This image was taken at a fishing pier in Lakes Entrance. Lakes Entrance is a seaside resort and fishing port in eastern Victoria, Australia. It is situated approximately 320 kilometres east of Melbourne, near a managed, artificial channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to the Bass Strait.

This image is included in 3 galleries :- 1) "Waterfalls Paradise 3" curated by Paulina Ungureanu, 2) "" by Rick The Zoo and 3) "CASCATE N. 4" by FRANCO600D.

Often regarded as one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the whole of New Zealand, Marokopa Falls has a height of 35-metres. It is located in the Tawarau Forest, which is just a short distance from the famed Waitomo Glowworm Caves.

The Marokopa River is a river of the Waikato Region on the North Island. It flows west for approximately 26 kilometres to join the Tasman Sea at Marokopa. Near Te Anga, the river flows over the picturesque Marokopa Falls.

Catopsilia pomona, the common emigrant or lemon emigrant, is a medium-sized pieridae butterfly found in Asia, Cambodia and parts of Australia. The species gets its name from its habit of migration.

遷粉蝶在香港 一年四季都會出現，但以初夏時數量最多。牠具有多型性，翅膀以黃色為主，飛行速度高。牠的幼蟲食用植物包括長有美麗花朵的翅莢決明(Senna alata)。

Captured this little bird at Christchurch Botanical Gardens. It is an introduced species from Europe in the 1860s. Other names are English sparrow, spadger.

The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the solemnisation of the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Images du monde. From different countries of the world." curated by Eveline Lyrette and 2) "LANDSCAPE VOL 18" by Jean-paul Vancoppenolle.

The Bay of Fires (indigenous name: larapuna) is a bay on the north eastern coast of Tasmania, extending from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point. It is a 29 km long sweep of powder-white sand and crystal-clear seas, with a string of superb beaches, punctuated by lagoons and rocky headlands, backed by coastal heath and bush.

The bay was given its name in 1773 by Captain Tobias Furneaux in Adventure, who saw the fires of Aboriginal people on the beaches along the coast line. The Bay of Fires is characterized by white beaches, blue water and huge granite blocks that are coloured bright orange by lichens. Perhaps, Captain Tobias Furneaux named the bay after these fiery red rocks. The lichens responsible for the orange hue in the rocks of Bay of Fires belong to the family Hymeneliaceae.

The conservation area is divided into three sections, with Anson's Bay dividing the southern and northern ends. A scenic view of the bay can be glimpsed by driving along the coast to The Gardens.

This was taken near Binalong Bay and Skeleton Bay.

This bird is taking-off from the shallow of the fresh water lake at Westgate Park.

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "MIX_04" curated by Willie Sturges and 2) "Birds" by Mark Neuman-Scott.

This image is included in a publication :-

INTERPHOTO MAGAZINE * SUMMER EDITION 2017

VIEW ONLINE FULL SCREEN FLIPPING on:

issuu.com/interphotoit/docs/interphoto_summer_2017

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "China" curated by Dirk Rosseel and 1) "LANDSCAPE VOL 18" by Jean-paul Vancoppenolle.

Listed as UNESCO in 2010, the Zhangye Danxia Landform area is known as “the eye candy of Zhangye”. Many artists admire this masterpiece as it is unbelievably colorful, like a n imaginative oil painting . Zhangye's Danxia landscape has lots of precipitous red cliffs, most of which are several hundred meters high, and multicolored ridges of weathered strata, sometimes stretching to the horizon. These formations, sometimes smooth sometimes sharp, stand out against the greens or grays of the plains , looking grand and magnificent, vigorous and virile.

Across the Danxia landscape zone, a kaleidoscope of numerous red rocky outcrops resemble weird and wonderful shapes like castles, cones, towers ; as well as humans, creatures, birds and beasts. Their peaks peeping through the mist and clouds, produce mirage-like scenery of fantastic mountains and pavilions.

Zhangye 's Danxia was formed by the erosion of red sandstone, forming isolated peaks and steep stratified outcrops. Its special geological structure, combined with long-term desert conditions , freeze-thaw peeling, and wind and water erosion gave rise to its present appearance.

