This image is included in a gallery "Antelope Canyon" curated by Blacky.

Upper Antelope Canyon, about 200m in length, is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as "Upper Antelope Canyon" or "The Crack" Antelope Canyon "or" The Corkscrew ". The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí (called "Hasdestwazi" by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department), or 'spiral rock arches'. Both are in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Antelope Canyon's winding walls were carved by fast flowing flash flood waters. The floods carried abrasive sand, rocks logs and other debris picked up by the sudden torrents. Over millenia, these floods sculpted natural corridors through the soft sandstone. (sourced from internet)

This is a hand-held HDR.

This image is included in a gallery "KHWD Highlights 9" curated by KeefH Hellinger.

Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock is a geological rock formation in Tasman Bay off the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is made of granite and estimated to be around 120 million years old.

Made of granite, it is in the shape of an apple which has been cut into halves. It is a popular tourist attraction in the waters of the Tasman Sea approximately 50 metres off the coast between Kaiteriteri and Marahau.

The rock sits in shallow water at low tide and is accessible by wading. It is also a point of interest for the many tourist boats and pleasure craft which operate along the shores of the Abel Tasman National Park.

The formation was made by ice wedging. The cleft to produce two sides of the 'apple' was a natural occurrence. It is unknown when this happened and therefore the cleaving of the rock has attracted mythological explanations.

The name Split Apple Rock was made official in 1988, and was officially altered to Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock in August 2014. (Sourced from Wikipedia)

This was taken off the beach in Towers Bay on an overcast day.

This image is included in a gallery "Du violet! / All purple!" curated byMarie-Noëlle GALY.

Upper Antelope Canyon, about 200m long, is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as "Upper Antelope Canyon" or "The Crack" Antelope Canyon "or" The Corkscrew ". The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí (called "Hasdestwazi" by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department), or 'spiral rock arches'. Both are in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Antelope Canyon's winding walls were carved by fast flowing flash flood waters. The floods carried abrasive sand, rocks logs and other debris picked up by the sudden torrents. Over millenia, these floods sculpted natural corridors through the soft sandstone. (sourced from internet)

This is a hand-held HDR taken near the entrance.

Peyto Lake (/ˈpiːtoʊ/ PEE-toh) is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is easily accessible from the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area.

The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft).

During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake from a nearby glacier, and these suspended rock particles are what give the lake a unique bright, turquoise colour. Because of its bright colour, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books, and the area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot for tourists. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway.

The lake is fed by Peyto Creek, which drains water from Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield). Peyto Lake is the origin of the Mistaya River, which heads northwest from the lake's outflow. (Wikipedia)

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Kunst und Kunstvolles" curated by julia_HalleFotoFan and 2) "When color is the subject" by N Thomas Meldert .

Completed in 2020, monumental in scale and ambition, The Eyes of the Land and the Sea by Alison Page and Nik Lachajczak commemorates the 250th anniversary of the 1770 encounter between Aboriginal Australians and Lt James Cook’s crew of the HMB Endeavour at Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Australia.

The artwork is cast in bronze and takes the form of seven ribs, resembling both the hull of the HMB Endeavour, as well as the bones of a whale, being the Gadigal totem. Each ‘rib’ has a different surface treatment including text and carvings to represent the different layers of history and culture of Kamay. An amalgam of two very different forms, the commemorative installation speaks to the different perspectives of those first encounters, evoking a sense of sentiment, mutual understanding and reflection on the events of 1770.

UAP collaborated with the artists to develop, fabricate and install the 30m long artwork, which embeds refreshed and revived narratives of history and connection to the land, strengthening the significance of the meeting place at Kamay to all.

According to ALISON PAGE - "The Eyes of The Land and The Sea is a story about discovery. Not the discovery of land by Europeans, but of all Australians discovering their true history as we move together towards a truly reconciled Nation."

(Sourced from UAP and the artists' website)

This was taken on an overcast summer's morning. The light kept changing and showers threatened to break through. This was one of the moments when the light appeared eerie and interesting. The mood was austere. In the background is the Caltex Oil Refinery Terminal.

( Explored : Feb 18, 2023 #129 )

This images is included in a gallery "LANDSCAPE VOL 18" curated by Jean-paul Vancoppenolle.

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. (Sourced from Victorian Resources Online)

This is a beautiful blue hot spring in the Upper Geyser Basin, situated between the Grand Prismatic Pool and Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.

