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15. March 1998 10:54
by Rene Pallesen
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Port Macquarie ( 1998 ) . . .

15. March 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

port macquarie 1998
Graham -


During my first year in Australia, after coming from Denmark, I was contracted out to work at Port Macquarie - a quiet, but beautiful and peaceful seaside town a few hours north of Sydney. The first pictures were taken in Port Macquarie during Easter 1998.

Lance, Anne and Graham, some good friends of mine, decided to do some exploring around the area...

Graham here, on the right, The Admiral himself... (also called "Wobber") "Is that a chicky-babe in the water ?"

The photo is taken on "Kermit" (Note, the green seats...) in the river at Port Macquarie.

Lance - sleeping


Lance seasick ???? No, just a little tired !

This is one of many photos I have of Lance sleeping - he has a knack for taking a nap just about anywhere - just ask Anne! *smile*

It's a great day to sail on "Kermit".

Rene up front onboard!



Whereas, who do we have here?


Me! I love sailing, and as usual, like to be a'head' of things...

"Clear water ahead Navigator?"

"Aye-Aye Admiral!"
Graham picking on Anne!


"The Admiral" is giving Anne a good whacking.

Poor Anne...





Lighthouse at Port Macquarie







Lance and The Admiral in front of the lighthouse at Port Macquarie




Hundreds of crabs!

In the mangrove at Port Macquarie, there are millions of these small blue crabs (Taste like shit). It's pretty amazing though - crabs do not exist only on a beach. They live wherever there is enough water and they can burrow quickly and easily away from danger.

The photo above is taken on a sandbar in the river at Port Macquarie.

There are also a lot of pelicans in Port Macquarie. I managed to get a picture of one flying. And one yawning!

Flying pelican

More pelicans

There are quite a few pelicans here in Narrabeen, on Pittwater Rd - a main street near where I live. Narrabeen lakes draws its salt water from the sea, and at one point on Pittwater Rd, there is a bridge. This is where I see most of the pelicans - perched on top of the flat heads of street lights! It's quite funny to see them there, and have never managed to get a photo of this yet, as I usually see them when I am driving over the bridge.

Rockpool

We went bushwalking in the mountains and forests at Port Macquarie and found this beautiful rockpool. We used the opportunity to go for a swim.

Me!










Off the beaten track in the forests around Port Macquarie!


Me!





Moi!

One of the few pictures of me (as you will notice in this whole website). I tend to prefer taking pictures of other people and places - but my girlfriend is trying to remedy that! (she's still trying not get blurry pictures...)





Me 
eating lunch









As you can see, this place is really good for getting comfortable, enjoying my lunch, no worries, good place to get a bit of sleep...


Me under the bushes...

Like my new haircut?

I wanted to do something radical. I needed a change, I wanted people to look at me when I was walking down the street. So decided to change my hairstyle. By the way, you like it green? I can't be a dumb blond forever...

Lance & I






A picture of Lance and I with the beaches at Port Macquarie and one of the Brothers in the background !






The hugest waves!

There was a storm in Newcastle. These were the biggest waves I had ever seen - some were 7-8 meters high. The waves were washing all the way up to where I am standing taking the picture.

The kids in the photo were waiting for a big wave to hit them and wash them into the rock pool. You know the big wave coming towards them? They were still a couple of hundred meters away from it...



Dinner with the Lenehans, Henrik & wife


Henrik, Lance and I made a bet with Anne about whether or not we would be able not to use a computer in our sparetime for two weeks while we were up in Newcastle. We accepted the bet and won it simply because it was impossible for us to lose since we didn't have access to any computers!

That meant that Anne had to cook us a dinner... Australian Style!


Who looks Aussie now?






Aussie?

We had to dress "Australian style" for the dinner (at least to start with). Reckon it is Aussie with a billabong hat? (Need some flies for the corks to chase away). But it is DEFINITELY Aussie with that holey surfie t-shirt and a Fosters (disgusting) in hand!







Henrik





Can't see, can't hear and can't talk, who am I?


No actually he was trying to wear his wife's earrings but didn't want it on a photo!

I have often said that Port Macquarie was a beautiful place, but it is much too quiet for me in the long run. Working there during 1998 was good, but I was also glad to be back in Sydney!






15. February 1998 10:54
by Rene Pallesen
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Anne's Birthday ( 15th Feb 1998 ) . . .