Geologists believe that Danxia topography is formed by folding of layered oceanic crust. Exposed slanting rock layers have different colors, textures, shapes, sizes, and patterns. The combination of differences in density and erosion create towering peaks, cave holes, and stone halls. (Sourced from Internet)

甘肅張掖國家地質公園

位於中國甘肅省張掖市, 規劃面積322平方公里。 2012年4月, “甘肅張掖丹霞地質公園” 國家地質公園（建設）資格被國土資源部批准。 2016年6月, 經實地驗收, 國土資源部同意命名該處為 “甘肅張掖國家地質公園”。這裡曾因其色彩斑斕的岩石地貌而被中國多家媒體選為中國最美地貌之一, 於2008年1月被甘肅省人民政府批准為省級“肅南－臨澤丹霞地貌風景名勝區”。

該公園位於祁連山北麓, 臨澤縣和肅南縣境內。兩縣均在甘肅省地級市張掖統轄範圍內。丹霞地貌主要分佈在康樂鄉和白銀鄉地段。臨澤丹霞景區是公園的核心區域, 距張掖市區以西30公里, 臨澤縣城以南20公里。這是整個公園發展最為完善, 遊客人數最多的一個景區。 第二大景區冰溝位於梨園河北岸, 於2014年8月3日正式揭牌。 冰溝佔地總面積為300平方公里, 海拔1500-2500米。 第三大景區肅南丹霞景區位於甘肅省臨澤縣。

張掖丹霞因其與眾不同的岩石色彩而舉世聞名。這些岩石光滑而險峻, 高數百米, 是紅礫石, 砂岩和其他礦物經過2400萬年的沉澱堆積而成。這種夾層蛋糕 般的效果與構成喜馬拉雅山脈的地殼板塊運動有關。經年累月的風吹雨淋，最終被雕琢成了如今這番奇特景象, 或形似塔, 或貌似柱, 或溝壑縱橫, 色彩斑斕, 形態各異。

Located in Black Rock, about 19 km from Melbourne, Red Bluff is a high (over 25 m), active cliff cut in poorly consolidated clayey sands, with harder sandstone beds forming a series of irregular ledges and benches at the base. The greater part of the cliff is an exposure of the Red Bluff Sand, this site being the type locality for that geological formation. At the cliff base, the Red Bluff Sand rests disconformably on the hard, dark brown to red ferruginous sediments of the Black Rock Sandstone, about 3 m of Black Rock Sandstone being exposed here above low water mark. These two formations comprise the Brighton Group, the most widespread outcropping Tertiary sedimentary sequence in the Melbourne area. The lowest bed of the Red Bluff Sand is a dark carbonaceous band overlain by a thin, hard, gritty iron cemented bed. Above this, the lower beds of the Red Bluff Sand are yellow clayey sands passing into cross-bedded gravelly horizons which become sandy and brown to red in the upper sections of the cliff. Although not abundant, the fossil pollen and leaf content of clay in the Red Bluff Sand indicates the formation is of non-marine origin and of Middle to Late Pliocene age.

The headland at Red Bluff coincides with a rise in the level of the Black Rock Sandstone, (either a minor anticline or a depositional undulation in the formation). This rise brings the more resistant ferruginous rock up to sea level and forms the promontory underpinning the cliff. To the south, the cliff declines to be a scrubby bluff behind Half Moon Bay where the Black Rock Sandstone declines below sea level. The face of Red Bluff is incised by narrow, tubular gullies, with remnant pinnacles and buttresses forming a miniature but spectacular ‘badlands terrain’. (Sourced from Victorian Resources Online)

This image is included in a gallery "feather finery (7)" curated by Jenny Pansing.

This was taken at the New Zealand Gardens, which is part of Botanic Gardens in Christchurch. The one with a white head and in focus is female. It is partly protected. Other names are Putangitangi, Pari and Paradise Duck. It was my first encounter with this species.

The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the solemnisation of the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

In the evenings these birds would gather in gum trees before roosting. Mostly they just rest, yawn and do nothing. Sometimes they may crack a few laughters which can be heard a few kilometres away.

This landscape belongs to the sandstone peak forest landform in Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China. Crustal uplift changed the sedimentary rock stratum into a hilly and mountainous area, then the sandstone was carved by exogenic processes like weathering and erosion into rugged rock pillars.

攝於仙女獻花觀景台附近。

The Grand Canyon (Hopi: Ongtupqa; Yavapai: Wi:kaʼi:la, Navajo: Tsékooh Hatsoh, Spanish: Gran Cañón) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon. (Wikipedia)

Desert View Point is the most eastern-point at the South Rim. It is a great vintage point to see where the Colorado River takes its big bend to the west. From the Historic Watchtower, to the east are the majestically beautiful Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon which mark the beginning of the Grand Canyon. To the northwest are the temples of Jupiter, Venus and Apollo. This was taken on a fine Summer morning with a clear blue sky and small volumes of clouds in the distance.

