by Rene Pallesen
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Cure Our Kids

9. December 2011 08:06 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Every year we are allowed to spend a certain number of working days on charity events. Last year I did some with a group from work, but this year I was offered to join Cisco on their charity for "Cure our Kids".

This is an even that mainly focuses on providing a support framework for parents whose kids have Cancer with the thinking that if there is a good support for the parents then they will be able to support their children better.

The work we did consisted of going through pallets of boxes with parent folders and then from these remove unwanted items and inserting new leaflets. A team was also going through other boxes to sort through what could be used for xmas and what needed to be ebay'ed off.

4. December 2011 03:47
by Rene Pallesen
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Mothersgroup 2011 Christmas meet

4. December 2011 03:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend Kim and I met met up with the mothers group for a christmas meet.

Because the weather was nice we decided to meet at the local playground and at the same time I could take some photos of the kids.

The playground has a plastic boat which makes it nice and easy to keep them contained in one area.

27. November 2011 07:48
by Rene Pallesen
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Playing with Leaves in the Garden

27. November 2011 07:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend I was cutting down some of the bushes in our garden. Very quickly Aiden discovered that it was fun to play in the pile of leaves that I'd left behind.

27. November 2011 07:48
by Rene Pallesen
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Centenial Bridge

27. November 2011 07:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend we went for a walk in Centennial Park. We stopped at this old stone bridge to take a couple of photos, but Aiden was more interested in taking mum for a walk and a swim.

27. November 2011 07:48
by Rene Pallesen
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Eastgarden Christmas Decorations

27. November 2011 07:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

They have now set up the christmas tree in East Gardens. I was trying to find a goot spot to take a photo from without use of a tripod and without being chased away by security.

This was the best I could come up with.

27. November 2011 07:47
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Playing with Lego

27. November 2011 07:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day we were at Eastgardens shopping centre.

Lego had an area set aside where the kids could play with Lego (obviously to get the parents to buy them Lego for Christmas).

Obviously Aiden (and Dad) had to play for a while.

And Aiden also did some drawing (or at least he was playing with the colour pens)

27. November 2011 07:47
by Rene Pallesen
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Christmas Parade Darling Harbour

27. November 2011 07:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend we went with Lachlan and Na to Darling Harbour for dinner.

This also happened to be the night of the Christmas parade in Darling Harbour.

So there was a lot of entertainment such as the Three Wise Men.

And lots of people dressed as Santa.

And Elves.

22. November 2011 02:17
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Building Sandcastles

22. November 2011 02:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend we went tot he beach. Initially Aiden was a bit scared of the waves (although he loves the sand and the water)...but after a while he didn't mind the waves splashing around his little legs (I found the water cold but he didn't mind).

As usual he threw a tandrum when we pulled him out of the water.

Afterwards we spend some time in the sand and I was teaching him how to build really cool sand castles and he was teaching me how to demolish them.

22. November 2011 02:13
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Swimming Pool

22. November 2011 02:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other weekend we took Aiden to the swimming pool.

He is really happy with water now and loves splashing around. He is no longer afraid of it and doesn't mind getting his head under water.

Only problem now is that he throws a tandrum every time we have to leave the pool.

22. November 2011 02:03
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Sculpture by the Sea 2011

22. November 2011 02:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This year I didn't get a chance to go to Sculpture by the sea during the daytime, but I did have some time to go there one evening after we had put Aiden to bed.

I had seen some daylight photos from the exhibition from Tamarama beach where they had these 'Easter Island' type statues. I thought I could do some really cool night time Off-Camera-Flash photos using just ordinary flashes.

When I got there it was almost pitch black darkness...perfect.

I got my gear set up and managed to take the following shot which was exactly what I envisioned in my head.

While there I had a look at a couple of the other sculptures in the area...I did shoot the following photo of this 2 meter tall red chinaman sculpture.

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19. March 2004 12:24
by Rene Pallesen
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Anti War Demonstrations 2004

19. March 2004 12:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In 2004 Australia was being drawn into the war in Iraq. A lot of Australians were opposed to the war, but the politicians wouldn't listen.

On a nice sunny day several hundred thousand people gathered around Hyde park in the middle of the city to demonstrate and express their opinions against Australia entering into the war.

