Posts tagged ‘UNESCO World Heritage’
Milford Sound in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park
It seems a trip to New Zealand’s South Island is incomplete without a trip into the Fiordland National Park and a stop at one or both of Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound, These are some of the most popular destinations in New Zealand and on the South Island.
From Queenstown, I sided with Real Journeys for a daytrip out to Milford Sound which involved the following modes of transport: morning coach on the only access, Milford Road (SH94), from Queenstown to Milford Sound; a boat into the fiord proper; and a mid-afternoon return to Queenstown by plane.
Much of the scenery reminds me of my home province: coastal British Columbia. To speak of my birthtown Vancouver, Burrard Inlet and Howe Sound are also examples of glacial fiords. But what are fiords? Fjords (spelled also as “fiords”) are long, narrow inlets with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity. The origin of the word is late-17th century Norwegian, from the Old Norse “fjǫrthr”.
Long deep channels of blue, steep channel walls, and looming peaks are all witnessed in Milford Sound, which of course isn’t a sound, but a fiord.
I made these photos on 25 July 2012; this post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.
Disclosure: No Connection, Unpaid, My Own Opinions. I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein (cmp.ly/0).
The Grand Traverse over New Zealand’s Southern Alps
The majestic mountain spine along New Zealand’s South Island is also known as “The Southern Alps”; the Maori Ngai Tahu name for these mountains is “ka tiritiri o te moana”. For many locations on the South Island, it’s difficult to ignore the sight of looming towers of rock and snow.
Between visits to the Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier, I had been contemplating whether or not I should have a look from above. It would be so good, so beautiful, but it seemed costly by comparison to other expenses.
What to do, what to do … it sounds stupid writing it out now, but a unique opportunity had presented itself, and I knew I’d have deep regrets if I didn’t take it.
I bit the proverbial bullet and hopped onto a plane with Air Safaris for a 50-minute tour of the Alps which included aerial views of various glaciers, Mount Tasman, and Aoraki / Mount Cook. “The Grand Traverse” began and ended at the Franz Josef Aerodrome (landing strip) which is shown as an airplane symbol in the map below. The red line traces the approximate (counterclockwise) flight path for The Grand Traverse.
The remaining symbols/pins refer to my other visits:
• The slow approach to Franz Josef Glacier : blue and magenta pins in the map above
• The slow forest walk to Fox Glacier : red and cyan pins in the map above
• Lake Matheson and the southern Alps at sunset : yellow pin in the map above
I made the photos above on 21 July 2012; the NZ Topographic Map has been very helpful in identifying a number of geographic features. This post is published originally on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.
Disclosure: No Connection, Unpaid, My Own Opinions. I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein (cmp.ly/0).
2 Days in Edinburgh
What happens over two days in Edinburgh?
I had an opportunity in early November to visit a friend in Edinburgh, Scotland; the city was a place I’d been looking forward to visiting for some time.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone the weather was cool, wet, grey, and windy … except when it was cool, dry, clear, and windy. The weather summary might have appeared something like: “mostly cloudy with rainshowers, accompanied by fresh westerlies and occasional clear spells.”
But coming from Vancouver, Canada, I really should be made of sterner stuff. Besides, the Old and New Town areas in Edinburgh were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Here are a few highlights:
I made the photos above with a 4th-generation iPod Touch and a Canon EOS450D during 7–8 November 2012. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.
A Monument to Coal-Mining in Germany’s Ruhrgebiet
A desolate former coal-mining industrial region isn’t a usual candidate for a place to visit. However, the Zollverein coal mine in Essen, Germany provided the impetus to seek out aspects of industrial photography. There’s something special about the way light strikes metal which brings out various aspects of shape, form, and texture.
I’m beginning to understand the historical significance of coal-mining to the people and to the economy in the Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr river region). Over decades, a cloud of “grey” hung over the region, as air- and water-pollution took its toll, and the economic influence of coal began to diminish.
To mark its importance to the modern industrial development and history of the region, the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex was listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2001. The entire refurbished complex now houses space for art, design, and cultural exhibitions, and is also home to the Ruhr Museum, shedding light on the industrial history of the Ruhrgebiet, providing historical accounts of the economic importance of coal mining and its consequent decline, as well as descriptions of existing and future economic redevelopment plans for the Ruhr region.
Essen was designated as one of three European Capital Cities of Culture for 2010; a number of projects, sites, and monuments throughout the Ruhrgebiet were on display, including the Zollverein.
The city of Essen lies at the heart of Germany’s Ruhrgebiet, and can be reached by Deutsche Bahn train from Köln and Frankfurt in about one and two hours, respectively.
To read about my recommendations for other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany, click here.
I made the photos above on 29 December 2010; this post is published on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.
Lake Matheson & the southern Alps at sunset
Rewards go to the patient, especially those on daytime walks through the temperate rainforest to the Franz Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier.
After all, this area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After my visit to Fox Glacier earlier in the day, I arranged for a short 10-minute shuttle from Fox Glacier town to Lake Matheson before sunset. Even in winter’s low-season, I was surprised by how few people were around to enjoy the view.
The sequence of photos above span a period of just over one hour in time. Appearing in most of the photos are the two grand snow-frosted peaks: Mount Tasman (Horokoau) on the left and Aoraki (Mount Cook) on the right.
I asked the question if one could really “hear” a sunset. I tried to find an answer in this post.
The yellow thumbtack in the map below marks the location of Lake Matheson nearby. The other pins indicate my walks to each of the two glaciers.
Zooming out on the map below, the lowlands are separated from the Southern Alps by a “diagonal line” which is the active Alpine Fault line with the Australian tectonic plate to the northwest and the Pacific tectonic plate to the southeast. The Alpine Fault runs about 600 kilometres along the centre of the South Island between Marlborough and Milford Sound.
I made the photos above on 22 July 2012. This post is published originally on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.
