Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries.
The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago off the Cornish coast, in southwest England. The islands are covered in heathland, and fringed by sandy beaches such as Great Bay on St. Martin’s. On Tresco, one of the 5 inhabited islands, Tresco Abbey Garden is home to subtropical plants and also the Valhalla Museum, displaying shipwrecked figureheads. The tower of 17th-century Cromwell’s Castle stands at the north of Tresco. The Isles of Scilly generally have a warmer climate than the rest of the UK, due to the position of the isles in relation to the ocean and the spectacular warmth of the gulf stream. In 1834, Augustus Smith took over the leasehold of the islands at a time of great poverty and set about reforming their running. He built schools, restructured the farming industry and generally raised standards. He also settled on Tresco and created a wonderful garden in the grounds of its Benedictine abbey. His descendants still lease the island today, and the garden attracts visitors from around the world, drawn to its mix of species taken from across five different continents.
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. Burj Khalifa, an 830m-tall tower, dominates the skyscraper-filled skyline. At its foot lies Dubai Fountain, with jets and lights choreographed to music. On artificial islands just offshore is Atlantis, The Palm, a resort with water and marine-animal parks. When we first visited in the early 90s on stopovers to visit a friend en route to SA it was mostly desert with little development!!
This visit to the 'smoke that thunders' was very special as we were invited to our friends' (that we had met on our around the world trip) wedding. Trent was to be ring bearer and Charlotte Bridesmaid - a magical African wedding.... years later we are their three children's Godparents...
Guilin is a city in southern China known for its dramatic landscape of limestone karst hills. At its center are 2 lakes, Shanhu (Cedar) and Ronghu (Banyan), remaining from a medieval-era moat that once surrounded the city. Boats travel through these and other lakes via connected rivers. On Shanhu Lake’s shore, twin pagodas, the Sun and Moon, light up the sky at night. ....Yangshuo, a county and resort town in southern China’s Guangxi region, is known for its dramatic karst mountain landscape and outdoor recreation. The town is set amid pinnacles like Bilian Feng (Green Lotus Peak), which has a hiking trail to the top. Tour boats offer cruises on the Li River past picturesque countryside from the town of Guilin to the north.
Kunming, the modern capital city and transportation hub of China’s southern Yunnan province, has a large student population and a temperate year-round climate. Bridges and pavilions cross the islands of Cui Hu (Green Lake), a park designed in the 17th century. Nearby is Yuantong Si. A temple founded by Buddhists in the 8th century, it features a statue hall and a pond with an ornate stone bridge. The Stone Forest or Shilin is a notable set of limestone formations about 500 km² located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, near Shilin approximately 90 km from the provincial capital Kunming.
The Bromo, or Mount Bromo 7,641 ft) it is not the highest peak of the massif, but the most famous. The area is one of the most visited tourist destinations in East Java, and the volcano is included in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.
Mount Taranaki is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. At 2,518 metres, it is the second highest mountain in the North Island, after Mount Ruapehu. It has a secondary cone, Fanthams Peak, 1,966 metres, on its south side.
The mountain ranges of Arthur's Pass National Park have been a climbing mecca since 1891. Mt Rolleston (2275 m) near the summit of Arthur's Pass is a popular climb for novice mountaineers to cut their crampons on. Cape Foulwind short walk takes you from Tauranga Bay along a rocky headland to a viewpoint overlooking a New Zealand fur seal breeding colony. Abel Tasman National Park is a wilderness reserve at the north end of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for the Abel Tasman Coast Track, a long trail winding over beaches and across ridges between Marahau in the south and Wainui in the north. The headland at Separation Point is home to New Zealand fur seal colonies. Little blue penguins, bottlenose dolphins and seals inhabit the Tonga Island Marine Reserve.
Fox Glacier (Māori: Te Moeka o Tuawe; officially Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe) is a 13-kilometre-long (8.1 mi) temperate maritime glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Lake Matheson is a small glacial lake in South Westland, New Zealand, near the township of Fox Glacier. It was a traditional food-gathering place for local Māori. An easy walking track circles the lake, which is famous for its reflected views of Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. The Franz Josef Glacier is a 12-kilometre-long temperate maritime glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Together with the Fox Glacier 20 kilometres to the south, and a third glacier, it descends from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres above sea level.