I was of the belief that the war was a mistake in the first place and was totally unjustified, so I was decided to join the demonstrations and at the same time see if I could take a few photos.

Click here to see more photos from: The 2004 Anti War demonstrations/Slideshow

27. March 2003 10:56
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Mia is born

27. March 2003 10:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Andy and Tink had their first baby...a little (and very hairy) girl names Mia.

This was also one of those periods where I was checking out what it would be like to have a beard.

27. March 2003 10:50
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Granddad passes away

27. March 2003 10:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

My grandad passed away in 2003.

He was getting old and was getting tired of living so he decided to end it.

27. March 2003 10:47
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Botany Bay

27. March 2003 10:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

With EDI I went on a field trip to visit one of the big containerships in Botany Bay.

It was facinating to see the size of those ships.

27. March 2003 10:38
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Thailand 2003

27. March 2003 10:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I celebrated Christmas and New Year with my parents in Thailand.

We spent the time in the Northern Part of Thailand in the Golden Triangle around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

We rented a car for a couple of days and got to see a lot including all the hill tribes that still to this day live in this part of Thailand.

Click here to see more photos from: Thailand/Slideshow

27. March 2003 10:29
by Rene Pallesen
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Kenneths Wedding

27. March 2003 10:29 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In 2003 Kenneth got married to Anica. I was asked to be the best man by Kenneth.

The wedding took place at a homestead in Sofala three hours drive west of Sydney.

It was a wonderful weekend surrounded by wonderful people.

Click here to see more photos from: Kenneths Wedding/Slideshow

22. March 2003 12:56
by Rene Pallesen
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Old Contents

22. March 2003 12:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Contents . . .

My photo collection is vast. Many of them are in my albums, others scanned as images here. I have tried to include the best of the best, and will keep doing so. Feel free to explore any of the links - it make take some time to peruse them all...

( We recommend viewing of the photos through MS Explorer )

blue line

AUSTRALIA - HOME

Cockatoos at Home	Narrabeen Beach	New car	My Jobs

MY FAMILY

Grandmother's 85th	Grandmother's 80th	Donkey Day Out	My Brother Claus	My Father

2001

New Zealand (Mt Cook)	South-East Asia

2000

Chilli Festival	Ecochallenge Borneo (Sabah)	Sydney Olympics

1999

Thailand (Bangkok)	Laos	Morocco

1998

Port Macquarie	Pete's Bite	New Zealand (Sth Island)	Denmark

Created: 11 Aug 2001 Last Updated: 21-jan-05

10. January 2003 10:53
by Rene Pallesen
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Mum and Dad in Sydney 2003

10. January 2003 10:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

My mum and dad spent some time in Sydney over christmas and New Year.

While they were here I raught my dad how to absail.

And for Christmas I gave my parents some tickets for the Sydney Harbour bridge walk (they gave Arumi a ticket too).

1. November 2002 11:19
by Rene Pallesen
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My brothers funeral

1. November 2002 11:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

My brother passed away in the end of 2002. He had been suffering badly from his disease for almost a decade and eventually it got the better of him.

I still miss him a lot even though we weren't close when he was alive....but I still feel him close to me to this day!

I still light a candle for him once in a while.

His two biggest wishes in life was to become a professional tennis player...he was a pretty damn good player and I never played against him because I didn't have a chance.

His second biggest wish was to get himself a girlfriend. This is one of the last photos that was taken of him.

I still blame the psychiatric system in Denmark for what happened. They were too focused on treating his disease with medication and never paid any attention on teaching him to live with his disease and provide quality in life.

I still love him very much and I really miss him. I also regret that I wasn't there more for him.

He always looked after me and he has never hurt anyone.

This is the last family photo that was taken.

I would appreciate if you click here to see some of the photos from my brothers life: May he not be forgotten

26. October 2002 11:12
by Rene Pallesen
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Growing Up . . .

26. October 2002 11:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Invitation for Claus' confirmation ceremony

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16. August 2013 07:54
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Harbour walk with friends

16. August 2013 07:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend I went for a walk along the harbour with a couple of friends and Aiden (in my backpack).

It was a beautiful winters day being sunny and 25 degrees.

