KANGAROO ISLAND

Located off the coast of South Australia, Kangaroo Island, the nation's second-largest island (145 km long and 60 km wide) is very aptly named. Named by explorer Matthew Finders in 1802 for its great abundance of kangaroos, Kangaroo Island is home to to a unique subspecies of its namesake.

Kangaroo Island features dramatic granite cliffs, strangely shaped rocks and limestone caves, and it is also historically significant; the town of Kingscote was South Australia's first official settlement.

Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, Flinders Chase National Park, South Australia

The island is famous for its rugged scenery, which includes windswept heathland, beaches, coves and craggy cliffs. Located in Flinders Chase National Park at the island's western end, the Remarkable Rocks are a group of huge granite boulders that have been sculpted by wind and rain into curiously smooth shapes.

South Australian's Kangaroo Island is renowned for its  rugged coastline and weathered granite, which takes on a particularly smooth appearance at Remarkable Rocks on the wind-battered south coast.

Received from Rosemaree

PHILADELPHIA

Greetings from Philadelphia, PA: America starts here!

One of the most historic cities in America. The fifth largest city in the U.S., Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love, the birthplace of cheese steaks, the home of liberty, and the land of Rocky. It is also known as the "city of firsts" because so many of the country's firsts happened here. Philadelphia has more outdoor artwork and sculptures than any other city in the world. Philadelphia is truly a melting pot of cultures and races - having the second largest Irish, Italian and Jamaican-American populations within the US. William Penn founded Philadelphia in the late 1600's and called it his "religious experiment" because of his desire to see it as a city where people of all religions could live.

Interesting center city architectures, highlighted by Liberty Place - Philadelphia's tallest building, and Saints Peter and Paul in the foreground.

With its majestic facade, vaulted dome, ornate main altar, eight impressive side chapels, and main sanctuary the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is one of the largest brownstone and architecturally-eminent structures in the City of Philadelphia. It is ranked among the outstandingly beautiful and architecturally perfect structures in Philadelphia and in the United States.

As twilight settles upon this historic city, Philadelphia's City Hall, the largest municipal building in the country, becomes illuminated.

City Hall is the largest municipal building in the United States and exceeds the Capitol in Washington. The granite and marble exterior is embellished with a vast number of sculptures in keeping with the tastes of the French Second Empire style that was popular in the 1870s.  The bronze statue of William Penn at the summit of the tower is 37 feet tall and is the largest statue on any building in the world. Of particular interest are the four spiral stairways whose granite slabs jut out of the walls with no visible means of support.

Philadelphia Museum of Art. Overlooking the Schuylkill and the city, the Museum is one of the finest in the world.

This museum has perhaps the most dramatic location of any in the world being situated on a hill at the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway overlooking the Schuylkill. The building was constructed of a golden color stone in the 1920s and recalls the architecture of ancient Greece. Alas, the installation of elaborate multicolor sculpture for the triangular pediments was cut short by the Great Depression.

WINNIPEG

One great City!

Winnipeg - Manitoba capital city - is a place you will find hard to leave and impossible to forget. Fondly recognised as the "emerald of the prairies", Winnipeg boasts the largest mature urban elm forest in North America.
Multi-dimensional. Multi-charactered. Multi-cultural. Winnipeg has all of the features that make it the ideal urban holiday spot. This grand prairie city hums with the ecstatic rhythm of many nations and cultures. Winnipeg is a multi-ethnic city, and proud of it. Its ethnic fabric consists of Slavic, French, German, Native, Oriental, East Indian and Mediterranean traditions. And nowhere is this more evident that in the food the city offers.

The wonderful cluster of high rise buildings at Portage and Main in downtown Winnipeg.

Winnipeg's diverse background is also reflected in its museums: The Museum of Man and Nature, a children's museum, a French-Canadian museum, a Ukrainian museum, an aviation museum and many others.
For over 6,000 years people have come here to meet, trade, live and explore. Discover the spirit of these early explorers at The Forks (the birthplace of the city). Located at the junction of two great rivers, in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. Today, it is a place where recreactional, cultural, commercial and historic activities again bring people together.Explore St. Boniface - Winnipeg's French quarter, an historic and cultural corner-stone of the city and home to Canada's largest Francophone community west of Quebec.

