Lord Howe Island in Australia, New South Wales

 Australia - New South Wales  Comments Off
Apr 112013
 

Introduction :
Lord Howe Island is a cresently shaped volcanic remnants of a seven million year old shield volcano in the Tasman Sea between the Australia and Zealand. The island is around 10 km long and 0.3-2 km wide with an area of 14.55 square km. The Lord Howe island is famous for its virtualy untouched natural forests with many unique plants and animals found nowhere else on world as well as the clear waters of its beaches and lagoon housing the world’s southernmost barrier coral reefs.

General landscape of the island
General landscape of the island
Image attribution to dracophylla @ Flickr

Kentia Palms and Norfolk Island Pines near the lagoon
Kentia Palms and Norfolk Island Pines near the lagoon
Image attribution to dracophylla @ Flickr

Herring Pools
Herring Pools
Image attribution to robert whyte @ Flickr

Herring Pools
Coral reef in the lagoon
Image attribution to robert whyte @ Flickr

History :
The first sighting of Lord Howe Island was in 178 by British navy officer, Henry Lidgbird Ball during his shipping of the first settlers to Norfolk Island. The first permanent settlement in the island was established in 1834 when 3 men rom the British whaling barque Caroline was employed to establish a supply station on the island. In 1883, regular shipping service was available to the island and the number of tourists gradually increase and became the second biggest source of external income for the island.

View of Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower from Mount Eliza
View of Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower from Mount Eliza
Image attribution to Inisheer @ Wiki

Wreck of a flying boat that crashed in the 1940s
Wreck of a flying boat that crashed in the 1940s
Image attribution to Inisheer @ Wiki

The wedding flower
The wedding flower
Image attribution to Quartl @ Wiki

Beautiful waters at the lagoon beach
Beautiful waters at the lagoon beach
Image attribution to roberawb @ Flickr

Getting there :
Lord Howe Island currently houses an airport named after the island Lord Howe Island Airport (LDH) and is linked to flights from Brisbane and Sydney as well as Port Macquarie.

Tai Shan in China, Shandong

 China - Shandong  Comments Off
Apr 092013
 

Introduction :
Tai Shan or Mount Tai is located near the city of Tai’an in Shandong province of China and is one of the Five Great Mountains of China and recognized to be the head mountain amongest the five. The sacred mountain has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 for the artistic masterpieces built on the mountains that are in perfect harmony with the natural landscape at Tai Shan. The base of the mountain measures an area of 426 square km with the Jade Emperor Peak being the highest point of the mountain rising 1532 metres above sea level. Tai Shan is one of the famous attractions of China and attracts over 6 million visitors annually.

The landscape at Tai Shan
The landscape at Tai Shan
Image attribution to Craigriley @ Flickr

Chinese rock inscriptions in the mountain
Chinese rock inscriptions in the mountain
Image attribution to Rolf Mueller @ Flickr

The Immortal Bridge is built by the forces of nature
The Immortal Bridge is built by the forces of nature
Image attribution to Pfctdayelise @ Wiki

Exquisitely carved rock pillars on the way up
Exquisitely carved rock pillars on the way up
Image attribution to Rolf Mueller @ Wiki

History :
The first traces of human activites proven at Tai Shan date back to the Neolithic period and the Dawenkou and Longshan culture emerged at the south and north near the mountain respectively. A 500 km long wall was erected by the State of Qi during the Warring states Period around 480 Bc and the ruins of the walls are still present today.
Tai Shan has been an important ceremonial center in China for more than 3000 years in particular for the Buddhist and Taoist religion and was visited by 72 Emperors throughout the history of China which started since 1000 Bc during the Zhou Dynasty era.

Temple complex towards the peak of the mountain
Temple complex towards the peak of the mountain
Image attribution to kanegen @ Flickr

Temple complex towards the peak of the mountain
The Jade Emperor Temple is built on the highest point of Mount Tai
Image attribution to Rolfmueller @ Wiki

Sacred waters of the mountain
Sacred waters of the mountain
Image attribution to Craigriley @ Flickr

Nearby mountains around Tai Shan
Nearby mountains around Tai Shan
Image attribution to Craigriley @ Flickr

Looking down at the Tai'an city from Tai Shan
Looking down at the Tai’an city from Tai Shan

Getting there :
The nearest airport to Taishan is the Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (TNA) which is around 73 km away from the attraction.

Mont St Michel in France, Normandy region

 France - Normandy  Comments Off
Apr 082013
 

Introduction :
Mont St-Michel is a rocky island and commune in the Normandy region of France. The island is one of the most recognized landmarks in France and has been a strategic place for forticiations since ancient times. Mont St-Michel is a Gothic style Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael and was often mentioned as a Wonder of the West. Together with its bay, the area has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site since as early as 1979 and is today one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region.

Aerial view of Mont St-Michel and its bay
Aerial view of Mont St-Michel and its bay

Panorama of the world Heritage Site
Panorama of the world Heritage Site
Image attribution to joanet @ Flickr

The grasslands and cows at Mont St-Michel
The grasslands and cows at Mont St-Michel
Image attribution to L-98 @ Wiki

Entrance to the abbey
Entrance to the abbey
Image attribution to Kamel15 @ Wiki

History :
The bay around Mont St-Michel was land during the prehistoric times and the current landscape was shaped by erosion as the sea levels rose. During the 6th and 7th century, the Mont St Michel was used as a stronghold of Gallo-Roman power under the rule of the Roman Empire until it was ransacked by the Vikings. During the Hundred Years War between England and France, the English made numerous assault on the island but were unable to seize it and the iron bombarbs left by the English during their 1424 siege are still displayed at the outer defense wall of the city. Louis XI of France had intended for the abbey church of Mont St-Michel to be the chapel of Order but was never realized due to its distance from Paris. During the time of the French revolution, the abbey was closed and turned into a prison which held many hih profile political prisoners along the years until it was closed in 1863 and delcared a historic monument of France.

Barrage controlling the tides at Mont St-Michel
Barrage controlling the tides at Mont St-Michel
Image attribution to Pline @ Wiki

The streets and shops in Mont St-Michel
The streets and shops in Mont St-Michel
Image attribution to derrickding @ Flickr

The village houses of Mont St-Michel
The village houses of Mont St-Michel
Image attribution to Stevage @ Wiki

Beautiful sight at night fall
Beautiful sight at night fall
Image attribution to Benh @ Wiki

Herds of cow taking a stroll on a misty morning just outside Mont St-Michel
Herds of cow taking a stroll on a misty morning just outside Mont St-Michel
Image attribution to Bnacehko @ Wiki

Getting there :
The nearest airport to Mont St-Michel is the Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS) which is around 70 km away from the island and serves flights from several major cities from France, Spain and England. From the capital city Paris, the distance to Mont St-Michel is around 4 hours. Visitors are recommended to reach the destination by car as the cheapest, easiest and safest way.

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