The Standley Chasm is a geological formation located 50 km west of Alice Springs. It lies within the West MacDonnell National Park. The Western Arrernte Aboriginal people are its original owners. It is traditionally known as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning the Gap of Water. Standley Chasm is located in a reserve privately owned by the Iwupataka Land Trust.

Called Angkerle by the Aborigines, the Chasm’s European name honours Mrs Ida Standley who in 1914, became the first school teacher in Alice Springs.

Standley Chasm has been gouged from tough sandstone by the floods that, over millions of years, have surged down a narrow tributary of the Finke River system. The result is a deep red cleft, with slopes on either side rising 80 metres above the floor. Regardless of the weather or time of day, the Chasm is at its most dramatic an hour either side of noon on a sunny day. It is at noon that the desert sun is perfectly aligned, drenching Standley Chasm in a shower of brilliant red light, the sheer walls glowing from the reflected sunlight to create a breath-taking display. (sourced from internet)

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "fish and life underwater" curated by Sylvia Okkerse and 2) "Nature" by massimo peta.

This was taken at the Grand Aquarium, Ocean Park Hong Kong.

Ocean Park Hong Kong, commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and amusement park situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is the second largest theme park in Hong Kong, following Hong Kong Disneyland.

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Stunning Bird Shots" curated by ananamdoy and 2) "to amuse the students 12" by Fairy Duff.

This image is included in a gallery "Wow! 2." curated by Jane Statham.

This was taken during a morning walk a few winters ago. These parrots are digging up grass root bulbs to feed on.

This image is included in a gallery "Photo Gallery" curated by Ryan Walker.

The Grand Canyon (Hopi: Ongtupqa; Yavapai: Wi:kaʼi:la, Navajo: Tsékooh Hatsoh, Spanish: Gran Cañón) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon. (Wikipedia)

This was viewed from Mather Point, which is on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Vishnu Temple is the one with a pointed peak near the left hand side.

This image is included in 3 galleries :- 1) "lift off" curated by janetfo747 , 2) "Eastern Australia bees XVIII" by Bernhard Jacobi and 3) "MARVELLOUS MACROS" by .M*A*K. .

This image is included in a gallery "Paesaggi 24" curated by

Stefano Bacci.

The pockmarked face of Uluru is Australia’s best-known natural landmark. This was taken on my way to see rock arts and the Mutitjulu Waterhole, near the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre.

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock and officially gazetted as Uluru / Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation. Uluru is just the expsed tip of a huge vertical body of rock. This rock probably extends far below the surrounding plain, probably for several kilometres. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs. It has been listed as Dual UNESCO heritage site.

Uluru is an inselberg, meaning "island mountain". An inselberg is a prominent isolated residual knob or hill that rises abruptly from and is surrounded by extensive and relatively flat erosion lowlands in a hot, dry region.

Uluru means Meeting Place. It is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Uluru, the world's most famous monolith, is an evocative and powerful icon of the Australian landscape. Uluru appears in many guises and poses a unique photographic challenge.

Elevation: 863 m (2,831 ft)

Prominence: 348 m (1,142 ft)

Circumference: 9.4 km

(Sourced from internet)

Pink Lake is a small, salty Lake west of Melbourne CBD, in Fisherman's Bend, near Westgate Bridge. Every year between summer and autumn, the salinity and warm weather encourage the proliferation of a pink algae.

This image is included in a gallery "IN FLIGHT" curated by Jessica Myers.

The Ochre Pits is a popular tourist destination in Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park, approximately 100 km west of Alice Springs along the Larapinta Trail. The pits consist of several layers of multi-coloured, layered rock that was traditionally used by Indigenous Australians in ceremonies and played an important role in the continent's economy, being traded with neighbouring clans and "countries", in every direction on the continent.

Ochre occurs in a range of earthy colours ranging from white through to yellow, orange, red and browns. Ochre has always been an important part of Aboriginal culture and a vital part of everyday life. For medicinal purposes red ochre can be mixed with grease and applied as an ointment and to relieve congestion when mixed with eucalyptus leaves. White ochre was used as a magical charm, when mixed with water and blown from the mouth it is believed to abate the heat of the sun or the force of the wind. Weapons were painted with ochre to increase the success of hunting. It also protected the wooden weapons from termites.

Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere is a 12 km (7.5 mi) long temperate maritime glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Together with the Fox Glacier 20 km (12 mi) to the south, and a third glacier, it descends from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level.

The area surrounding the two glaciers is part of Te Wahipounamu, a World Heritage Site park. The river emerging from the glacier terminal of Franz Josef is known as the Waiho River.

Franz Josef Glacier (Kā Roimata ō Hine Hukatere) is one of the steepest glaciers in New Zealand, descending from its origins high in the Southern Alps deep into the lush native rainforest of Westland's National Park. It also moves faster than your average glacier at around 50cm per day. This creates some truly incredible features in the glacier such as ice caves, tunnels, seracs and crevasses; all of which are constantly changing and evolving so no two days are ever the same.

Legend has it that Franz Josef's lover died in a fatal fall. She cried so much that her tears pooled, eventually freezing into a block of ice. The magic of this fable isn’t lost on the town or the tourists who flock to the tragically romantic site.

This is an HDR image taken just in front of the barrier rope, about 500 metre from the tongue of the glacier. Had to wait for an hour for the right light.

This image is included in a gallery "MARAVILLAS ESPEJADAS-volumen 6" curated by BYKTOR-f.d.

About 310 km from Scarborough, Algonquin Provincial Park is located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. The park is considered part of the "border" between Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario. The park is in an area of transition between coniferous forest and deciduous forest. This unique mixture of forest types, and the wide variety of environments in the park, allows the park to support an uncommon diversity of plant and animal species.

This was taken on an overcast day, at a spot where the flow of river became very slow.

The catch is a baby snapper, also called Pinkie.

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "ANIMALS - part 2" curate by faby.c and 2) "OISEAUX - BIRDS (3)" by Bobbruxelles.

I saw this species for the first time while travelling in Franz Josef, New Zealand. It isa small bird only found in New Zealand. Other names:- Mirimiro, white-breasted tit (North Island), ngiru-ngiru, yellow-breasted tit (South Island), pied tit.

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Goldene Impressionen" curated by Bodo Hoffmann and 2) "2020 03 30 Fahrradbote" by BAKAWI..

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in south western Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheatres along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colours of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m). The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.992 sq mi; 14,502 ha; 145.02 km2) and receives substantially fewer visitors than Zion National Park (nearly 4.3 million in 2016) or Grand Canyon National Park (nearly 6 million in 2016), largely due to Bryce's more remote location. (Sourced from Internet)

This was taken at Bryce Point (8300 ft above sea level).

Boulder Bank Lighthouse is a decommissioned 19th century lighthouse located near the Port Nelson end of the Boulder Bank. It was New Zealand's second permanent lighthouse. Prior to its construction, the Nelson harbour entrance, with its four-metre tidal range and narrow curved channel, was a trap to unwary ship's captains. The octagonal cast-iron tower was manufactured in sections by Stothert & Pitt, an engineering firm from Bath, England, in 1859 at a cost of £2,824 (equivalent to £284,957 as of 2019). It was then shipped to New Zealand on board the Glenshee, and was erected in 1862. It is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a category I structure with registration number 41. The lighthouse was lit for 120 years, from 1862 until 1982. It was given a fresh coat of white paint in October 2018. Its perch on the natural breakwater makes it popular with tourists. Today, it stands alone, but was not always so. When it was manned by lighthouse keepers, a number of homes, other buildings and radio mast clustered around its base.

Constructed : 1862

Tower height : 18 metre

Heritage : NZHPT Category I listing

Automated : 1915

Deactivated : 1982

ARLHS No. NZL004

Nelson is the oldest city in the South Island and the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand, It was established in 1841 and was proclaimed a city by royal charter in 1858.

This was taken outside of Stonehouse Restaurant, Warrandyte, Victoria.

The Organ Pipes are one of the most distinctive features on Mount Wellington (kunanyi) in Hobart, Tasmania. The dolerite rock that comprises the towering, columnar cliffs was formed during the Jurassic when Tasmania was in the process of separating from Antarctica during the final stages of the breakup of Gondwana. The cliffs are a favourite haunt of rock climbers. (Trail Hiking Australia)

It is one of the iconic climbing areas in Australia: the vertical dolerite columns are up to 120m in height. Climbing the Organ Pipes is a serious adventure!

This was taken on a drizzly Spring afternoon. Visibility was very low.