We started out at Waverton and walked almost across to Greenwich. It wasn't a long walk but very pleasant (especially since I also had Aiden to carry).

5. August 2013 09:17
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Aiden and Lucas at the Beach

5. August 2013 09:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day we went to Maroubra beach to let the boys play in the sand and also to try and get some photos of them together.

It is currently winter here in Sydney which sometimes provides this beautiful cool light.

Lucas and Aiden are now really good at playing together...Lucas is doing his best to copy everything that Aiden does and at the same time tried to keep up, whic is difficult when you cant walk yet.

...And Aiden is good at sharing his toys and make sure that Lucas has something to play with.

5. August 2013 09:13
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Test Portrait shot

5. August 2013 09:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other day I did a couple of test portrait shots...I wanted a portrait that was a bit more moody than usual.

It is not easy getting the low key lighting right...much easier to do high key where you can pretty much blast the subject with light.

I haven't had the time to experiment further to accomplish what I wanted...but here is what I did get after 10-15 minutes experimenting.

31. July 2013 06:53
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Clever boy

31. July 2013 06:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Yesterday Kim caught Lucas grabbing her car keys and the trying to use the keys to unlock the front door...with a bit of practice and some extra height me might succeed one day.

I think he just wanted to take the big red car outside for a spin...

30. July 2013 08:36
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Family picnic at the beach

30. July 2013 08:36 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend we went to the beach for a little family picnic...ham and cheese sandwiches.

we also wanted to get some photos of Lucas and Aiden playing together in the sand.

We especially wanted to get one of them sitting together look at the waves. Normally Aiden is terrified of the waves, but because Lucas was there we were able to get him to sit still.

It wasn't the best light in the middle of a sunny day but I love the cool winter light this time of the year. It is hard to describe...but the light has a less warm feel the during the summertime.

Aiden and Lucas are now best of mates and having a lot of fun. Once Lucas learns to walk they will be big trouble and we will constantly have to chase after them. Aiden can sometimes get a bit rough, but Lucas is a tough little bundle of muscles and loves copying him.

30. July 2013 07:08
by Rene Pallesen
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Climbing on my birthday

30. July 2013 07:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On my birthday this year I went climbing at Barrenjoey with some friends. It was the first time for over a year that I have done any climbing...let alone outdoors, but fortunately it was all top ropes.

Barrenjoey is one of the most beautiful spots in Sydney.

I am totally out of shape but still managed to get through the climbs we set up.

We were supposed to have had a dinner the night before but most people were busy so we decided to cancel the dinner and the let me go climbing instead. I was supposed to have been taking Aiden with me (Barrenjoey is relatively safe for kids), but he was still a bit unwell from his hospital visit. I think I will start looking for a good climbing helmet for him so that we have it for next time.

I had a great day out with friends and it was great to get back on the rock.

27. July 2013 05:02
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A bit of a scare

27. July 2013 05:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last night we had a bit of a scare when we suddenly had to rush Aiden to the hospital in an ambulance...

He was over at grandads place most of the day playing and when he came back we noticed that he had a bit of a temperature and didn't want to eat, but otherwise ok and playful. We decided to give him a quick shower before giving him some panadol and then bedtime.

In the shower he was playing as usual with water and his plastic cups when I left him to get dressed. When I came back a few minutes later to turn off the water and get him dressed I could tell that he was not his normal self and was shaking a bit. Thinking that he was cold I quickly took him out to get him dressed but could then tell that he was pretty bad...I couldn't get in contact with him and his breathing was irregular and shallow.

I quickly called Kim and had her call an ambulance. While we were waiting he started having some muscle spasms and started throwing up. Fortunately we are close to the ambulance station so they arrived pretty quickly and took myself and Aiden to the children's hospital which is also close by.

At the hospital he started responding again and the doctors there think that a spike in his fever caused it. They kept him there for most of the evening until his temperature had dropped and they were sure he was well hydrated which was around midnight.

Good that all turned out ok...Aiden has been pretty happy today even though he hasn't eaten much and slept much of the day.

22. July 2013 06:53
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Lucas 10 Months Photo

22. July 2013 06:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend we went to the local park to get a photo of Lucas for his 'First Year' album.

