The bull kelp at this area of Cape Otway reminds of my previous life in which I was a servant dangling grapes to beautiful naked women sprawled out around Roman baths. Just look at how relaxed this kelp is to be baking brown in the sun, getting splashed every now and then to keep cool. And I bet these algae are completey unaware of how good they have it…just like the spoiled women I fed at the Roman baths!
Filed under Environmental
Alderman Howard Hitchcock, the man who became president of the Great Ocean Road Trust in 1918, never got to drive the full length of the iconic coastal route he set out to construct. Proclaiming it better for ocean, mountain, river and fern gully scenery than the Côte d’Azur of France, California State Route 1 of the U.S.A and Bulli Pass of New South Wales, Hitchcock died of heart disease (1932) before his Great Ocean Road was completed, having contributed £3000 of his own money to its appeal. Although the intent was primarily a source of work for returned serviceman of the Great War, it is as much a permanent memorial to mates who died whilst fighting for their country.
Displayed here is a panoramic photograph of a stretch of snaking road cut into the mountains between Lorne and Apollo Bay, the last section to be built because of the difficulty it posed to picks, shovels and horse-drawn carts.
Filed under Environmental
Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in in the Gulf of Tonkin in Northern Vietnam and is listed for its aesthetic, geological and geomorphological value. The sunken limestone plateau, connecting all the way to Guilin in China, has given rise to a unique karst seascape consisting of a dense cluster of approximately 2000 jungle capped monolithic islets. Legend has it that the islets were formed as dragons descended to assist the Vietnamese fend off invading Chinese by spitting out pearls and jade to create an impenetrable labyrinth.
On top of sailing a Chinese junk through the labyrinth to stop off and explore some of the psychedelically lit caves high up in the cliffs, I took the opportunity to paddle a kayak through Dau Be Island’s fengcong karst in a bat-filled tunnel to a drowned doline (or hong as they are known in Vietnam). This particular hong was about the size of cricket ground and completely surrounded by steep limestone cliffs as seen here. I became rather hungry from the exercise and enquired of my guide whether we could sample some of his country’s finest cuisine (dog) later that evening – he jumped at the idea!
After staying a night aboard the Chinese junk we headed to Cat Ba Island for another night passing through the floating villages of people whose living is sustained by capture fishing and marine aquaculture. There was often a wave and smile to be had as we coasted on by.
Filed under Hanoi to Singapore
The Pinnacles at Cape Woolamai is a wicked place: think smashed filters, cracked lenses, lost items, people taking their pants off from them being too wet and severe sandcaking of the car wheels that you’ve left to the elements in the surf club carpark. This last point will have you scooping out the sand with your hands after you’ve realised it’s causing your car to jerk around above 60 kph during the drive home. The first points will have you taking extra care in setting up a tripod for there is no flat ground – just smooth granite boulders separated by dark gaps leading to what seems infinity.
The first time I attempted a photo shoot there, myself and some mates were marveling at the sun rays beaming through the clouds onto the ocean’s surface during the lengthy walk along the exposed clifftop. We thought it looked dark behind but pressed on confidently, unaware of the shalacking we would later receive.
It’s worth the walk but keep an eye on the weather – unless of course you want to see your mates strip down from being too wet…
For more detailed information please check out Ric Da Cunha’s Photography Guide for the Cape Woolamai Pinnacles. Ric is a keen landscape photographer I happened to meet here.
Filed under Environmental
Like this young boy on Pulau Langkawi’s Pantai Cenang, have you have ever wondered where you would surface if you tunneled through to the other side of Earth? With this Map Tunneling Tool you can find out.
Danny Seidman directed me to the link when commenting that he was disappointed to find that China wasn’t on the opposite side of the world to his residence in Seattle. Looking at the map, Argentinians are the only people who can actually dig to China and use the saying without question – hence, the Spanish title of this post.
Canon EOS 50, 200mm f/2.8L, Fuji Provia 100F film
Filed under Hanoi to Singapore