The Royal Canadian Mint

The Winnipeg branch of the Royal Canadian Mint officially opened in 1976, as part of the decentralizing initiative of the Trudeau government, replacing the Ottawa branch (1908) as the facility where the entire supply of circulation coins would be produced. The Winnipeg branch also produces coinage for several foreign countries. The Ottawa branch, able to strike coins in gold as well as silver, continues to strike collector coins.

Postcards received from Pat

DURBAN

The slogan 'Durban - Where the Fun Never Sets' is particularly apt when applied to the Golden Mile. Sumptuous  hotels command superlative views of the sea; restaurants represent every facet of the city's cosmopolitan nature; discos, night clubs and coffee bars scintillate until late. Durban offers a subtropical carnival atmosphere, endless summer, an effervescent ocean lined with golden beaches, and thousands of pleasure options.

The "Golden Mile" begins to glitter as night approaches and the many entertainment venues come alive.

The city is an intriguing blend of East, West and Africa.
On the palm-fringed beachfront where the chic rich stroll, Zulu women sell baubles and baskets, and colourful ricksha pullers pose for photographers. And within a stone's throw of the office blocks, the theatres and shops of the business centre, you will discover a world of mosques, temples, oriental festivals and bazaars, fragrant with spice and incense. The cosmopolitan vibe is further enhanced by a constant floating tourist population. It's a centre of commerce and industry. It runs the busiest harbour in Africa. 

Dolphin and trainer often play together.

Durban's got the lot. From world championship surfing, a military tattoo and the country's most glamorous horse race to Indian temples, street entertainers, nature trails and the fastest growing time-share developments in the country.

Received from Lynne, Cape Town

WARWICK

Warwick, county town of Warwickshire, is a pleasant blend of 16th- and 17th- century timbered buildings with 18- century brick. It's famous for its massive castle, but it also possesses several charming streetscapes, as well as an especially fine church chancel.

  "Classic view" and River Avon

 

The magnificent 14th-century castle, beside the Avon River, is both medieval fortress and palatial mansion, set within a Victorian rose garden with peacocks and extensive parkland.

Victorian Rose Garden

The Conservatory

Exhibits range from medieval weapons and armor to opulently furnished state rooms. Two waxwork presentations bring the history of the castle to life: Kingmaker - A Preparation for Battle, 1471 and A Royal Weekend Party, 1898.

Aerial View

Towering  above the River Avon at the foot of the town centre, Warwick Castle is locally proclaimed the "greatest medieval castle in Britain". At Warwick Castle you can experience a thousand lifetimes in just one day!

South View

BLUE MOUNTAINS

The Blue Mountains is a national Park and a World Heritage Site. The rugged Blue Mountains, so called because the air in the region often appears to be a bluish colour (a phenomen caused by the evaporation of eucalyptus oil from the gum tree forests). This wilderness is popular with bushwalkers, and the area is home to swamp  wallabies, possums, wombats and an incredible range of colourful birdlife. Distinguished by escarpments, forested valleys and spectacular rock features like this at Hanging Rock, which frustrated many early explorers in their search for a route over the mountains. Many species of flora and fauna that are unique to Australia can be easily seen in the Blue Mountains. In 1959, the Blue Mountains National Park was gazetted, ensuring the preservation of the large tracts of remaining wilderness.

The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, were carved from sandstone by rivers rushing to the ocean. There, spectacular scenery and wild places can be found, such as Hanging Rock jutting out of the golden sandstone walls of the Grose Valley.

Received from Don

QUEBEC

Canada's largest province has fjords, mountains, sea-lashed cliffs, wildlife, and adventure - all within easy reach of cosmopolitan Montreal and charming Old Quebec City, the provincial capital. The vibrant cities blend the best of Europe with the best of North America - easy going hospitality, fabulous cuisine, elegant hotels, cosy inns, nightlife with flair, unique museums and lively festivals of international theatre, comedy, film, fireworks and music.

