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- ADlake hiller
But nature likes to mess with us and creates oddities just like Lake Hillier in Western Australia.
With its mere 600 meters in length, Lake Hillier is not one that will impress you by its size. Nor will it impress you by its diverse fishes that inhabit it.
Lake Hillier delights your eye with its pink colour. Moreover, it lies just next to the Pacific Ocean, thus if you watch it from above, the contrast between the mellow pink of the lake and the blue of the ocean is striking.
Pink Lake Hillier, Australia
The reason of its unique colour is still a topic that is not fully understood by scientists, although most suspect it has to do with the presence of the Dunaliella salina microalgae. The Dunaliella produces carotenoids, a pigment found in carrots as well. But the presence of halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts could be another explanation. A reaction between the salt and the sodium bicarbonate that is found in the water may cause it as well.
The Hillier Lake was first discovered in 1802 by navigator and cartographer Matthew Flinders who took samples from the lake and mentioned its existence in his journal.
The lake is located on Middle Island, off the coast of Western Australia. As noted above, the Hillier Lake is quite small, its length is 600 meters and its width is no more than 250 meters. It is surrounded by eucalyptus and paperback trees and the ocean on its northern part.
Its pink color is less accentuated when viewed from the surface but it is very prominent from above. However, unlike other pink lakes around the world, its water is still distinctively pink even when it is in a glass.
For a few years they used to extract salt from the lake but nowadays it is only used for tourism purposes. The water of the lake is otherwise clear and it causes no harm to the human skin and the Dunaliella salina alga is completely harmless as well. In fact, swimming in the lake’s water is safe and fun but impossible to do for normal tourists as the lake can’t be visited.
Lake Hillier Facts
• Lake Hillier is not the only pink lake in the world, for that matter, it is not even the only pink lake in Australia.
• Geographic coordinates: 34°5′45″S 123°12′10″E
• For a period of six years, in the early 20th century, salt was mined from the lake, but it is not anymore.
deadvlei,namibia
Close to Sossusvlei, Deadvlei is a clay pan characterized by dark, dead camel thorn trees contrasted against the white pan floor. The pan was formed when the Tsauchab River flooded and the abundance of water allowed camel thorn trees to grow. However, the climate changed and the sand dunes encroached on the pan, blocking the river from reaching the area. The trees are estimated to be approximately 900 years old, however they have not decomposed due to the dry climate.
Deadvlei is a paradise for photographers as the contrast between the pitch-black trees and bleached-white pans, and the rusty-red dunes and deep blue sky make for incredible images. Deadvlei is at least 1km walk from the parking lot so be sure to take drinking water with you..
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 .
The Zhangye Danxia Landscape — Red Rocks and Rainbow Ridges
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. T heir peaks peeping through the mist and clouds, produce mirage-like scenery of fantastic mountains and pavilions.
The Guardian featured Zhangye's Danxia Landforms in pictures, and called this fantastic landscape "China's rainbow mountains". See http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2013/aug/01/rainbow-mountains-china-in-pictures.
How Was It Formed?
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.
Getting to the Viewing Platforms Inside the Park
The Danxia national park is located close to the city of Zhangye — about 30 minutes west by car, in northwestern China’s Gansu Province.
There are sightseeing cars available within the national park, where other tourist buses are not allowed to go. The distance between the four viewing platforms is around eight kilometers (5 miles), and it takes about 2 hours to finish the whole trip when taking the sightseeing cars.
The Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Zhangye is from June to September when the weather is comfortable, and the combination of strong sun and a little rain brings out the colors more. The rest of the year is very dry. Zhangye is well below freezing and windy in winter — not recommended.
It is best to visit in the morning and at dusk, especially at sunset, when the colors change continuously, showing yellow and red layers covered by a light gray layer.
The rocky bands are well defined with c olorful stripes, and, if it rains the day before, this color will be more gorgeous.
Try not to go when it is cloudy or raining, as only when there is sunshine will these mountains show you their gorgeous colors.
Sunset time: 7:30 pm in spring and autumn ; 8:00 pm in summer
Our local guide knows the best times, and will arrange your tour to make sure you get the most beautiful scenes.