Artemisia Geyser is part of the Cascade Group which includes the Atomizer Geyser. It erupts for a duration of 15 to 25 minutes once or twice per day. The fountain reaches a height of 30 feet (9.1 m). Artemisia's pool overflows quietly for many hours before an eruption, but gives no visible warning of an impending eruption until the sudden increase in overflow that marks the eruption's onset. Eruptions are accompanied by a strong underground thumping caused by steam bubbles collapsing in the geyser's channels.

Artemisia also experiences minor eruptions lasting about 5 minutes. These minor eruptions are followed by major eruptions within six hours. Minor eruptions are rare. Years may pass between episodes of minor eruptions. In 2009, intervals between eruptions ranged from 9 to 36 hours, averaging 18 hours, 43 minutes. (sourced from Wikipedia)

It is a few hundred metres from the Morning Glory Pool. The yellow-white frothy deposits/bacterial growth is a beautiful feature of this geyser.

This image is included in 4 galleries:- 1) "Australia in Focus" curated by morgonsilkstone and 2) "World in Focus G20" also by morgonsilkstone, 3) "Landschaften 2020 0202" by BAKAWI and 4) "Paesaggi 24" by Stefano Bacci.

Kata Tjuṯa (means many heads), also known as the Olgas, is a group of large, dome shaped rock formations or bornhardts located about 32 km west of Uluru and 360 km (220 mi) southwest of Alice Springs. Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, located 25 km to the east, and Kata Tjuṯa form the two major landmarks within the Uluru-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. The 36 domes that make up Kata Tjuṯa cover an area of 21.68 km2 (8.37 sq mi), are composed of conglomerate, a sedimentary rock consisting of cobbles and boulders of varying rock types including granite and basalt, cemented by a matrix of sandstone. The highest dome, Mount Olga, is 1,066 m (3,497 ft) above sea level, or approximately 546 m (1,791 ft) above the surrounding plain (198 m (650 ft) higher than Uluru. They are thought to have been one huge piece of rock, much like Uluru, that has weathered over millions of years to become an intriguing series of individual formations. Kata Tjuta has been listed as Dual UNESCO heritage site.

This image was taken on a fine evening. Mt Olga and Walpa Gorge are on the right. The reddish-brown colour is due to the iron oxide and clay covering the conglomerate rock surface. On the left dome, many small caves have pock-marked the surface.

This image is included in 3 galleries :- 1) "Stoned and Rocked" curated by Sandra Mahle, 2) "Earth" by stephenhjcole and 3) "Images Invoking Receptive Energy" by Janine (JApplequist).

Mutitjulu is an Aboriginal Australian community in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the eastern end of Uluru. It is named after a knee-shaped water-filled rock hole at the base of Uluru, and is located in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Its people are traditional owners and joint managers of the park with Parks Australia. At the 2011 census, Mutitjulu had a population of 296, of which 218 were Aboriginal. (326 in 2016).

This images is included in a gallery "LANDSCAPE VOL 18" curated by Jean-paul Vancoppenolle.

Rusty Geyser is probably the easiest geyser to see in Yellowstone National Park. Not only is it frequent, erupting as little as every one to four minutes or less, but it is also located right next to the entrance road to the Biscuit Basin parking lot, so you can watch it from your car. Rusty is a small cone-type geyser. Intervals are frequently in the one to four minute range but at times have been seen to extend to as much as 13 minutes. Duration range from 10 to 45 seconds. The maximum height is about 6 feet, though 10 feet has occasionally been seen.

Rusty was reportedly named for the rust coloured sinter around its vent.

You can easily watch the typical geyser eruption cycle at Rusty. Prior to the eruption, the water rises in the vent begins to overflow and splash a little. The splashing builds into an eruption. After the eruption, the water drains away leaving the vent empty. (Source: GOSA)

This image is included in 4 galleries 1) " 2018 SPECIAL AUTHORS *INTERPHOTO*" curated by Gianfranco Marzetti, 2) "natural rock formations" by Yousaf Ejaz, 3) "Wonderful Landscapes and seascapes 2" by Glass Angel and 4) "LANDSCAPE VOL 18" by Jean-paul Vancoppenolle.

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 is included in a gallery "INTERPHOTO: NATURE / LANDSCAPES / WILDLIFE" curated by Gianfranco Marzetti.

The Hopewell Rocks are located in New Brunswick, Canada, within one hour of the nearest airport in Moncton, N.B.

An UNESCO site, the Hopewell Rocks, also called the Flower Pot Rocks or simply The Rocks, are rock formations caused by tidal erosion in The Hopewell Rocks Ocean Tidal Exploration Site in New Brunswick. Carved by melting glaciers, then sculpted by the world's highest and most artistic tides, these stacks stand 40–70 feet tall. They are located on the shores of the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near Moncton.