15. February 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

anne s birthday 15th feb 1998



Anne



We celebrated Anne's birthday at a restaurant called Pete's Bite. The only access to the restaurant is by seaplane or boat. It is located 2 hours north of where I live.

The food is marvelous and bloody expensive. It is definetely worth trying (once)!

Me feeling hot


It was 40-45 degrees that day and no wind so everybody moved out on the lawn in the shade of palms!

Me definitely feeling hot



So this is what a heat stroke looks like !

15. March 1997 11:14
by Rene Pallesen
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Narrabeen Beach . . .

15. March 1997 11:14 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

narrabeen beach
Huge waves at Narrabeen

Narrabeen Beach . . .

My apartment is situated right on Narrabeen beach - one of the nicer and quieter northern beaches.

Now that I've said this, you're probably wondering about that surfer in the middle of that photo... and is the wave real?

You betcha!

I even have a photo of this surfer being 'chased' by this HUGE wave, on the wall in my apartment.

Narrabeen beach

Narrabeen is renowned for its great surf and dangerous rips. Many famous lifesavers come to surf at this beach. However, usually after a big storm, the beach is closed as the waves can get pretty rough and dangerous rips pull you out to sea.

These photos were taken outside my apartment during the annual National Surf and Lifesaving competition.

Narrabeen BeachNarrabeen beach
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27. March 2002 11:14
by Rene Pallesen
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Whale Watching

27. March 2002 11:14 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

whale watching


We went with Donna and Sandra up to Port Stephens to go Whale watching.

It was a great day (very cold) and we saw lots of whales.

Click here to see more photos Click here to see more photos from: Whale Watching/Slideshow

27. March 2002 11:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Climbing in New Zealand

27. March 2002 11:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

climbing in new zealand


I went climbing with Andy in New Zealand. We flew onto the glacier at Pioneer hut with a skiplane.

We attempted a couple of peaks in the area but were mainly unsuccessful due to sloshy conditions and late starts. Andy eventually insisted going down after taking a bit of a slide after taking a bit of a slide. We did however get a little bit of climbing done.

Click here to see more photos

Click here to see more photos Click here to see more photos from: Climbing in New Zealand/Slideshow

16. September 2001 11:10
by Rene Pallesen
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My Friends in Denmark . . .

16. September 2001 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

my friends in denmark


Believe it or not, I still have quite a few friends in Denmark. I would like to put photos of all of them here - unfortunately I do not have photos of all of them. If you are one of my friends and your photo is not on this page then please do not despair - I still consider you a friend, and maybe, the next time I go to Denmark, I shall have photos of you all!

Kenneth in kitchen


Here is one of my best friends in Denmark. This photo was taken quite a while ago, before I came to Australia.


Kenneth is now living here in Sydney, on the beautiful Manly beach - only about a half hour away from me. Kenneth came to stay with me a few months ago. He was trying out a new job, and actually came back! He is going to give Australia a go, to see if he likes it like I do. No more biting winters, lots of warmth and sunshine, beautiful mountains and bush to explore... and I think he has discovered, there are lots of friends to make - especially the pretty fun-going ones with two legs and a skirt! *smile*

He is actually a pretty good cook. Whist he stayed in my apartment for a couple of months, he cooked pot roast with gorgonzola sauce, and also gave a wonderful 3-course dinner for a small group of friends here. About two years after I arrived in Australia, I returned to Denmark for a visit. On the day I arrived in Denmark, he threw together a party for me!

Ester







Here is Ester, another one of my friends.


She is a fashion designer and paints some wonderful paintings.



Me!



Naturally at parties, there was quite a large amount of beer being consumed (how can you not?? - not possible to have a party otherwise in Denmark.


It was nice to taste one of the annual Christmas beers from Tuborg.
Created: Jan 2000 Last Updated: 16 Sept 2001

28. July 2001 11:11
by Rene Pallesen
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Photo Gallery

28. July 2001 11:11 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

photo gallery

Photo Gallery

I have placed photos here - those I could not fit on the respective webpages.



Schwedagon
Big Stuba at nightBig StubaBig Stuba at night
Schwedagon 1Schwedagon 2Schwedagon 3


Mandalay
Mandalay facing eastMandalay HillMandalay Fortress


Marionet
Puppet Show 1Puppet Show 2
Musicians


Volleyball



Created: 3 Nov 2001

28. July 2001 10:52
by Rene Pallesen
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South East Asia ( 24 July ~ 24 August 2001 ) . . .