Danxia National Geological Park VS Binggou Danxia Park
Binggou Danxia Park
There is another Danxia park in Zhangye — Binggou (Ice Valley) Danxia Park, which is a bit farther from Zhangye City (1 hour) than the national geological park.
Bingou has steep rocks, with fewer less-appealing colors
Danxia Geological National Park is the choice of most travelers.
How to Travel to Zhangye
Zhangye is a small city in the Gansu corridor, passage to the remote west of China, so access is limited. The best way to travel to Zhangye is to go to Lanzhou first and then travel to Zhangye from Lanzhou-capital of Gansu Province by air or train . Our travel advisors know how to combine Zhangye and your other destinations in the best way.
By Air
Zhangye has a small airport about 15km (10 miles) southeast of the city, with limited flights from Xi'an (1 afternoon flight daily) and Lanzhou. There are no direct flights to Zhangye from other big cities.
Lanzhou has direct flights from China's major cities. There are five flights from Lanzhou to Zhangye each day. The ticket price is about 800–900 yuan (130–145 USD). It is a one-hour journey.
By Train
By train is half the price or less, but two or three times the time.
There are direct services to Zhangye from e.g. Beijing (18 to 29 hours), Xi'an (11 to 20 hours), and Chongqing (24 to 29 hours).
You might choose to make a stop in Lanzhou, especially if exploring the Silk Road out west. 32 trains run from Lanzhou to Zhangye (6 hours by ordinary train, 3 hours high-speed). The 9 high-speed services leave from Lanzhou West Station (not Lanzhou Station), and second class is 150 yuan (24 USD).
You might choose to make a stop in Lanzhou, especially if exploring the Silk Road out west. 32 trains run from Lanzhou to Zhangye (6 hours by ordinary train, 3 hours high-speed). The 9 high-speed services leave from Lanzhou West Station (not Lanzhou Station), and second class is 150 yuan (24 USD).
What to Wear
Take a coat even in summer to wear in the morning and in the evening, as the temperature drops rapidly at night. A face mask or scarf will help protect against the strong, dry and dusty wind. Wear a hat, sunscreen and good walking shoes. Shoes with low-cut uppers are not suggested as there is sandy soil.
Remember to take water because there are no shops in the more remote Danxia areas.
Remember to take water because there are no shops in the more remote Danxia areas.
Other Worthwhile Attractions in Zhangye
Great Buddha Temple in Zhangye
Great Buddha Temple is an old temple from the Western Xia Dynasty, over 1,000 years ago . It has China's largest indoor reclining Buddha. The Great Buddha’s finger alone can accommodate a sleeping person. The statue’s ears are 2 meters long and big enough to carry eight people. It is made of soil and wood. It measures 34.5 meters long and 7.5 meters wide.
Mati Temple has 500 grottoes with historically and artistically valuable Buddhist fugures.
See the Zhangye Danxia with China Highlights
Our most popular 4-Day Zhangye Essence Tour can easily be customized to include a day (or more) at the Danxia landform areas.
China Highlights specializes in customizing tours to your requirements, so that you can see China's highlights, like the Danxia Landforms, in a way that perfectly suits you.
enchanted well in brazil
About Enchanted Well at Chapada Diamantina National Park
Poco Encantado or Enchanted Well is located in the Chapada Diamantina National Park in Bahia state, approximately 400 kilometers inland from Salvador, and the capital city of Bahia. The park was established in 1985 and played a major role in Brazil’s diamond boom history. The Chapada’s landscape is a creation of the erosion process that the region suffered in the beginning of the pre-Cambrian period, forming towers of minerals known as ‘tepuy’ and the name was given by the local Indians that dominated the area. The main beauty of Chapada Diamantina National Park is that it present great scenery and is a jewel of eco-tourism. This giant sunken pool is 120 feet deep and its water is so transparent that you can even see the ancient rocks and tree trunks on the bottom. When the sun is just right, light comes through a gap and creates a blue reflection on the water, which is really worth watch view.
Access to this beautiful pond is highly controlled for the environmental protection of its rare and delicate ecosystem. This land of gold and diamond is dynamic from the rest of the world’s natural parks for two main reasons: its prodigious caverns with their pools of magical colors (although the most outstanding ones are not technically included within the boundaries of the park), and second, the hundreds of wonderful waterfalls splashed across its territory.
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