Due to the extreme tidal range of the Bay of Fundy, the base of the formations are covered in water twice a day. The formations consist of dark sedimentary conglomerate and sandstone rock. The large volume of water flowing in to and out of the Bay of Fundy modifies the landscape surrounding it. Each day 160 billion tonnes of seawater flows in and out of the Bay of Fundy during one tide cycle, more than the combined flow of the world’s freshwater rivers! After the retreat of the glaciers in the region following the last ice age, surface water filtering through cracks in the cliff has eroded and separated the formations from the rest of the cliff face. Meanwhile, advancing and retreating tides and the associated waves have eroded the base of the rocks at a faster rate than the tops, resulting in their unusual shapes.

Because the Fundy Bay is funnel-shaped - wide and deep at one end and shallow at the other, tides are pushed increasingly higher as they move up the Bay. By the time they reach "The Rocks" they are over four stories high! Although the tides vary from day to day, the high tide can be as high as 16 metres (52ft) and an average of 10.7 metres (35ft), giving the Hopewell Rocks one of the highest average tides in the world.

We only had barely over an hour's time there because the tide was coming in very fast. Luckily the light was reasonably good.

Because of the extreme tidal actions, the water appears to be muddy, brick red in colour. Plants grow on top of the rock stacks - hence they are called Flowerpots Rocks.

These pinnacles are limestone formations within Nambung National Park, near the town Cervantes, Western Australia.

The area contains thousands of weathered limestone pillars. Some of the tallest pinnacles reach heights of up to 7.5m above the yellow sand base. The different types of formations include ones which are much taller than they are wide and resemble columns—suggesting the name of Pinnacles—while others are only a meter or so in height and width resembling short tombstones. A cross-bedding structure can be observed in many pinnacles where the angle of deposited sand changed suddenly due to changes in prevailing winds during formation of the limestone beds. Pinnacles with tops similar to mushrooms are created when the calcrete capping is harder than the limestone layer below it. The relatively softer lower layers weather and erode at a faster rate than the top layer leaving behind more material at the top of the pinnacle.

This image is included in a gallery "in aller Welt 2" curated by Evi Otto.

Upper Antelope Canyon, about 200m long, is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as "Upper Antelope Canyon" or "The Crack" Antelope Canyon "or" The Corkscrew ". The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí (called "Hasdestwazi" by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department), or 'spiral rock arches'. Both are in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Antelope Canyon's winding walls were carved by fast flowing flash flood waters. The floods carried abrasive sand, rocks logs and other debris picked up by the sudden torrents. Over millenia, these floods sculpted natural corridors through the soft sandstone. (sourced from internet)

This is a hand-held HDR of the exit.

The is mage is included in 4 galleries:- 1) "Geology" curated by Ardan Dojan, 2) "Life on Earth" by Jeffrey Caldwell, 3) "PLACERES VISUALES-volumen 7" by byktor -f.d. and 4) "premio selecto de hacedor de imagenes" also by byktor -f.d.

Located in the Midway Geyser Basin, it is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. Its colours match the rainbow dispersion of white light by an optical prism: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The spring is approximately 370 feet (110 m) in diameter and is 160 feet (50 m) deep. The spring discharges an estimated 560 US gallons (2,100 L) of 160 °F (70 °C) water per minute.

The vivid colours in the spring are the result of microbial mats around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The mats produce colours ranging from green to red; the amount of colour in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature gradient in the runoff. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The centre of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat. The deep blue colour of the water in the centre of the pool results from the scattering of blue light by particles suspended in the water. This effect is particularly visible in the centre of the spring due to the lack of archaea that live in the centre and to the depth of the water. The brilliant yellows and oranges are a result of the bacteria which grow in it. Each colour represents a different type of bacteria specialized to survive at a certain range of hot temperatures.

A new overlook trail and viewing point away from the carpark was recently (about 4 weeks prior to our visit) opened. Viewing was much better and semi-aerial shots were handily captured. It is interesting to note that the colours of steam over the spring varied from white to shades of blue and even yellowish and pinkish depending on the intensity of direct sunlight at the time.

Adjacent to it are the Excelsior Geyser and two small hot springs: Opal Pool and Turquoise Pool.

The pockmarked face of Uluru is Australia’s best-known natural landmark. This is an uncropped image taken on board a coach during a round the base tour.