28. July 2001 10:52 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

south east asia 24 july 24 august 2001





Map of area I went to

I initially made plans to explore Burma and then make my way across the border into western China at Burma's only border crossing up north. I had not made any definite plans wanted to play it by ear... but in the end my trip consisted of Thailand, Cambodia and restricted areas to Burma.

I was away for a total of 5 weeks and must admit that parts of my trip really frustrated me - there were many restrictions in Burma and being in Bangkok at times stressed me because of all the tourists and crowds. I really only went to Cambodia to see the magnificent Angkor Wat - actually I really did enjoy being there. I think my most enjoyable part of the trip was the days I had climbing on the secluded areas of Krabi.

Burma - Temples at SchwedagonCambodia - Angkor WatThailand - Scuba-diving at Krabi
Burma
(23 Jul ~ 5 Aug)



Cambodia
(6 ~ 10 Aug)
Page available soon
Thailand

Page available soon








28. July 2001 10:51
by Rene Pallesen
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Monkeys . . .

28. July 2001 10:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

monkeys
There were quite a lot of monkeys at Mt Popa.





Mother & Baby Monkey

Monkeys fighting

Mother feeding baby monkey

The photo above in the middle, shows monkeys that look like they are playing around. They are actually fighting monkeys and can be very dangerous because they bite and also snatch things from you.

They were rather oblivious to me being there, until the flash on my camera went off. Then their attention was on me and they were ready to attack.

I adopted the “monkey mentality” - avoid eye contact and move away backwards - the only way to stop the monkeys from attacking is to not look at them.



Monkey 1

Sitting Monkey

Monkey with eyes closed

Monkey Portrait!

28. July 2001 10:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Burma Up North (continued) . . .

28. July 2001 10:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

burma up north continued
Volleyball Player Photo 1



Whilst I was up north, I watched a rather interesting game of volleyball.

I have never seen such dexterity and agility amongst the players!

It was amazing to see how flexible these guys were.

Volleyball Player Photo 2

Volleyball Player Photo 3Volleyball Player Photo 4
Volleyball Player Photo 5Volleyball Player Photo 6

Volleyball Player Photo 7Volleyball Player Photo 8

Volleyball Player Photo 9Volleyball Player Photo 10

Volleyball Player Photo 11

28. July 2001 10:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Mt Popa . . .

28. July 2001 10:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

mt popa
Mt Popa



There is a monastry on Mt Popa - a hill located 50km away from Bagan.

When I was there, it was a cloudy day.

Woman selling petrified wood at Mt Popa

I ran into a woman selling petrified wood - quite silly really, considering the place was covered with it.



Road sign

They must think tourists are stupid! *laugh* I managed to pick up a couple of small pieces to take back with me.


As you can see, there are stacks of them around.

And no... this is not a tombstone.
This is actually a road sign.


Example of petrified wood

You would be surprised how big some of these pieces are - this piece below was actually about a metre long and 40cm wide.

Toilet in Burma

Actually what I found interesting were the toilets in Burma.


My girlfriend tells me that squatting over a toilet is quite common in Asia.

In many of the city areas, they would have toilets as we know them, and they would also have a carved hole in the ground, on which either side, one places their feet on.

Toilets in the rural area are more crude than that - a hole leading into a gaping pit.

However, what I found interesting about these toilets were that recycled running water was used to wash away any excrement. The water is first used for washing one self and then used in the toilets.

As there were a few toilet cubicles a row, sometimes you would see the excrement from a toilet uphill go beneath you! *laugh*

Very clever and environmental system, I think!

Me at Mt Popa



Trying to grab a snooze... *smile*


Like Schweddagon, most of this is real gold as well.

And yes, there is a monkey sitting near my head.

If you click to the next page, you will see that I have taken a series of photos of the monkeys.

28. July 2001 10:49
by Rene Pallesen
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Puppet Show . . .

28. July 2001 10:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

puppet show
Puppet Show




I saw the most interesting puppet show, known as the “Mandalay Marionettes”

There were 2 or 3 puppeteers out the front, with a live band of musicians.

Unfortunately, it was more of a show for the tourists, rather than the locals.

It cost 1,000 chats or US$2 per show.