This image is included in a gallery "PANORAMI E LUOGHI- LANDSCAPE AND SITE" curated by maurosnaier.

The Ochre Pits is a popular tourist destination in Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park, approximately 100 km west of Alice Springs along the Larapinta Trail. The pits consist of several layers of multi-coloured, layered rock that was traditionally used by Indigenous Australians in ceremonies and played an important role in the continent's economy, being traded with neighbouring clans and "countries", in every direction on the continent.

Ochre occurs in a range of earthy colours ranging from white through to yellow, orange, red and browns. Ochre has always been an important part of Aboriginal culture and a vital part of everyday life. For medicinal purposes red ochre can be mixed with grease and applied as an ointment and to relieve congestion when mixed with eucalyptus leaves. White ochre was used as a magical charm, when mixed with water and blown from the mouth it is believed to abate the heat of the sun or the force of the wind. Weapons were painted with ochre to increase the success of hunting. It also protected the wooden weapons from termites.

This image is included in 2 galleries : 1) "CABALLOS" curated by Juan Antonio 2) "ANIMAUX DOMESTIQUES" by Bernard et Jacqueline.

On January 8, 2019, the Werribee Open Range Zoo out of Australia had exciting news by way of a rare Mongolian wild horse foal! Named Bataar (Mongolian for "hero"), the sandy-coated foal with an adorable spiky mane entered the world as the son of Mahan, a mare also located at the African themed zoo about 32 kilometers southwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Here this young male is about 2 months old.

The Mongol horse (Mongolian Адуу, aduu: "horse" or mori; or as a herd, ado) is the native horse breed of Mongolia. The breed is purported to be largely unchanged since the time of Genghis Khan. Nomads living in the traditional Mongol fashion still hold more than 3 million animals, which outnumber the country's human population. In Mongolia, the horses live outdoors all year, dealing with temperatures from 30 °C (86 °F) in summer down to −40 °C (−40 °F) in winter, and they graze and search for food on their own. The mare's milk is processed into the national beverage airag. Some animals are slaughtered for meat. Other than that, they serve as riding and transport animals; they are used both for the daily work of the nomads and in horse racing. Mongol horses were a key factor supporting the 13th-century conquests of the Mongol Empire.

The mane and tail of the Mongol horse are very long. Their strands are often used for braiding ropes; the tail hair can be used for violin bows. Mongolian horses have great stamina; although they have small bodies, they can gallop for 10 km without a break. When pulling a cart, a team of four Mongol horses can draw a load of 4400 lbs for 50–60 km a day. Because the horses are allowed to live much the same as wild horses, they require little in the way of hoof care. The hooves are left untrimmed and unshod, and few farriers are in the country. Mongol horses have hard, strong hooves and seldom have foot problems.

Located about 77 km from Hobart, it is an easy drive of just over an hour. In geology and geomorphology, a tessellated pavement is a relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular rectangles, blocks approaching rectangles, or irregular or regular polygons by fractures, frequently systematic joints, within the rock. This type of rock pavement bears this name because it is fractured into polygonal blocks that resemble tiles of a mosaic floor, or tessellations.

The most well-known example of a tessellated pavement is the Tessellated Pavement that is found at Lufra, Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula of Tasmania. This tessellated pavement consists of a marine platform on the shore of Pirates Bay, Tasmania. This example consists of two types of formations: a pan formation and a loaf formation.

The pan formation is a series of concave depressions in the rock that typically forms beyond the edge of the seashore. This part of the pavement dries out more at low tide than the portion abutting the seashore, allowing salt crystals to develop further; the surface of the "pans" therefore erodes more quickly than the joints, resulting in increasing concavity.

The loaf formation occurs on the parts of the pavement closer to the seashore, which are immersed in water for longer periods of time. These parts of the pavement do not dry out so much, reducing the level of salt crystallisation. Water, carrying abrasive sand, is typically channelled through the joints, causing them to erode faster than the rest of the pavement, leaving loaf-like structures protruding.

This backlit image here shows a fine example of the pan formation.

Punakaiki is a small community on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, between Westport and Greymouth. The community lies on the edge of the Paparoa National Park. The Pancake Rocks are a very popular tourist destination at Dolomite Point south of the main village. The Pancake Rocks are a heavily eroded limestone area where the sea bursts through several vertical blowholes during high tides. Together with the 'pancake'-layering of the limestone, these form the main attraction of the area.