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)

( Explored : Nov 26, 2022 #39 )

This image is included in a gallery "Memories of Travels" curated by RD Glamour Photography.

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".

This is a closer look of the previous posting. This sidelit HDR capture is a nice study of the texture and varying rich colours of the beautiful monolith. Here, wispy, thin clouds have cast mild shadows on the rock face, which further accentuate 3-D effects. On the left is part of The Organ.

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.

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 colour kaleidoscope you can see today is the remaining granite sliced through with reddish brown cracks filled with quartz. The surface fine granite was washed by percolating ground water containing sodium, chlorides and carbonates, which helped to dissolve the iron ore minerals and weather the granite. In the process, the granite became stained with iron rich solutions, the colour intensity being directly related to the amounts of iron ore minerals within the cracks. Erosion has proceeded at such a rate that the present surface still resembles a moonscape. ." (Heathcote information Center Website)

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

This image is included in a gallery "natural rock formations" curated by Yousaf Ejaz

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.

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.

This image is included in a gallery "Paesaggi 17" curated by Stefano Bacci.

Ormiston Gorge is located in the West MacDonnell Ranges, located 135 km from Alice Springs. Access is via Larapinta and Namatjira Drives. Ormiston is also a sacred site the Western Arrernte people. Its name in Western Arrernte is Kwartatuma. The Dreaming story for the waterhole tells of the adventures of a group of Emus who came to the waterhole from the East, and the man who hunted them whilst they were there.

(explored Mar 16, 2020 #437)

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

The Buchan Caves are a group of limestone caves that include the Royal Cave and the Fairy Cave, located south-west of Buchan, in the East Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. They have a total length of between 3 and 4 Km, and six entrances.

The limestone rock at Buchan was laid down during the Devonian period about 300 – 400 million years ago. At the time, the sea covered this area of East Gippsland which was alive with shellfish and coral. Their remains were deposited in layers and over the years compacted to form limestone. The caves were formed by solution of the limestone.

The Buchan Caves are located approximately 360 Km from Melbourne, along the Princes Highway, north of Lakes Entrance. (Wikipedia)

Tours were conducted by candlelight and magnesium ribbon from 1907 until in the 1920s. During the 1920s and up until 1970, the caves were lit by power generated at the Buchan Caves Reserve. In 2008 both Royal and Fairy Caves were rewired with low heat and low voltage LEDs.

The magnificent Royal Cave is a through-tour with a separate entrance and exit. Connected by intimate passages, the cave features a number of large, heavily decorated chambers, including the Octopus Chamber, the massive Princess Royal Chamber, and the Skeleton Chamber. Noted decorations include the Crystal Portal, Niobe's Bower, Font of the Gods, Indian Rugs and the Temple of Peace (The Buchan Caves by Kent Henderson).

This is a handheld high ISO image taken in the Princess Royal Chamber, Royal Cave. The "Shawls" are beautifully backlit and side-lit to present their natural beauty. No tripods or flashlights are allowed in the cave.

Stalactite and stalagmite forms shawls, pillars and helictites and a permanent flowing stream. This is a wonder created by the soluble calcium carbonate. After passing through lime stone, the acid water becomes soluble calcium carbonate by mixing with the calcium carbonate in the lime stone.

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "natura, solo natura!" curated by fabiofoni and 2) "GREAT LANDSCAPES AND SEA SCAPES" by Liampics58.

These two monoliths were captured next to The Whate Museum, Albany, Western Australia. In the late afternoon sun, they shone beautifully in Frenchman Bay. Michaelmas Island and Breaksea Island can be seen in the distance.

This image is included in a gallery "Bryce & Zion" curated by 2lynnehume.

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 Sunset Point (8000 ft above sea level).

This image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "God's Nature" curated by Suvad Hamzić and 2 ) "Paesaggi 12" by Stefano Bacci .

Previously known as Island Arch, they are about 160 metres from Loch Ard Gorge. The arch collapsed in June 2009 and the two remaining rock pillars have since been officially named Tom and Eva after the two survivors of the Loch Ard shipwreck.

Australian's European history has numerous stories of shipwrecks, and one of the worst tragedies was that of the Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island reefs in 1878, just off the Shipwreck Coast in Victoria, Australia.