4 men manipulating the marionettes A child posing as a 'puppet'
The Marionettes



Lots of bright lights

28. July 2001 10:49
by Rene Pallesen
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Burma Up North . . .

28. July 2001 10:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

burma up north
Map of Northern Burma


View from train


I decided take a 20-hour train-ride to Myitkyinã *laugh* it took 20-hours to get there by train because there was only one track.


It was definitely faster to run next to the train than to travel in it!

We had to wait for the oncoming train to return before we could travel north.

At one point, we crossed a bridge that was so rickety that I thought it would collapse any moment!

Working in the rice fields






Locals working in the rice fields.

Working in the rice fields





Locals using water-buffaloes to plough rice fields.

Jrrawaddy River




The train travelled along the Jrrawaddy River.


It would have been nice if I was able to travel to Mandalay via a riverboat down the Jrrawaddy River.

People living on lake




It was amazing to find out that people live “on” these lakes, by building houses on stilts.


This sort of housing is quite common in many parts of Asia, especially areas where monsoons quite frequently flood an area.

It is also very environmentally-sound, I think, and hurts the land less.

Most of the houses are made of wood.

Myitkyina in rain






Myitkyinã is pretty dismal in rain!




There is a huge drug problem in Burma, especially through the crossings into China.


I have scanned a copy of a recent newspaper article about this problem in Burma.

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19. December 2011 11:22
by Rene Pallesen
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Christmas Family Photos 2011

19. December 2011 11:22 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

christmas photos 2011


Christmas is now approaching and to keep up traditions I have created some family photos as well as some photos of Aiden.

Click here for more photos

Click here for more photos

Click here for more photos


19. December 2011 01:21
by Rene Pallesen
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Daos Wedding

19. December 2011 01:21 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

daos wedding


Recently Dao's husband moved to Australia to join her. One of the visa requirements are that they must enter a legally binding marriage (The marriage from Vietnam is not recognised here) for him to stay here, so today we went to the registry office to have them married.







19. December 2011 01:19
by Rene Pallesen
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Water Playground in Darling Harbour

19. December 2011 01:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

water playground


On the weekend we went with the family to Darling Harbour where they have a big water playground.

This gave Aiden a chance to play in the water...which he loves.







I also took a couple of photos of Aiden with grandad and auntie.







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

cure the kids


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

mothersgroup 2011 christmas meet


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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Eastgarden Christmas Decorations

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

eastgarden christmas decorations


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 07:48
by Rene Pallesen
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Centenial Bridge

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

centenial bridge


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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Playing with Leaves in the Garden

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

playing with leaves in the garden


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 07:47
by Rene Pallesen
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Playing with Lego

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

playing with lego


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

christmas parade darling harbour


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.

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27. March 2019 14:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Nikko - Japan

27. March 2019 14:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments




















27. March 2019 14:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Kanasawa - Japan

27. March 2019 14:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments











25. March 2019 10:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Australian Formula 1 grand prix

25. March 2019 10:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend I went to the Formula 1 grand prix in Melbourne. It was a work sponsored event with o
On the weekend I went to the Formula 1 grand prix in Melbourne. It was a work sponsored event with one of our vendors and great access to see the race and the pits.

Here is some of the photos from the event.











5. February 2019 11:02
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Akihababa

5. February 2019 11:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments















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19. March 2004 12:55
by Rene Pallesen
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Egypt 2004

19. March 2004 12:55 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

egypt 2004


This year it was my Grandmothers 85th Birthday. As per the tradition the whole family went on a trip overseas, this time to Egypt.

It was my first time to Egypt so it was a different experience. I can recommend that you take a read of the Travel Journal by clicking here!


Click here to see more photos from egypt Click here to see more photos from: Egypt 2004/Slideshow/Travel Journal

19. March 2004 12:48
by Rene Pallesen
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Canada 2004

19. March 2004 12:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

canada 2004


2004 was the year I started working for Captaris. One of the first things I did was to visit our office in Calgary to learn about our workflow product.

My visit coincided with the Calgary Stampede, so lots of cowboys in town, indians and rodeos. I also too a bus ride up through the Canadian rockies through Banff, Lake Louise and up to the Columbian Ice Fields.

