QUEZON CITY

Quezon City is the largest city in Metro Manila as well as the largest city in the Philippines. Recently, it has become the hub of information technology as well as its entertainment industry in the Philippines. The city was named after former Philippine president Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina. Quezon City was the country's capital from 1946 until 1972, when the seat of government was officially returned to neighboring Manila.

 

Quezon Memorial Park. Built in memory of President Manuel L. Quezon, it is in front of the City Hall of Quezon City and is a favourite promenade for Sunday strollers

Quezon Memorial Park. This quiet park of trees and lawns was developed in honor and in memory of the late president Manuel L. Quezon. A marker fenced by concrete and set on a circular cement platform serves as a landmark of Baler, the birthplace of Quezon. A replica of the house where Quezon grew up could be found at Quezon Park. The park now serves as a public recreation center and a place for remembering the great leader.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

The City of Huntington Beach is located along the Southern California coast in Orange County, 35 miles south of Los Angeles and 90 miles north of San Diego. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, and has been long known for its long 8.5 miles of beautiful beach, mild climate, and excellent surfing, earning it the nickname of Surf City.  Surf, sand, sun and subtle sophistication encapsulate what the City of Huntington Beach is all about. Named for railroad magnate Henry Huntington who orchestrated its development, the city is now an epicenter of activity and entertainment with wide, sandy beaches.

Huntington Beach offers residents a charming community with ideal weather, a diversified economy overflowing with good jobs, a wide variety of housing, an excellent educational system, boat marinas, numerous parks, and exemplary health care. Boasting some of California’s widest, cleanest, and safest beaches, the unofficial dress code has become a mix of wetsuits, bikinis and sandals accessorized by volleyballs, surf boards and beach towels.  

Read more at: City of Huntington Beach

GREAT BRITAIN

This is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland and Wales. The origin of the word 'Great' is a reference to size, because in many European languages the word for Britain and Brittany in France are the same. In fact, it was the French who first talked about Grande Bretagne! In everyday speech 'Britain' is used to mean United Kingdom.
The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross is the cross of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

England is a land of scenic mountains, as well as great urban sprawls and congested roads. Scotland has two of the country's most absorbing cities. It is a land of tartan kilts, bagpipes, drams of whisky and misty glens. Wales offers superb introductions to a lost industrial heritage as well as abounds with lush valleys and medieval castles.

MT. ROBSON

Measuring 3,954 metres Mt. Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Located in the Fraser River Valley east of the Robson River; 4 km south of Berg Lake. Major headwater Fraser River. Mount Robson was likely named in 1815 after Colin Robertson, who worked for both the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company at various times in the early 19th century. Other names Cloud Cap Mountain; Snow Cap Mountain, Yuh-hai-has-kun; The Mountain of the Spiral Road.
First successful climber(s): W.M. Foster, A.H. McCarthy, Conrad Kain in 1913.

"Mount Robson is not only the highest mountain in the Canadian Rocky Mountains but one of the great mountains of the world, and deserving of inclusion in any select list on account of many striking characteristics and a form, beauty, and grandeur transcending any other of the greater peaks of the Rockies… The mountain is unique, and its massive precipices, seamed with different-coloured rock strata, enhance it in both beauty and stature." These words were written by Frank Smythe, an English mountaineer who wrote dozens of books about the mountains of the world during the first half of the twentieth century and was widely regarded as an authority on the subject.

ROTTNEST ISLAND

Rottnest Island, 18 kilometres west of Freemantle, is Perth's favourite holiday destination. First settled in 1830, the island has had an interesting history, first as a prison, then for coastal defence and later as a holiday residence for the state Governors. Rottnest Island offers endless possibilities! An ‘A’ Class Nature Reserve and widely regarded as one of Western Australia’s “best kept secrets”, it is home to some of the most spectacular white sandy beaches, secluded bays, unique wildlife including the world famous Quokka and a colony of New Zealand Fur Seals, ship wrecks and a fascinating and colourful history. Rottnest Island has something for everyone!

Website: Rottnest Island

 Rottnest Ferry, Western Australia

Rottnest Express is Rottnest Island’s largest and most experienced cruise company, operating daily year-round ferry services from Perth and Fremantle. The crossing from Fremantle to Rottnest is renowned for being one of the roughest in the southern hemisphere. Today Rottnest Express is known for its smooth, fast and safe crossings in any conditions. 

SOUTH AFRICA

Greetings from South Africa! Groete van Suid-Afrika!