The Loch Ard was an iron-hulled three masted clipper ship, whose name came from a lake just west of the village of Aberfoyle in Scotland. It was on a non-stop voyage from London to Melbourne with passengers that included members of the Carmichael family. Three months out from London, after days of fog and haze, Captain Gibb had trouble calculating his position for the critical pass into Bass Strait's western entrance (a 90 km passage between the coast and King Island). On the 1st June, 1878, the captain tried to take evasive action when he saw how close they were to the cliffs. This was to no avail when the ship struck the reefs of Mutton Bird Island, just off the coast.The mast and rigging smashed, some of it onto the deck and trapping some people, others were washed overboard, then the ship began to roll. It took only fifteen minutes for the Loch Ard to sink. Of the 54 passengers and crew, there were only two survivors, Tom Pearce, a member of the crew and 18 year old Eva Carmichael, who was travelling with her family. Tom, clinging to a overturned lifeboat, was washed into a deep gorge, that now bears the name the Loch Ard Gorge. Eva, who could not swim, managed to cling to some wreckage from the ship, which drifted through huge twin cliffs into a small bay of the gorge. She was very exhausted, and Tom saw her in the waves and despite being exhausted himself, swam out to rescue her, and after an hour long struggle managed to bring her safely back to land. Tom took Eva to a cave at the end of the gorge, then climbed the cliffs to get help, not seeing the steps that were already cut into the cliff face. He ran into a party from nearby Glenample Station who returned with him to rescue Eva. After their recovery they never saw each other again, as Eva returned to Ireland and later married. Tom eventually became a ship's captain.

(Sourced from Internet)

This images is included in a gallery "Favourite Landscapes" curated by MK Hardy.

This was taken on board a tourist coach while travelling along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Pending ID of name of this peak.

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)

This image is included in 6 galleries :- 1) "2022 02 08 Dienstag" curated by BAKAWI, 2) "Alex's Super Faves" by Alexander Haselbacher, 3) "Historic" by Ken Hansen, 4) "Fotografie di opere di rilevante interesse storico. Photographs of significant historical interest. Photographies d'intérêt historique important. Fotografien von bedeutendem historischem Interest. A cura di Appoloni Angelo." by Angelo daVerona, 5) "Really.., is this a picture?" by Robert Anyó and 6) "Just a Few Old Memories 2" by thanks 173rd Airborne.

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Black Beauty (specimen number RTMP 81.6.1) is a well preserved fossil of Tyrannosaurus rex. The nickname stems from the apparent shiny dark color of the fossil bones, which occurred during fossilisation by the presence of minerals in the surrounding rock. The specimen is housed in the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. Black Beauty is the 14th of the 20 most complete skeletons of Tyrannosaurus rex found so far, and casts are on display in museums around the world. In 2009, a paper by Jack Horner and colleagues illustrated the concept of parasitic infections in dinosaurs by analysing the lesions found on the cranial bones of Black Beauty. The specimen has been used to study comparative morphology between tyrannosaurids and Tyrannosaurus individuals, and some have suggested that Black Beauty should be classed as Dynamosaurus (=Tyrannosaurus). Black Beauty is considered to be the smallest of all known adult T. rex specimens.

Black Beauty was found in 1980 by Jeff Baker, while on a fishing trip with a friend in the region of the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. A large bone was found in the riverbank and shown to their teacher. Soon afterward, the Royall Tyrrell Museum was contacted, and excavation of the sandstone matrix surrounding the fossils began in 1982. (wikipedia)

(Explored: Feb 9, 2022 #70)

This was taken between Punakaiki and Greymouth, while travelling along New Zealand State Highway 6, between Punakaiki and Greymouth, South Island. The rugged coastline was a marvel to look at. Beyond is Tasman Sea.

The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of Port Campbell National Park. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Currently there are eight apostles left but the name remains significant and spectacular especially in the Australian tourism industry. The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh and extreme weather conditions from the South Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45metres high. The site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922 (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow, and the smaller rock stacks were the Piglets); after which it was renamed to The Apostles for tourism purposes. The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles.

There were never 12 rock stacks here, and they were not always called the Apostles - Sow and Piglets did not remain as a name for long. There were nine rock stacks at the beginning of the 21st century. Then at 9:18am on 3 July 2005, one of them collapsed. Another collapsed in 2009.

This was taken shortly after sunset. This lone apostle is the closest to the viewing platform. Looking beyond is the Great Australian Bight.

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. (Sourced from Victorian Resources Online)

Bicheno is a locality and town on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia, 185 km north-east of Hobart on the Tasman Highway. It is part of the municipality of Glamorgan-Spring Bay. The town is primarily a fishing port and a beach resort.

The rocks and boulders are orange because of a lichen growth (Hymeneliaceae).

Looking further beyond is Tasman Sea, the famous Bicheno Blowhole is about 100 metre to the right (featured in another image of this album).