Click here to see more photosClick here to see more photos from: Canada 2004/Slideshow

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

anti war demonstrations 2004


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

27. March 2003 10:56
by Rene Pallesen
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Mia is born

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

mia is born


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
by Rene Pallesen
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Granddad passes away

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

granddad passes away


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
by Rene Pallesen
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Botany Bay

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

botany bay


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
by Rene Pallesen
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Thailand 2003

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

thailand


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


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

kenneths wedding


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

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

old contents
CLICK HERE - my photo in a competition



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

Cockatoo

Narrabeen Beach

New Car

Bridge-climb
Cockatoos at HomeNarrabeen BeachNew carMy Jobs



blue line

MY FAMILY

Egypt

My Grandmother

My Grandfather

Claus

My Father
Grandmother's 80thDonkey Day OutMy Brother ClausMy Father



blue line

2001

Mt Cook

Burma
New Zealand
(Mt Cook)
South-East
Asia



blue line

2000

Chilli Festival

Competitors

Me!
Chilli Festival
Ecochallenge
Borneo (Sabah)
Sydney
Olympics




blue line

1999

Thailand

Hmong

Henna Hands
Thailand
(Bangkok)
LaosMorocco



blue line

1998

Pelicans

Anne

NZ

Kenneth
Port MacquariePete's BiteNew Zealand
(Sth Island)

Denmark



Created: 11 Aug 2001 Last Updated: 21-jan-05
Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal

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22. February 2017 19:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Penguins at Boulders Beach

22. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Going to Boulders Beach was a fun experience for the boys. There were lots of nesting penguins and t
Going to Boulders Beach with all the penguins was a fun experience for the boys.





There were lots of nesting penguins and they are more agile than you think, jumping between the rocks on the beach (notice how the penguin below is airborne).



They sit on their nests until the eggs hatch.



and they stay with the young ones after they hatch too.



And once in a while a seagull gets lucky and steals one of the eggs.




There are hundreds of them on the beach.





And they are right next to the path.





The whole area was covered in smoke from a massive bush fire up in the hills, so our eyes were watering and hurting by the end of it.



Despite the smoke I still managed to get a good photo of this beautiful flightless bird.

21. February 2017 20:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Cafe Africa Cape town

21. February 2017 20:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In the evening we went to Cafe Africa. This is a nice little cafe serving authentic African cuisine
In the evening we went to Cafe Africa. This is a nice little cafe serving authentic African cuisine in the middle of Capetown. The menu was a 16 course degustation type menu with all you can eat of food from all over Africa.

They came around to do a bit of face painting and later there was drumming and dancing from the staff.












21. February 2017 19:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Bo Kaap

21. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the way down from Table Mountain we visited Bo Kaap.This is a predominantly muslim neighbourhood
On the way down from Table Mountain we visited Bo Kaap.

This is a predominantly muslim neighbourhood with some very colourful houses.



Great as a backdrop for photographing the most beautiful girl I know.



And also the most handsome boys.







21. February 2017 19:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Table Mountain

21. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

After Kruger we flew to Capetown.The first day we went to Table Mountain. The mountain is often cove
After Kruger we flew to Capetown.

The first day we went to Table Mountain. The mountain is often covered in clouds, and with a beautiful hot day we though we'd make the most of it and head up there when we had the opportunity.

The queue getting up there with the cable car was massive, several hundred metres. We quickly learned that the queue for people who had pre-purchased tickets was shorter and also moved faster than the other queue. We quickly jumped across to the other queue and using my mobile I purchased tickets while we were still waiting.



The view from up there is amazing and the top is actually a lot flatter than I though it would be.


























20. February 2017 20:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Shangana Village

20. February 2017 20:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One evening at Hazyview we went to a local cultural village of the Shangana Tribe.First we went to t
One evening at Hazyview we went to a local cultural village of the Shangana Tribe.





First we went to the village itself and were introduced to local food and customs.





The local witch doctor showed us some of the local medicines they used for stomach pains etc.





Afterwards we were entertained by local drumming and dancing in a large hut. Beforehand they had to warm up the drum skins to make them the right tune.



But first we were greeted by the chief of the village.















One of the dances was the boot dance which they danced in the mines of South Africa during the Apartheid.



After the show we had a very traditional and yummy communal dinner as guest of the chief.





20. February 2017 20:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Moholoholo car museum

20. February 2017 20:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

At one of the private game reserved the owner maintains a little car museum with some very cool cars
At one of the private game reserved the owner maintains a little car museum with some very cool cars.



Especially this Ferrari 335S is interesting. If it is the real thing then it is one of only five ever made where the last one sold at an auction was sold for more that 30 million pounds.