The wonderful diversity of South Africa - from the magnificent wildlife and scenic splendour to the sophisticated metropolises:

• Johannesburg 
• Durban
• Bloubergstrand

The beach featured in the main picture is Bloubergstrand

• Eastern Transvaal - The eastern Transvaal still has more than a hint if wildness in its glorious visual scope. Mountains, valleys, rivers, waterfalls, pockets of primal forest and a colourful profusion of flowers and birds decorate the countryside. The savannah lands of the lowveld teem with wildlife, including the 'Big Five': lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo, offering an unparalleled experience.

• Garden Route - Between Mossel Bay and the Storms River, the Garden Route runs parallel to a coastline which features lakes, mountains, golden beaches, cliffs and dense indigenous forests. From sources high in the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains, ambercoloured rivers plunge into an ocean of mercurial moods. Surrounded by indigenous forests, the delightful town of George (principal town of the Garden Route) nestles on a coastal plateau at the foot of one of the highest peaks in the Outeniqua mountain range.

Received from Lynne, Cape Town

PASADENA

Pasadena is located 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is bordered by the San Gabriel Mountains to the north and seven cities - La Canada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, San Marino, Glendale, Los Angeles and unincorporated Altadena. The latitude is N. 34 9' and longitude is W. 118 10'. The elevation is 864 feet above sea level. The word Pasadena literally means "valley" in the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian language, but it has been interpreted to mean "Crown of the Valley" and "Key of the Valley", hence the adoption of both the crown and the key in the official city seal.

Elegant gardens and tree-filled courtyyards provide a lush landscape for Pasadena's City Hall and City College

Pasadena City Hall was built in 1927 to inspire a city with beauty, boldness and vision. It is an important part of this community's rich architectural heritage. Pasadena City Hall is one of the finest examples of the California Mediterranean style. It is the dominant building in the Pasadena Civic Center, a complex of government, institutional and cultural buildings that epitomizes the City Beautiful movement. 

Website: City of Pasadena

NORTHERN IRELAND

Within its compact area, encircles a wealth of surpassing scenic splendour. Vibrant, fresh and green in appearance, the natural features it encompasses are as diverse as they are exhilarating, from barren plains to expanses of lakeland, and from low-lying areas to lofty mountain ranges. Quite apart from its aesthetic charm, historic castles and ruins are scattered lavishly throughout the country, recounting tales from Northern Ireland's rich history.
The scenery is the prime allure - the Giant's Causeway, one of the wonders of the world on the Causeway Coast, the Mountains of Mourne, the Glens of Atrim, the Fermanagh Lakeland are the top districts to head for.

Not only in friendliness is Northern Ireland like the rest of Ireland. The pace of life is slow. The cuisine often lacks finesse, but comes in mammoth portions. In the bars the Guiness and the "crack - as the repartee is called - are great, as are the "sing-alongs". Some would say that the most significant differences between the two neighbors are that it is cheaper in the north and the roads are better.

MOUNT ASSINIBOINE

Mount Assiniboine, at 11,870ft (3618m), is the tallest mountain in the southern region of the Canadian Rockies. The mountains distinctive pyramidal shape has led to it being referred to as the ‘Matterhorn of North America’. Visible for many miles in every direction, it soars well above other nearby peaks, and serves as the focal point of the Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, a 386 sq. km reserve created in 1922. 

 

Mt. Assiniboine was given its name by George Dawson, a renowned Canadian scientist, who spotted it from Copper Mountain on the south side of the Bow Valley in 1885. It was named ‘Assiniboine’ as on the day Dawson set eyes on the mountain, a plume of cloud trailed the summit, reminding him of the smoke he had seen rise from the Assiniboine Indians’ tipis. The first successful ascent of Mount Assiniboine to take place. In 1901, the British climber James Outram and Swiss guides, Christian Bohren and Christian Hasler claimed the accolade.

FRASER ISLAND

Situated off the Queensland coast near Maryborough, Fraser Island World Heritage area is the largest sand island in the world. It is a place of exceptional beauty, with its long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and over 100 freshwater lakes, some tea-coloured and others clear and blue all ringed by white sandy beaches. Ancient rainforests grow in sand along the banks of fast-flowing, crystal-clear creeks. 

Fraser Island, Queensland, is the world's largest sand island, a spectacular natural wonderland and a World Heritage Area. Left to right: Wanggoolba Creek running through rainforest to the sea; Lake McKenzie; pristine sand dunes and deep blue ocean. Inset: Dingo.

Fraser Island stretches over 123 kilometres in length and 22 kilometres at its widest point. With an area of 184 000 hectares it is the largest sand island in the world. Dunes weathered into unusual towering formations fringe ancient rainforest, crystal creeks and lakes of blue, green and brown.

Lake McKenzie The beautiful clear waters here are surrounded by white sands and blackbutt trees.