This image is included in a gallery "LUGARES INCREIBLES volumen 2" curated by BYKTOR-f.d.

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in south western Utah, USA. 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).

Huangshan 黄山 (Yellow Mountain) is a jagged range of more than 70 knifelike peaks in eastern China’s Anhui province. The region's low-hanging clouds, distinctively shaped granite rocks and twisted pine trees have been subjects of numerous classical paintings and poems. Cable cars provide access to several peaks, and steep paved trails with thousands of stone steps snake past many of the range's famous viewpoints. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations.

黃山位於中國安徽省南部黃山市境內。黃山古稱黟山，南北長約40千米，東西寬約30千米。黃山素以「奇松、怪石、雲海、溫泉」四絕聞名天下。那72峰、24溪、2湖、3瀑，峰峰奇特，溪溪曲折、極盡天下山水之美，更聚名山大川之勝。黃山最高峰是蓮花峰，海拔1860米 ，位 於黃山中部、站在玉屏樓向前望去, 猶如一朵含苞初放的蓮花, 峻峭高聳, 仰天怒放。晴天從蓮花峰頂可遙見江西的廬山和似帶的長江。黃山三大主峰之一的天都峰，與蓮花峰爭雄對峙。它位於黃山東南部，人稱無上之都會, 海拔1829米、從玉屏樓至天都峰約15千米，其間有黃山最險峻的峰嶺，峰上的石樓，坡度都在70度以上；尤以中途的鯽魚背最險。

This is a hand-held HDR.

Hanging Rock (also known as Mount Diogenes, Dryden's Rock, and to some of its traditional owners as Ngannelong) is a distinctive geological formation in central Victoria, Australia. A former volcano, it lies 718m above sea level (105m above plain level) on the plain between the two small townships of Newham and Hesket, approximately 70 km north-west of Melbourne and a few kilometres north of Mount Macedon. In the middle of the 19th century, the traditional occupants of the place – tribes of the Dja Dja Wurrung, Woi Wurrung and Taungurung – were forced from it. They had been its occupants for, potentially, thousands of years and, colonisation notwithstanding, have continued to maintain cultural and spiritual connections with the place.

Hanging Rock is a mamelon, created 6.25 million years ago by stiff magma pouring from a vent and congealing in place. Hanging Rock contains numerous distinctive rock formations, including the "Hanging Rock" itself (a boulder suspended between other boulders, under which is the main entrance path), the Colonnade, the Eagle and the UFO. The highest point on Hanging Rock is 718 metres above sea level and 105 metres above the plain below.

This tall, solitary rock column was photographed about 1/3 up from the base, on a beautiful autumnal morning. It is a full frame, uncropped, handheld HDR shot. The surface was covered with moss and lichen growth, hence it appeared quite colourful.

Entering Zion National Park from the east entrance immediately reveals a colourful display of orange, brown and white slick rock that includes one of the parks landmarks, Checkerboard Mesa. The unusual crack pattern in the sandstone hills resemble a grid much like you would see on a checkerboard. The majestic criss-crossed mountain appears as a massive hill towering 900 feet above the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and resembles a giant, extended chess or checkerboard. The vertical and horizontal fissures are more evident on the north side of the mesa, where most of the photographs of the mountain are taken. The left to right deep scratches are due to a north to south wind direction while the vertical cracks are a result of weathering, a cycle of freezing and thawing. (sourced from internet)

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.

These round boulders are located near the right entrance to the area. With some imagination they appear to be over-baked sour dough buns or even fossillized dinosaur eggs.

The Red Stone Forest (Hongshilin National Geopark) is located in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. These red carbonate rocks are believed to be formed during Ordovician, the second period of the Paleozoic era, between the Cambrian and Silurian periods. The stone formations originated underwater, later rising above sea level following tectonic shifts. The natural elements and 450 million years of erosion gave them their striking wavy texture. The rocks are known to change hues with the weather and seasons, with a deep rusty red being their most distinctive, hence the park’s name, the “Red Stone Forest.”

This was taken in an overcast, autumn afternoon.

紅石林國家地質公園是中國湖南省湘西土家族苗族自治州古丈縣紅石林鎮的國家地質公園。園內有罕見的紅色碳酸鹽岩石林，形成於奧陶紀，石林顏色會隨季節和天氣改變。這些石柱不但顏色各異，而且大小不等。有的高達七、八米，而有些則像半埋於地下的巨獸骨架。

Zhangjiajie 張家界, also known in Tujia language as Zhangx, is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, China. It comprises the district of Yongding, Wulingyuan and counties of Cili and Sangzhi. It contains the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, part of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area which was as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 as well as an AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.