20. February 2017 19:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Hazyview Reptile park

20. February 2017 19:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One morning when it was raining at Hazyview we went to the local Reptile Park.They had a large displ
One morning when it was raining at Hazyview we went to the local Reptile Park.

They had a large display of snakes and other reptiles, and also some interesting talks such as about Poisonous snakes.

One of the snakes they showed us was the African Puff Adder, which I remember as a really vicious snake from my days in Kenya. The snake handler certainly convinced me that it is not as aggressive as I thought by walking bare feet past it when it was all curled up really to attack.














19. February 2017 17:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Moholoholo wildlife rehabilitation

19. February 2017 17:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Towards the northern end of Kruger there is a wildlife rehabilitation centre where injured animals a
Towards the northern end of Kruger there is a wildlife rehabilitation centre where injured animals are cared for before returned to the wild.

Some are unfortunately in a condition where they can never be returned and these are used for educating visitors on wildlife issues.

The guide on our tour around the centre was truly amazing, very funny and very knowledgeable.

Angry Lioness:



Leopard:


Cheetah:


Chevel Cat:


Lion:


Lion with Snack:


Painted Dogs:


Hyena:


Southern Ground Hornbill:


Eagles:








Voltures:




Honey Badger:


18. February 2017 15:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Kruger National Park

18. February 2017 15:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In South Africa we did two days in the Kruger National Park.The first day we hired a private guide t
In South Africa we did two days in the Kruger National Park.

The first day we hired a private guide to take us around in a 4WD and the second day we did a self drive.

With the guide we were lucky enough to spot all the Big 5 (Elephants, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhino). The advantage of a guide is that they are in constant radio communications with all the other cars and therefore can track the animals. On this day it was very hot and a lot of the animals were hiding in the bush and it seemed that we spotted all the animals and called it in to the other cars.



Having the private guide was a massive advantage as we could spend the time as we wanted, so we didn't spend much time on say elephants, but we did spend 45 minutes stalking a lion hoping it would get too hot under a bush and get out into the clear.

The second day we went it was raining and a lot more challenging, but we still spotted some that we didn't see the first day.

Camera wise I knew it would be a challenge to get good photos with a normal lens and didn't have the budget or justification to spend on a fast long lens. Instead all the photos in this post were taken with my 80-200 f2.8 with a 2x teleconverter. I used my tripod as a monopod and the guide was great at moving the car into spots where I had a clear line of sight (another advantage of not having to consider other passengers).

Here are the Big 5 we spotted.

Leopard:



Lion:



Rhinos:





Elephants:













African Buffalos:





And here are some of the others such as Zebras:







Hyenas:





Giraffes:





Impalas:





Kudu:





Waterbucks:



Wothhogs:





Baboons:





Monkeys:



Guinea Fowl:



African Fishing Eagles:



Storks:



Marabous:



Turtles (These ones are predators):



Weaver birds:



Chameleons:




17. February 2017 16:02
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Panorama Route

17. February 2017 16:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the first day in northern South Africa we drove the Panorama route. This is a beautiful drive up
On the first day in northern South Africa we drove the Panorama route. This is a beautiful drive up through the mountains and is full of scenic views of the Blyde River Canyon and waterfalls.

The most famous place is Bourkes Potholes.







And the Pinacle







But everywhere is full of beautiful scenery



Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal

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2. January 2007 10:02
by Rene Pallesen
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New Years Eve 2007

2. January 2007 10:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

new years eve


New Years eve this year was celebrated on the Lawn at the Botanical Gardens near the opera house. We had a nice combined view of the fireworks in the city, on the harbour and on the bridge. We were there with a group of friends and and we brought picnic blankets and food to eat.

The 9pm fireworks were a bit disappointing compared to other years but the midnight one was really good. This year they use the whole area, so simultaneously fireworks were being fired from the harbour, the bridge as well as the high rise buildings in the city.

Click here for more photos

Fireworks are illegal to buy and sell here in Australia, so instead the city (and most other cities) instead put on large firework displays. This means that you every year get professional firework displays instead of the sporadic stuff you get in other countries where people themselves buy it.

Besides, if firework was allowed then the State Emergency Services would be spending three weeks after New Years Eve fighting bushfires every year. Click here to Download video of Firework Display #1
Click here to Download video of Firework Display #2
Click here to Download video of Firework Display #3
Click here to Download video of Firework Display #4


Click here to see more photos from New Years Eve

20. March 2006 01:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Tokyo 2006

20. March 2006 01:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

tokyo


In September 2006 I went on a business trip to Tokyo along with a colleague of mine Tsukada-san.