We wanted to get some photos of him on the swing.

But we also managed to snap a couple with Aiden...

21. July 2013 07:51
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Aiden playing soccer

21. July 2013 07:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden has started playing soccer (not real soccer, but they do get to kick a ball).

He is very proud that he has real soccer shirts and shorts.

We started taking him to assist him with his development. We are starting to see some progress but he is still a bit behind his age group.

21. July 2013 07:48
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Lego Turtle

21. July 2013 07:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden and I often sit and build Lego together (Sometimes Lucas also joins us, but he is better at taking it apart).

One day we build this Lego turtle worthy of a photo...Aiden had great fun pushing it along the ground.

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24. September 2012 07:45
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Newborn Photos

24. September 2012 07:45 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

During the last couple of days I have been doing my first series of newboarn photos with the little one (still no name).

So far he is behaving like a typical newborn...wants a feed every couple of hours and sleeps a lot. He is doing his best to keep Kim awake at night...I try to get a good nights sleep and then look after Aiden during the daytime and get him out of the house (swimming, shopping etc.) so that Kim can get some additional sleep without too make additional interruptions.

Anyway...back to the newborn photos. I wanted to take these cute high-key photos with the newborn wearing a hat. It turned out to be a lot harder than I had expected...both due to the little one not behaving as desired, but also because there were a few adjustments that had to be made underway. In the end we ended up doing three sitting where the last sitting was the most successful one.

I knew that I needed to raise the head from the body to get the right pose but I found out that it was a mistake using pillows as they were too soft. After this I tried towels and linen but they were still too soft. In the end I used a hard camera suitcase with a towel on top which turned out to be perfect.

Over the next weeks I will get to take some more photos, so stay tuned...

13. September 2012 04:34
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9 months project

13. September 2012 04:34 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

During the last 9 months since Kim became pregnant I've been doing this project with a monthly belly photo.

12. September 2012 07:20
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Baby Brother for Aiden

12. September 2012 07:20 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the morning of the 12th September 2012 at 6.10am our little boy arrived to this world. He was keen to get out and as expected (pretty much) he arrived two weeks early.

Labour actually started more than 24 hours earlier and was just dragging on with Kim getting contractions every 30 minutes or so...not close enough to quite panic about, but still with the knowledge that it is close to going to the hospital. At the time the little one arrived Kim had been in labour for more that 24 hours so she eventually ended up with another c-section.

Fortunately there were no complications with the procedure, the only downside was that everyone else in the whole area decided to have babies on the same day, so the hospital natal section was completely full. This meant that for the first three nights Kim and the little one were put in the acute section of the hospital. Very noisy and hard to sleep, but the good thing was that there was a 1:1 carer ratio and they don't normally see little newborns there, so both Kim and the newborn got a lot of attention and assistance.

After 5 nights in the hospital Kim and the newborn (still without a name) came back from the hospital.

The little one actually looks a lot like his older brother...same mold I guess.

9. September 2012 07:12
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Darling Harbour 2012

9. September 2012 07:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last night I went with Kim and Aiden to Darling Harbour for dinner. We wanted to go somewhere where it was also nice to go for a walk.

We ended up just buying a kebab and sitting on the steps outside eating it while Aiden had fun imitating the sounds of the seagulls trying to get to our foor (in the beginning he was a bit scared of the birds).

I had brought my camera along and took a couple of panorama shots of the harbour...love it, love it, love it. I was able to crank up the ISO and take this handheld with no problems and because of the high resolution it is amazing what I can do with it back home in terms of stitching photos together etc. The end result is a 100 Megapixel image so very big.

Afterwards we had coffee and tiramisu at Guylians...coffee was nice but had better cake before.

9. September 2012 02:29
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Pregnancy Photos 2012

9. September 2012 02:29 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We are now 8 months into expecting our new little baby boy and we expect him to arrive any time within the next two weeks.

We did some pregnancy photos the last couple of days to make sure we have some nice ones as a family.

6. September 2012 11:13
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Fathers Day 2012

6. September 2012 11:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This Sunday it was Fathers Day here in Australia. Aiden had painted me a very nice picture at Daycare as a fathers day present.