The floating 'Hallelujah Mountains’ movie Avatar by James Cameron were inspired by a real place on Earth - Zhangjiajie.

This was taken on board a cable car going up to see the scenic spots. The autumn mist makes this vista atmospheric, like a Chinese water colour painting.

This image is included in a gallery "Coast to coast" curated by Radoslav Besenyi.

The prevailing winds have molded the trees on top of the cliff in a slanting shape.

Australian's European history has numerous stories of shipwrecks, and one of the worst tragedies was that of the Loch Ard, wrecked on Mutton Bird Island reefs in 1878, just off the Shipwreck Coast in Victoria, Australia.

The Loch Ard was an iron-hulled three masted clipper ship, whose name came from a lake just west of the village of Aberfoyle in Scotland. It was on a non-stop voyage from London to Melbourne with passengers that included members of the Carmichael family. Three months out from London, after days of fog and haze, Captain Gibb had trouble calculating his position for the critical pass into Bass Strait's western entrance (a 90 km passage between the coast and King Island). On the 1st June, 1878, the captain tried to take evasive action when he saw how close they were to the cliffs. This was to no avail when the ship struck the reefs of Mutton Bird Island, just off the coast.The mast and rigging smashed, some of it onto the deck and trapping some people, others were washed overboard, then the ship began to roll. It took only fifteen minutes for the Loch Ard to sink. Of the 54 passengers and crew, there were only two survivors, Tom Pearce, a member of the crew and 18 year old Eva Carmichael, who was travelling with her family. Tom, clinging to a overturned lifeboat, was washed into a deep gorge, that now bears the name the Loch Ard Gorge. Eva, who could not swim, managed to cling to some wreckage from the ship, which drifted through huge twin cliffs into a small bay of the gorge. She was very exhausted, and Tom saw her in the waves and despite being exhausted himself, swam out to rescue her, and after an hour long struggle managed to bring her safely back to land. Tom took Eva to a cave at the end of the gorge, then climbed the cliffs to get help, not seeing the steps that were already cut into the cliff face. He ran into a party from nearby Glenample Station who returned with him to rescue Eva. After their recovery they never saw each other again, as Eva returned to Ireland and later married. Tom eventually became a ship's captain.

(Sourced for Internet)

Kunany/Mount Wellington, colloquially called The Mountain, stands at 1271 metres (4170 feet). The summit is frequently covered by snow, even in summer. Like much of the mountainous island of Tasmania, this flat-topped peak was born in fire and heat around 174 million years ago. Jurassic dolerite, a relatively rare sub-volcanic rock, forms the predominant geology of the mountain. The dolerite boulders and tors can appear as orange-brown, rusty, gun metal grey, ocean blue and sometimes, after rain, gleaming bronze and gold. The 100 to 150 metres high dolerite flutes of the Organ Pipes is in the eastern side, just above the Pinnacle Track.

The radio and television transmitter towers on top of the mountain can be seen from practically most parts of Hobart. Just below the towers is the famous Organ Pipes highlighted warm dawn light.

This image is included in a gallery "自然の思惑" curated by 陽子写真 KEIKYO.

Hubbard Glacier is a glacier located in eastern Alaska and part of Yukon, Canada, and named after Gardiner Hubbard. It is a valley glacier with a face about 9.6 km across and 90 m high.

This was taken on board a cruise ship Celebrity Century-X.

(explored Mar 5, 2020 #42)

This image is included in a gallery "Australia in Focus" curated by dave hangover.

I am happy with the multiple-exposure-like effects rendered by HDR capturing. It delivers more than just a static/freeze capture. Beyond the waves is South Pacific Ocean.

Bondi Beach is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located 7 km east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council, in the Eastern Suburbs. Bondi, North Bondi, and Bondi Junction are neighbouring suburbs. Bondi Beach is one of the most visited tourist sites in Australia. (sourced from internet)

Hanging Rock (also known as Mount Diogenes, Dryden's Rock, and to some of its traditional owners as Ngannelong) is a distinctive geological formation in central Victoria, Australia. A former volcano, it lies 718m above sea level (105m above plain level) on the plain between the two small townships of Newham and Hesket, approximately 70 km north-west of Melbourne and a few kilometres north of Mount Macedon.