The weather was bad in the afternoon. It was rainy and dark. Went back there in the evening : the clouds looked angry in the distance. Somehow, the sun peeped through dark clouds and sidelit the rocks for very brief moments.

This image is included in 3 galleries :- 1) "Water fowl." curated by Jane Statham, 2) "Fugler 3" by Ellen Karine Andersen and 3) "Fugler 4" by Ellen Karine Andersen.

Located in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong, Kowloon Park is a peaceful, green oasis right in the heart of this incredibly busy part of the city. It covers an area of just under 33 acres, with a varied landscape connected by pathways snaking through preened shrubs and ancient banyan trees. A flock of about 40 to 50 flamingos (greater and lesser admixed) like to gather at the shallow of the Bird Lake.

Flamingo diet largely consists of crustaceans and algae, which are rich in carotenoids. This pigment gives flamingos the hot pink or reddish coloration they are known for.

This image is included in 3 galleries :- 1) " 2018 SPECIAL AUTHORS * INTERPHOTO * " curated by Gianfranco Marzetti, 2) "USA" by Dirk Rosseel and 3) "Memories of Travels" by RD Glamour Photography.

Mammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine adjacent to Fort Yellowstone and the Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District. It was created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate (over two tons flow into Mammoth each day in a solution). Because of the huge amount of geothermal vents, travertine flourishes. Although these springs lie outside the caldera boundary, their energy has been attributed to the same magmatic system that fuels other Yellowstone geothermal areas.

The hot water that feeds Mammoth comes from Norris Geyser Basin after traveling underground via a fault line that runs through limestone and roughly parallel to the Norris-to-Mammoth road. The limestone from rock formations along the fault is the source of the calcium carbonate. Shallow circulation along this corridor allows Norris' superheated water to slightly cool before surfacing at Mammoth, generally at about 170 °F (80 °C). Algae living in the warm pools have tinted the travertine shades of brown, orange, red, and green.

Thermal activity here is extensive both over time and distance. The thermal flows show much variability with some variations taking place over periods ranging from decades to days. Terrace Mountain at Mammoth Hot Springs is the largest known carbonate-depositing spring in the world. The most famous feature at the springs is the Minerva Terrace, a series of travertine terraces. The terraces have been deposited by the spring over many years but, due to recent minor earthquake activity, the spring vent has shifted, rendering the terraces dry.

This image in included in a gallery "Colors" curated by by cristian salvadori.

The colourful phenomenon was created by early gold-mining activities: sluicing work in the 1880s revealed the 'pink' hills near the historic town of Heathcote.

The Pink Cliffs Reserve is about 140km from Melbourne CBD. It was originally man made but is now considered one of Victoria's natural wonders. The multi-coloured soft granite exposed as a moonscape surface in the central portion of the reserve is the best known feature hence its name, Pink Cliffs.

This geological reserve offers hills of fine clay with an almost talcum-powder texture. The pinkness is more intense when the area is moist, i.e, shortly after a rain or shower.

This view was taken near the entrance.

This image is included in a gallery "Nature" curated by massimo peta.

The National Rhododendron Gardens (formally known as The Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden) is a popular destination located in the Dandenong Ranges. Captured this one on a fine spring morning, when this bird was foraging for food. I like its fluffy plumage, which is apparent on close-up. Unlike its relative Red Wattlebird, this species has no wattles.

The Great White Throne is a mountain of white Navajo Sandstone in Zion National Park in Washington County in southwestern Utah, United States. The north face rises 2,350 feet (720 m) in 1,500 feet (460 m) from the floor of Zion Canyon near Angels Landing. It is often used as a symbol of Zion National Park. The Great White Throne can be seen from most locations along the scenic drive running through Zion Canyon.

The Great White Throne was named by the Methodist minister of Ogden, Utah, Frederick Vining Fisher, in 1916. On a trip up the canyon with Claud Hirschi, son of Rockville bishop David Hirschi, Fisher and Hirschi named many features in Zion Canyon. Later afternoon light gloriously lit up The Great White Throne, prompting Fischer to state: "Never have I seen such a sight before. It is by all odds America's masterpiece. Boys, I have looked for this mountain all my life but I never expected to find it in this world. This mountain is the Great White Throne".

On the left is The Organ. The shadow is cast by Angels Landing on the right.

This image is included in a gallery "dream away.......magical dreamscapes" curated by Fatmaa Farasha.