In the morning he took me out of for a buffet breakfast at the Crowne Plaza in Coogee...and afterwards we enjoyed a the very nice warm and sunny day at the beach where he got to play in the sand.

25. August 2012 08:55
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Sunrise at Sydney Opera House 2012

25. August 2012 08:55 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This morning Sacha asked me if I'd like to do a sunrise shoot with him at the Opera House. I'd wanted to try out the new camera for landscape so said yes.

This was the very first photo I took and after that the light went pretty bad.

A very nice morning, but I am not sure if I'm cut out for the early starts (had to get up at 4.30am), especially not now that we are going towards summer.

Kim and Aiden stayed at home sleeping and they were still sleeping when I returned at around 7am.

21. August 2012 12:03
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The Entrance 2012

21. August 2012 12:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend we went with the family up to the Entrance 150km North of Sydney.

We stayed at a small resort in the middle of The Entrance close to the water and restaurants.

When we arrived on the Friday night it was really windy and cold...I had left behind my jacket in Sydney rushing out the door but fortunately I had enough jumpers to still stay warm.

We were staying close to the bridge across the Entrance and underneath the bridge there were some nice lines that I quickly rushed out to capture before sunset.

Next day we spend around the local area looking at the market, playground etc.

In the afternoon there was pelican feeding which definitely was worth seeing.

One of the birds had a fish hook stuck in its neck and the feeders quickly caught it to try and pull it out.

They also have this insanely long jetty going into the lake. I wanted to do a sunset photo but the conditions weren't great...no spectacular clouds and the water was full of seaweed that had been blown in with the wind.

21. August 2012 10:14
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Norah Head Lighthouse and Milky Way 2012

21. August 2012 10:14 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

During the day at the Entrance we made a quick trip up to Norah Head light house to scope it out.

Later that evening I headed up there in the dark to take some star photos.

The conditions were perfect with the Milky way clearly visible and I good some great shots. Here is one pretty much straight out of the camera that requires just a little more processing.

As I walked from the gate to the lighthouse (about 700 metres in pitch darkness) with my torch all hell broke loose suddenly when I rounded a corner.

I heard people scrambling in all directions through the bushes falling over branches. I used my torch to have a look and saw these 6-7 kids running away...obviously they were sitting there smoking weed and got a freight.

Later in the evening they walked past me as I was taking photos and one of them said 'Man, you gave us a freight...we thought you were a cop'!

15. August 2012 03:13
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Cherry Blossom Season

15. August 2012 03:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The Cherry Blossom season is about to start here in Sydney (does that mean spring is here) and the first flowers are out. Yesterday I brought my camera along when picking up Aiden from daycare and managed to take a couple of photo along the way.

I may try and take some more photos over the next week or so. Kim mentioned that she would like to hang one of the photos on the wall.

We are in the process of doing some large prints...I have already ordered the first one which is a glass print which should arrive next month.

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19. September 2017 16:09
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Lucas 5yo birthday

19. September 2017 16:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas just had his 5th birthday.

It was celebrated at the local park with his friends and we had hired an entertainer to do some activities with them.

19. September 2017 16:09
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Climbing with the boys

19. September 2017 16:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We have started to take the boys climbing occasionally. Especially Aiden enjoys it and is able to climb to the top without being afraid.

19. September 2017 16:09
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Bedstefars visit

19. September 2017 16:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

My dad was here earlier in the year visiting.

19. September 2017 15:09
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Funny faces

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

A couple of funny faces

19. September 2017 15:09
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden 7yo birthday

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Some photos from Aiden 7th Birthday

His party was at the climbing gym. Unfortunately he was sick on that day, so didn't enjoy it as much as he could have.

One of his presents was a crystal growing dragon - here is before and after.

19. September 2017 15:09
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Aiden starting Year 1

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden is now in Year 1 at school. This photo is from his first day back at school.

19. September 2017 15:09
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Aidens missing teeth

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden lost his front teeth.

19. September 2017 15:09
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden 7yo birthday

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Some photos from Aiden 7th Birthday

His party was at the climbing gym. Unfortunately he was sick on that day, so didn't enjoy it as much as he could have.

One of his presents was a crystal growing dragon - here is before and after.

19. September 2017 15:09
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Chinese New Year 2017

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Chinese new year with the boys.