Quebec and its regions - its motto "I remember"

From the silken sands and blood-red cliffs of the Magdalen Islands, to the wind-blown Arctic tundra of the Far North, to the flaming maple countryside and French-style manor houses of the Charlevoix region and the festive streets of Montreal, Quebec is a land of dazzling variety.

From whale watching to maple-sugar tasting, sand castle building to museum hopping, Canada's "Belle Province" has something for every fancy. 

Postcrossing Postcard: DE-720537

CAPE TOWN

In 1652 Jan van Riebeeck sailed into Table Bay and laid the foundations of South Africa's oldest city. With its  majestic Table Mountain backdrop, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 

 

Cape Town, an aerial view showing the harbour with the new extensions left  foreground

  An eclectic mix of architectural styles reflects the tastes and dictates of the past - and the more functional demands of  the 20th century. The city's Edwardian and Victorian buildings have been meticulously preserved, and many outstanding examples of Cape Dutch architecture are found in the city and its environs. Cobblestoned streets, mosques and the flat-roofed pastel homes of the Malay Quarter enhance a cosmopolitan ambience.

The  Republic's oldest city nestling beneath Table Mountain (1086-m) - is noted for its fine monuments and historical buildings

Take a trip to the top of Table Mountain and you will be rewarded with the most breathtaking panoramas imaginable - The thrill of a lifetime and an experience you will remember long after your holiday is over! This familiar landmark may be explored either on foot along one of the many pathways or by cable car from the Lower Cable Station in Table Mountain Road, Kloofnek.

 

 

A journey by cable car to the summit... dassies (rock rabbits) and wild flowers... a restaurant, and magnificent views all make for a memorable trip up the mountain

 

Cape Town's shopping options invite you to endlessly browse - and buy. Elegant shopping malls, department stores, antique shops and art galleries abound. Specialist boutiques in Long Street and the narrow little alleys intersecting it offer an enticing array of unusual articles not obtainable elsewhere.

"ROOM WITH A VIEW" Victoria & Alfred Hotel - Waterfront, Cape Town.

Received from Odette, Lynne and Chantal, Cape Town

CHARLOTTE

 Charlotte location gives you the best of both worlds. The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains are two hours to the west and the Atlantic beaches are three-and-a-half hours to the east. Charlotte is one of America's fastest growing metro regions with 430,430 people in the city limits and 1,230,805 in the metro area.
Wonderful museums, beautiful parks,a variety of attractions and great amusement all combined with high percentage of cheerful, sunlit  days make Charlotte the perfect place for a big-city getaway.

Charlotte, North Carolina was named in honour of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III and referred to as  the Queen City. Charlotte is a city with abundance of parks, shopping, sports and entertainment.

About 250 years ago Scotch/Irish settlers were following a pair of old Catawba Indian trading routes. Where the paths crossed, the settlers stopped and that's where Charlotte began.  In 1768, Charlotte was incorporate and named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.

Charlotte's climate is moderate, sunny, pleasant and produces four distinct seasons, each with its own particular wonders. 

 

Received from Caroline

STONEHENGE

The circle of vast, standing stones in the midst of the chalk downlands of Salisbury Plain is probably the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe.
It certainly does have a particular grandeur, which has been unfortunately marred by the way the site is managed.
The sheer size of Stonehenge can only really be appreciated up close. The stones weigh around 4 tonnes each and the gigantic sarsen stones weigh between 25 to 50 tonnes! How they got there is anybody's guess!

Stonhenge, Wiltshire. This property is cared for by English Heritage.

The site aligns with the midsummer sunrise, suggesting it had astronomical and calendrical significance, while the many nearby burial mounds attest to its sacredness.

Despite a plethora of theories to explain the stones' significance - more fanciful ones suggests a bird trap, a model of the solar system or an inspiration from outer space - Stonehenge remains a mystery.