Most of the trip was hard work and very long days, but I did manage to snap a couple of photos here and there.

We did get the deal in Tokyo, so the trip was worthwhile, and we are now installing our solution across all of Asia.







Click here to see more photos from: Tokyo/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:56
by Rene Pallesen
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Thailand 2006

19. March 2006 03:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

thailand


In Mid 2006 I went to a work meeting in Krabi in Thailand.

This happens to be a few kilometers away from one of the best rock climbing destinations in the world. So, after the meeting I took a few days off to go rock climbing.

Kim happened to be travelling in the Northern part of Thailand with some friends who had to leave on the same day my meeting ended. Kim flew down to Krabi where I picked her up at the airport.

Unfortunately it was rainy season, so most of the time in Railay it was raining, but we did manage to get one day of climbing done and the rest of the time we spend in the restaurants and playing cards.

Romantic sunset photo
Click here to see more photos from: Thailand/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:54
by Rene Pallesen
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Holland

19. March 2006 03:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Holland


In 2006 I went to Holland a couple of time for work. We have an office in Vianen 50 milometers outside Amsterdam.

I normally don't take a lot of photos when I go there, but if you click on the link below then you can see some of the ones I did take.

Amsterdam
Click here to see more photos from:Holland/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:53
by Rene Pallesen
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Skiing USA

19. March 2006 03:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

skiing usa


In early 2006 I went a trip to Seattle for our annual kick-off event.

Some of us flew over there a few days early to go skiing in Wanatchee east of Seattle. If was a weekend of perfect skiing. It was my first time skiing so I took some lessons after which I was doing fine (blue slopes).

During the week we had lots of meetings and dinners. There were award nights as well as just social nights where we could meet up with the rest of the company.

The following all of us in International went down to Crystal Mountain at Mount Raineer to do some more skiing. It was a lot of fun and we all had a great time.

Me with Mount Raineer in the background
Click here to see more photos from: USA/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:53
by Rene Pallesen
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Skiing Thredbo Australia

19. March 2006 03:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

skiing thredbo australia


Mid 2006 I went with Soeren and his family (visiting from Thailand) to Thredbo to do some skiing. We drove down there Friday night and returned Sunday night. Thredbo is located in the Australian Alps 5 hours drive south of Sydney.

Generally the skiing conditions are pretty good, but last year was pretty bad, but we did get some skiing done.

Soeren on skiis
Click here to see more photos from:Skiing in Australia 2006/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:51
by Rene Pallesen
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Denmark 2006

19. March 2006 03:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

denmark


In early 2006 my Mum had a stroke while my parents were on holiday in Thailand.

A few months later in April when I was in Europe for work I used the opportunity to go and visit and check up on how my mum is doing.

She is now in a wheelchair and still getting used to finding new ways of doing things.

I didn't do much while I was there, because it was mainly a social visit to help my mum and dad.

My mum
Click here to see more photos from: Denmark/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:51
by Rene Pallesen
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Various

19. March 2006 03:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

various


I have a number of photos that don't really justify being in individual albums. I have now added all these photos from 2006 into one album.

Who's the clown? Click here to see more photos from: Miscellaneous/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:48
by Rene Pallesen
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Rock Climbing & Blue Mountains 2006

19. March 2006 03:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

rock climbing blue mountains 2006


I quite regularly head up to the Blue Mountains to go Rock Climbing.

We normally camp overnight and then depending on the weather and temperature decide on the day what walls we are going climbing on. The photos in the gallery are a selection of some of the photos I've taken in 2006, but there will be more to come in 2007.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of photos of me climbing as I tend to forget to pass my camera to someone else.

Most of the time I go with my friend Sarah, but she has now moved to Canberra so she doesn't come up there as often as she used to.

Climbing
Click here to see more photos from: Climbing in the Blue Mountains/Slideshow

19. March 2006 03:46
by Rene Pallesen
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Portugal 2006

19. March 2006 03:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

portugal 2006


In Mid 2006 I was in Portugal for our International Partner Conference with the company.

It was a week of being busy setting up for the conference, socialising but also a lot of fun and partying.

The bridge across the river in Lisbon
Click here to see more photos from:Portugal/Slideshow