This image is included in a gallery "Photo Gallery" curated by Ryan Walker.

Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York.

Accordding to information from the Niagara Parks :-

• More than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic ft.) of water go over the crestline of the Falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours.

• The average fall from Lake Erie to the beginning of the upper Niagara Rapids is only 2.7 metres (9 ft.)

• The Canadian Horseshoe Falls drops an average of 57 metres (188 ft.) into the Lower Niagara River.

• The crest line of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is approximately 670 metres (2,200 ft.) wide. The plunge pool beneath the Falls is 35 metres (100 ft.) deep.

This is seen from "Journey Behind the Falls" observation deck upper level on the Canadian side.

This bird is taking-off from the shallow of the fresh water lake at Westgate Park.

This image is included in a gallery "Natura 25" curated by Stefano Bacci.

With its white plumage and bright yellow crest, the sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is one of Australasia’s most recognisable parrot species. The crest is erectile and can reach up to 14 centimetres in length. The undersurfaces of the wings and tail are washed with pale yellow, while the bill and feet are black and dark-grey respectively. The sexes are almost identical, except for the eye, which is brown in the male and red-brown in the female. It is found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests. (The Parody Wiki)

A highly intelligent bird, they are well known in aviculture, although they can be demanding pets. Sulphur-crested cockatoos' distinctive raucous calls can be very loud, which is a result of an adaptation in order to travel through the forest environments in which they live, including tropical and subtropical rain forests. These birds are naturally curious, as well as very intelligent. They have adapted very well to European settlement in Australia and live in many urban areas. (Wikipedia)

The Pink Cliffs Reserve is about 140km from Melbourne CBD. It was originally man made but is now considered one of Victoria's natural wonders. The multi-coloured soft granite exposed as a moonscape surface in the central portion of the reserve is the best known feature hence its name, Pink Cliffs.

This geological reserve offers hills of fine clay with an almost talcum-powder texture. The pinkness is more intense when the area is moist, i.e, shortly after a rain or shower.

The colourful phenomenon was created by early gold-mining activities: sluicing work in the 1880s revealed the 'pink' hills near the historic town of Heathcote.

The shadows in the foreground from nearby gum trees add additional interest.

This beautiful cliff face image against a cloudless blue sky was taken near the Checkerboard Mesa at the Eastern Entrance shortly before 1 pm.

Zion National Park is an American national park located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to 2,640 ft deep. The canyon walls are reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone eroded by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest point in the park is 3,666 ft at Coalpits Wash and the highest peak is 8,726 ft at Horse Ranch Mountain. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals, and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches. (Wikipedia)

** awaiting name of cliff face identification**

This image is included in 4 galleries 1) "Birds in the air 1" curated by Odd K Hauge, 2) "Awesome Image" by Ken's Eye, 3) "Delightful Expo-46 賞心悅目的博覽館-46" by ggx2ggx2@kimo.com and 4) "Fine Feathered Friends" by Sandra Mahle.

This image is included in a gallery "Beautiful butterflies (2)" curated by Marc onderweg.

The Bay of Fires is a bay on the northeastern coast of Tasmania in Australia, extending from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point.

The Bay of Fires (indigenous name: larapuna) is a bay on the north eastern coast of Tasmania, extending from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point. It is a 29 km long sweep of powder-white sand and crystal-clear seas, with a string of superb beaches, punctuated by lagoons and rocky headlands, backed by coastal heath and bush.

The bay was given its name in 1773 by Captain Tobias Furneaux in Adventure, who saw the fires of Aboriginal people on the beaches along the coast line. The Bay of Fires is characterized by white beaches, blue water and huge granite blocks that are coloured bright orange by lichens. Perhaps, Captain Tobias Furneaux named the bay after these fiery red rocks. The lichens responsible for the orange hue in the rocks of Bay of Fires belong to the family Hymeneliaceae.

The conservation area is divided into three sections, with Anson's Bay dividing the southern and northern ends. A scenic view of the bay can be glimpsed by driving along the coast to The Gardens.

This was taken at Cosy Corner, a small beach near Binalong Bay.

The Grand Canyon (Hopi: Ongtupqa; Yavapai: Wi:kaʼi:la, Navajo: Tsékooh Hatsoh, Spanish: Gran Cañón) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon. (Wikipedia)

This was viewed from Desert View, South Rim. The steep cliffs "Palisades of the Desert" can be seen on the top left. Colorado River is running across.