Hanging Rock is a mamelon, created 6.25 million years ago by stiff magma pouring from a vent and congealing in place. Often thought to be a volcanic plug, it is not. Two other mamelons exist nearby, created in the same period: Camels Hump, to the south on Mount Macedon and, to the east, Crozier's Rocks. All three mamelons are composed of soda trachyte. As Hanging Rock's magma cooled and contracted it split into rough columns. These weathered over time into the many pinnacles that can be seen today.

Hanging Rock contains numerous distinctive rock formations, including the "Hanging Rock" itself (a boulder suspended between other boulders, under which is the main entrance path), the Colonnade, the Eagle and the UFO.

This image is included in a gallery "Memories of Travels" curated by RD Glamour Photography.

As the Yellowstone river flows north from Yellowstone Lake, it leaves the Hayden Valley and plunges first over Upper Yellowstone Falls and then a quarter mile (400 m) downstream over Lower Yellowstone Falls, at which point it then enters the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Cascading from the 590,000 year old Canyon Rhyolite lava flow, Lower Yellowstone Falls is the largest volume waterfall in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. These falls (44°43′05′′N 110°29′46′′W) are 308 feet ( 94 m) high, or nearly twice as high as Niagara Falls. The volume of water flowing over Lower Yellowstone Falls can vary from 680 cu ft/s (19 m3/s) in the autumn, to 8,400 cu ft/s (240 m3 /s) at peak runoff in late springtime. The flow rate of Lower Yellowstone Falls is much less than that of Niagara Falls, as the Yellowstone River is only 70 feet (21 m) at the point at which it goes over the lower falls, Where the Niagara River is 2,600 feet (790 m) in width as it approaches the crest line of Horseshoe Falls. (Wikipedia)

This was viewed from Artist Point. The perspective was similar to those of Thomas Moron's (1871) and Ansel Adams' (1941) famous paintings and photographs on the same subject. Early morning light accentuated the yellow-orange colours of the steep canyon slopes on either side.

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

Garden of Eden is a permanent waterhole which brings abundant life to the area; the lush greenery of which casts a stark contrast against the brick red sandstone rock formations. There are approximately 500 “steps” to be surmounted to get to the top of Kings Canyon, where the Rim Walk starts :- a 6 km circuit through ancient arid ‘bee-hive’ rock formations around the top of the Canyon – and then down into the contrasting hidden Garden of Eden - aptly named because of its lush vegetation.

Kings Canyon is a canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the western end of the George Gill Range about 323 km southwest of Alice Springs and about 1,316 km south of Darwin within the Watarrka National Park.

At the time of visit, there was not a lot of water there. The red brown colour of the water was actually a reflection off the cliff wall. It was not advisable to swim there because the bacterial count of E. coli was reported to be high.

The Organ Pipes National Park, abbreviated as OPNP, is a national park located in the Central region of Victoria, Australia. It is about 20 km northwest from Melbourne CBD. The 121-hectare (300-acre) protected area was established with the focus on conservation of the native flora and fauna, and preservation of the geological features in the Jacksons Creek, a part of the Maribyrnong valley, north-west of Melbourne. It is situated in a deep gorge in the grassy, basalt Keilor plains.

The hexagonal basalt columns known as the "Organ Pipes" which sit in the bed of the Jacksons Creek is of the order of 70 metres (230 ft) high.

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)

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 image is included in 2 galleries :- 1) "Landscapes, dreams and heaven on earth" curated by frankie veldhoen and 2) "CHINA" by Floren Arocena.

This mountain previously known as the 'Southern Sky Column' in China, has now been named the 'Avatar Hallelujah Mountain'. The peak became the inspiration for magical ‘floating peaks’ in James Cameron’s film after a Hollywood photographer spent time shooting there in 2008. This column is about 150 m high. This was taken from the top of a horse-shoe cliff, through thin mist.

袁家界是張家界的一個景區。“南天一柱”是張家界“三千奇峰”中的一座，位於袁家界景區南端，海拔高度1074米，垂直高度約150米，頂部植物鬱鬱蔥蔥，峰體造型奇特，垂直節理切割明顯，彷若刀劈斧削般巍巍屹立，有頂天立地之勢，故又名“乾坤柱”。

2008年12月份，好萊塢攝影師漢森在張家界進行了為期四天的外景拍攝，大量風景圖片後來成為美國科幻大片《阿凡達》中“潘多拉星球”各種元素的原型，其中“南天一柱”圖片就成為“哈利路亞山”即懸浮山的原型。

2010年1月25日，張家界“南天一柱”正式被更名為(Avatar-Hallelujah Mountain)《阿凡達》"哈利路亞山", 當天數百名土著居民及海內外遊客見證了更名儀式。