19. March 2017 16:03
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Zimbabwe - being chased by Leopards

19. March 2017 16:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I just completed this photo of the boys about to be eaten by a leopard in the dark jungle.

At the airport in Victoria Falls they had these awesome stuffed animals that I though could be fun for some composite work.

Trying to get the boys to act scared rather than just being silly was a different matter.

Here are some more photos of the animals.

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31. January 2017 12:01
by Rene Pallesen
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Zimbabwe & Zambia - Sunset cruise on the Zambezi River

31. January 2017 12:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In the evening we booked a sunset cruise on the Zambezi river.

It was a beautiful calm evening and the boat slowly cruised in and out between the river islands within Zimbabwe and Zambia. In the distance there were clouds and rain forming beautiful rainbows.

There were lots of hippos around and we also spotted a couple of crocodiles and other wildlife. This time of the year there weren't any elephants as they don't need to go to the river during the rain season.

30. January 2017 14:01
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Zimbabwe - Instant Billionaires

30. January 2017 14:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One thing about Zimbabwe was that everything is quite expensive for tourists in Victoria falls.

Back in 2008/09 the whole economy collapsed and the local currency was worth less than the paper it was printed on. As a result the entire country started using stable currencies such as US dollars.

In Victoria falls this means that everything is paid for in US dollars and since everything is more or less government controlled they try to milk tourists for as much hard currency as they possibly can.

As a result most tourists stay for a shorter duration as they probably would otherwise which is a pity as the benefits of tourism isn't shared with the rest of the country.

The country also has all the typical African inefficiencies and illogical processes which I experienced back in my days in East Africa, but which greatly annoyed Kim.

She was however greatly amused when I came back after a walk telling her that I had made her an instant billionaire - with the note here held by Aiden with a smug on his face.

30. January 2017 13:01
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Arriving to Zimbabwe

30. January 2017 13:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

During the break we decided to make a trip to South Africa and on the way do a quick detour to the Victoria falls on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The first evening we book dinner at Boma restaurant. Even though it is a bit touristy (everything around the falls are) they promised a buffet dinner with various game meat and dancing/drumming.

On the menu was Mopani worms, Wort Hog, Elan, Guinea Foul and spit Lamb.

Poor little Lucas was so tired that he fell asleep in the car there and slept the whole way through.
Although Aiden was tired he did enjoy the experience (in his silly fashion).

The drumming was very interactive and the dinner guests could join in.

Good start to the trip.

19. December 2016 13:12
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Christmas family photo 2016 - Naughty Elves

19. December 2016 13:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It has been another year and again Merry Christmas 2016.

Following the tradition I have created another family photo for this year. Aiden and Lucas are growing older and also more naughty, so this year we decided to do something different and let the parents have a quiet evening while we let the boys 'hang out' together.

9. December 2016 17:02
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Botany Bay walk

9. December 2016 17:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There are some interesting areas around Botany Bay. One of the is the old WWII cannon positions and ammunition bunkers along the coast line to protect against Japanese invasions.

We have been there quite a few time and here are some of the photos from our last walk there.

9. December 2016 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Canoeing at Royal National Park

9. December 2016 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This winter during school holidays I took a day off to look after Aiden. I asked him if he wanted to go canoeing at the Royal National Park about 30 minutes drive from our house.

It was a beautiful sunny morning with not a wind or any other people in the creek.

Afterwards we went down to Wattamolla to have a look at the waterfall and play at the beach.

At Bundeena we had fish and chips for lunch.

He totally crashed on the way home.

9. December 2016 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Photos as Boralee Park

9. December 2016 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One day we went down to Boralee park to take some photos of the boys with Kim. Here are some of them.

9. December 2016 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Harbour Bridge Walk

9. December 2016 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

During the winter we went for a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Here are some of the photos from the walk.

9. December 2016 12:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Fathers day 2016

9. December 2016 12:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On fathers day we used the opportunity to do some family photos with the boys as well as Kims dad.

9. December 2016 09:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Morning silly creatives

9. December 2016 09:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden and Lucas sometimes loves to play with boxes and other items that are in the recycle bin inside.

One morning they had used the boxes to create a farm...not bad!

...and then there is the silliness...

