Read more about the article Australia: The Olgas / Kata Tjuta (2011)

Australia: The Olgas / Kata Tjuta (2011)

Kata Tjuṯa, also known as The Olgas and officially gazetted as Kata Tjuta / Mount Olga, is a group of large, domed rock formations or bornhardts located about 360 km southwest of Alice Springs, in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) | Northern Territory, Australia Meaning 'many heads', Kata Tjuta is sacred to the local Aboriginal Anangu people, who have inhabited the area for more than 22,000 years. It forms an important focus of their spiritual life.

Continue ReadingAustralia: The Olgas / Kata Tjuta (2011)
Read more about the article Australia: Ayers Rock / Uluru (2011)

Australia: Ayers Rock / Uluru (2011)

Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is a massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory’s arid "Red Centre". The nearest large town is Alice Springs, 450km away. Uluru is sacred to indigenous Australians and is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago. It’s within Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which also includes the 36 red-rock domes of the Kata Tjuta (colloquially “The Olgas”) formation.

Continue ReadingAustralia: Ayers Rock / Uluru (2011)
Read more about the article Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls, 2010

Zimbabwe: Victoria Falls, 2010

Our return to Victoria Falls was because we really wanted to share this wonderful place with the girls and it did not disappoint. Victoria Falls Hotel is as colonial and wonderful as ever - love falling asleep to the sound of bullfrogs. Te on the verandah with the smoke that thunders in the background is always a highlight.

Continue ReadingZimbabwe: Victoria Falls, 2010
Read more about the article Canada: Waterton National Park

Canada: Waterton National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park is in southern Alberta, Canada, bordering Montana’s Glacier National Park. It’s known for its chain of lakes, including the large Upper and Middle Waterton lakes, flanked by the Rocky Mountains. The Red Rock Parkway crosses the prairie to the small Red Rock Canyon. Bison graze near the Bison Paddock Loop Road. In Waterton village, a pathway offers close-up views of Cameron Falls.

Continue ReadingCanada: Waterton National Park
Read more about the article Canada: Jasper, Moose Lake Hike, Skyline Trail and Miette Hot Springs

Canada: Jasper, Moose Lake Hike, Skyline Trail and Miette Hot Springs

Jasper, an alpine town in Canada’s Alberta province, is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park. Amid the snow-capped Canadian Rockies, the park has glacier-fed lakes, forests and rivers. The Jasper SkyTram climbs to the summit of Whistlers Mountain, with views of downtown. The Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives presents exhibits on the fur trade, railway and early exploration of the park. Miette Hot Springs, located in Alberta's Jasper National Park, features the hottest mineral springs in the Canadian Rockies.

Continue ReadingCanada: Jasper, Moose Lake Hike, Skyline Trail and Miette Hot Springs
Read more about the article Canada: Lake Louise and Agnes / Beehive Trailhead

Canada: Lake Louise and Agnes / Beehive Trailhead

Lake Louise is a hamlet in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, known for its turquoise, glacier-fed lake ringed by high peaks and overlooked by a stately chateau. Hiking trails wind up to the Lake Agnes Tea House for bird's-eye views. There's a canoe dock in summer, and a skating rink on the frozen lake in winter. The Lake Louise Ski Resort features a wildlife interpretive centre at the top of a gondola

Continue ReadingCanada: Lake Louise and Agnes / Beehive Trailhead
Read more about the article Canada: Lake Peyto and Athabasca Glacier, Icelands Parkway

Canada: Lake Peyto and Athabasca Glacier, Icelands Parkway

Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is near the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. Icefield Parkway is a 232 km stretch of double-lane highway winding along the Continental Divide through soaring rocky mountain peaks, icefields and vast sweeping valleys. Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies. The glacier currently loses depth at a rate of about 5 metres per year and has receded more than 1.5 km and lost over half of its volume in the past 125 years.

Continue ReadingCanada: Lake Peyto and Athabasca Glacier, Icelands Parkway
Read more about the article Canada: Yoho National Park & Emerald Lake & Golden Wolf Sanctuary

Canada: Yoho National Park & Emerald Lake & Golden Wolf Sanctuary

Yoho National Park is in the Rocky Mountains, in eastern British Columbia, Canada. Waterfalls include Wapta Falls, on the Kicking Horse River, and towering Takakkaw Falls. A trail circles turquoise-coloured Emerald Lake, with a nearby natural stone bridge. The Lake O’Hara area contains alpine lakes, cliffs and wooded trails. Viewpoints overlook trains entering the Spiral Tunnels on Kicking Horse Pass.

Continue ReadingCanada: Yoho National Park & Emerald Lake & Golden Wolf Sanctuary
Read more about the article Canada: Calgary to Lake Minnewanka to Banff

Canada: Calgary to Lake Minnewanka to Banff

Lake Minnewanka is a glacial lake located in the eastern area of Banff National Park in Canada, about five kilometres northeast of the Banff townsite. The lake is 21 km long and 142 m deep, making it the 2nd longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies. Banff is a resort town in the province of Alberta, located within Banff National Park. The peaks of Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade, part of the Rocky Mountains, dominate its skyline. On Banff Avenue, the main thoroughfare, boutiques and restaurants mix with château-style hotels and souvenir shops. The surrounding 6,500 square kilometres of parkland are home to wildlife including elk and grizzly bears.

Continue ReadingCanada: Calgary to Lake Minnewanka to Banff