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2. May 2013 08:17
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu - Captured by the tribes

2. May 2013 08:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

They finally caught us and wanted to put us in the big pot...

...but we told them that we are too skinny and that some of the fat tourists would taste better and be able to feed the village for months, so they let us go (whew...)!

2. May 2013 08:16
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu Tribes

2. May 2013 08:16 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

While in Vanuatu we went on a couple of tours to get some insight into the old tribal culture.

We did one evening tour with food, song and dance and then a couple of days later we did another one during the daytime with a bit more insight into the tribal life.

On the evening trip they would be jumping out at us in the middle of the bush.

Afterwards they entertained us with song and dance.

During the day tour explained the significance of things such as their tribal drawings.

How they would use bark for making clothing and other items.

How they would preserve banana for several months.

...and the wild pigs they would hunt.

And they would also explain how cannibalism used to work in their society.

As well as other traditions.

I took a whole bunch of portraits of the people in the village.

There were also a bunch of kids around.

2. May 2013 08:15
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden playing with the local kids

2. May 2013 08:15 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On one of the trips to a local village Aiden started playing with the local kids.

It was great that he had some fun as it is pretty hard for someone his age to sit still for long periods of time.

The local kids were great at helping him around and holding the dog so he could pat it.

2. May 2013 08:13
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu - Fireshow

2. May 2013 08:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One evening we went to see a fire show...

This turned out to be probably the best fireshow we have ever seen...spectacular.

Fortunately I brought my tripod along so I could capture the following amazing pictures.

The whole show was about 30 minutes with 6-10 performers and finished with group dancing where all the local kids also participated.

2. May 2013 08:11
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu - Kids

2. May 2013 08:11 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Obviously I took a large amount of family photos in Vanuatu.

Here are some of them.

...and...all this holiday can be very exhausting...

2. May 2013 08:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu - Kims Dad

2. May 2013 08:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Kims Dad joined us in Vanuatu.

It was great to have him along and quite funny at times.

When we were out and about he wanted his photo taken with people we met.

And he was brave enough to try the local Kava...I didn't tell him how they make it.

And it was great to have him there to help with the kids.

2. May 2013 08:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu - The market in Port Vila

2. May 2013 08:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On one of the days we made a day trip into Port Vila city centre. Here was the big market with is open 24 hours per day.

The market is full of fresh produce of all sorts depending on the seasons.

There is even some live produce available such as chicken and crabs.

Because the market is always open, people live and sleep between the stalls with their families.

It is also the place that people go to during lunch to buy food to eat.

There was a whole row of women sitting their waving their arms to keep the flies away from the food.

Also, I don't understand why the western world is spending so much effort and resources on finding cures to diseases such as cancer, diabeter, high blood pressure, arthritis, obesity, athma etc. since they here in Vanuatu already has one magical cure that takes care of them all. It was cheap and easily available at the market and it doesn't matter how much you buy, the price is always the same.

They were also selling improvised charcoal stoves bringing back memories of Kenya where everything was cooked on a Jiko's.

While we were outside the market discussing where to go next this woman and her little girl walked past. The little girl let go of he mums hand and walked over to Aiden (who was sitting in his pram) and gave him a BIG kiss...Aiden is such a chick magnet.

2. May 2013 08:09
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu - Waterfalls

2. May 2013 08:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There are a number of waterfalls on the main island Efete in Vanuatu.

Some of these are very accessible as they are right next to the road such as this one.

Others are a bit more of a hike, but definitely worth it...such as these ones at Mele.

Unfortunately the access to the falls is not being very well managed. They have cut steps into the limestone and scrubbing the surface to avoid people slipping when walking. Unfortunately this also erodes and changes the waterfalls and I think they should put a walking track adjacent to the falls instead.

2. May 2013 08:08
by Rene Pallesen
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Vanuatu - Out and about

2. May 2013 08:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One day we hired a driver to take us around the island.

One of the places we stopped was the Blue Lagoon which is a small semi freshwater lagoon with large lime stone deposits making the water very blue to look at.

We also stopped at Turtle Bay which is supposed to be a turtle sanctuary...but for what it is (tiny) and the knowledge of your guide (none) very over prised.

But they did have some live coconut crabs.