Horizontal Waterfalls in Talbot Bay, Australia

The Horizontal Waterfalls are to be found in the Talbot Bay in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. However; called waterfalls, this stunning natural phenomenon in fact consist of a pair of openings or gorges in the McLarty Range through which immense amount of water are pushed by tidal waves, creating temporary waterfalls up to 5 meters high. And when the tide changes, so does the direction of the flow too. The twin gaps are located on two ridges running parallel approximately 300 meters apart. 

The first and most seaward gap is about 20 meters wide and the 2nd the most fantastic; gap is about 10 meters wide. When the rising or falling tide occurs, the water builds up in front of the gaps faster than it can flow through them. This in turn make an astonishing waterfall effect as the water rushes through and then down to the lower levels on the other side of the ridgelines. The course of action is reversed and it is repeated again in the opposite direction. The tides in this vicinity have a 10 meter variation which occurs over 6 1/2 hours from low tide to high tide and vice versa. On a slack tide it is likely to drive boats through the two gaps to the bay behind. The gorgeous waterfall phenomena has been described by David Attenborough as "one of the greatest natural wonders of the world".

The Spectacular Pilatus Railway in Switzerland

The Gorgeous Pilatus railway in Switzerland connects Alpnachstad on Lake Lucerne, to a terminus close to the summit of Mount Pilatus at an altitude of 2,073 meter. The incredible track climbs a slope of over 1,600 meters in just 4.6 kilometer, making it the steepest track railway in the world. It has an average gradient of 38% and a maximum of 48% steeper than the steepest street in the world. This arduous project was planned to build to propose in 1873, suggesting a 1,435 mm standard gauge and 25% maximal gradient. Therefore it was concluded that the project would not be economically viable.

The mastermind engineer Eduard Locher, with great practical experience & knowledge devised a devised an exclusive system with the maximal grade raised to 48% to cut the length of the route in half. Conventional systems at the time could not handle such gradients since the vertical cogwheel that is pressed to the rack from above May, under higher gradients, jump out of the engagement with the rack, eliminating the train’s main driving and braking power. As an alternative, Eduard Locher placed a horizontal double rack between the two rails with the rack teeth facing each side. This was engaged by two cogwheels carried on vertical shafts under the car.

This design eliminated the option of the cogwheels climbing out of the rack, and as well prevented the car from toppling over, even under the stern cross winds common in the area. The system was also able of guiding the car without the required for flanges on the wheels. Definitely, the first cars on Pilatus had no flanges on running wheels but they were later added to let cars to be moved through tracks without rack rails during maintenance. The line was opened using steam traction on 4 June 1889 and was electrified on 15 May 1937, using an overhead electric supply of 1550 V DC.

The original 32-passenger steam cars averaged 3 to 4 KM per hour and took over an hour to arrive at the summit. These day’s 40-passenger electric cars run at 9 kilometers/h and make the trip in about half an hour. The line still uses the original rack rails that are now over 100 years old. While they have worn down, it was found that this can be fixed by simply turning the rails over, providing a new wearing surface that would be enough for the next century as well. The scenery route operates between May and November, when the cog railway is not buried by snow, with trains departing every 45 minutes during the day. In winter, access to Mount Pilatus is only achievable via cable car.

 

 

 

 

 

The Brusio Spiral Viaduct in Switzerland

The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Like most spiral tracks, the Brusio spiral viaduct was built to permit trains to get elevation in a relatively short distance. The spiral viaduct is 110 meters long, has a horizontal radius of curvature of 70 meters, a longitudinal slope of 7%, and is made up of nine spans, each 10 meters in length. The viaduct lifts the train by 20 meters. The Brusio spiral viaduct forms part of the Bernina Railway section between Brusio and Campascio, and are about 55 KM from St. Moritz. The stone-built viaduct was opened on 1 July 1908, upon the opening of the Tirano–Poschiavo section of the Bernina Railway. In 1943, the entire railway company was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway, which still owns and uses 40 seconds after passing under the viaduct near Brusio, BERNINA EXPRESS 960 Tirano-Davos with Allegra trainset ABe 8/12 3505 "Giovanni Segantini" and 6 panorama coaches is completing the spiral. In the center the temporary labyrinth, an installation for the 100th anniversary of the Bernina line.

The Cursed Island of Gaiola Italy

Gaiola Island (Isola della Gaiola in Italian) is one of the tiny islands of Naples, Italy, situated in the Gulf of Naples in the heart of Gaiola Underwater Park, a protected region of about 42 hectares.This beautiful island consists of two stunning and serene islets situated on the southern border of Posillipo and very close to the coastline approximately 30 meters away. The island is easy to reach, whereas one of the islet has a solitary villa, the other is uninhabited. A little bridge connects the two islets, which are alienated by just a few meters. Moreover; the bridge is very tapered and looks like a natural arch connecting the two islets.

The island takes its name from the cavities that originating from the Latin cavea, "little cave", and then through the dialect "Caviola". Originally, the tiny island was famous as Euplea, protector of safe navigation, and was the site of a tiny temple dedicated to Venus.There are also numerous other ruins from the time of the Romans. In fact, below the islets in the water are several Roman structures that are now the home of marine creatures. A few think that the poet Virgil, regarded as a magician, taught here at the ruins. 

In the early 19th century, the island was mainly inhabited by a hermit famous as "The Wizard". Soon after, the island saw the construction of the villa that occupies it today and which was, at one time, owned by Norman Douglas, author of Land of the Siren. The island probably seems as a perfect post-retirement getaway, although the locals think the island to be cursed, a reputation that came about because of the incessant premature death of its owners. 

The series of bad luck happening sometime around the 1920s, when the Swiss owner named Hans Braun, was found murdered and wrapped in a rug. And after a short while his wife drowned in the sea.

The next owner was German Otto Grunback, who died of a heart attack while on the island.  A same fate befell the pharmaceutical industrialist Maurice-Yves Sandoz, who committed suicide in a mental hospital in Switzerland. Its subsequent owner, a German steel industrialist, Baron Karl Paul Langheim, was dragged to economic ruin by wild living. 

The island has also belonged to Gianni Agnelli, the head of Fiat, whose only son committed suicide. After his son's premature death Gianni had started grooming his nephew Umberto Agnelli to run Fiat, but Umberto also died of uncommon cancer at the young age of 33.  Therefore another owner, the multi-billionaire Paul Getty, after buying the island, had his grandson kidnapped. The island’s last owner Gianpasquale Grappone was jailed when his insurance company failed. Now days, the villa is uninhabited and abandoned.

The Flaming Rocks of Chimaera of Turkey

Nearly 80 kilometers southwest of Antalya, near the town of Çıralı in southwestern Turkey, lies a rocky mountain that’s been literally on fire for thousands of years. Almost a dozen flames burn on the side of the mountain fueled by methane gas that issue through the vents. The fires are actually called Yanartaş in Turkish, have been burning for guessing 2500 years. The vents represent the biggest emission of abiogenic methane exposed on land so far. For hundreds of years, sailors could see the flames from sea and used them as a landmark to navigate, but these days they are more often utilized by hikers to brew tea. According to some ancient literature, these flames gave birth to the myth of the Chimera, a fire breathing mythical beast with the body and head of a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back, and a tail that ended in a snake's head. The fires are grouped over an area of 5,000sm and are fueled by gas emissions consisting generally of methane and hydrogen, both of which are inflammable. The flames are stronger in winter seasons, a frequent characteristic of such seeps, where gas flux is naturally modulated by gas pressure build-up induced by groundwater recharge and changes in atmospheric pressure. The fires burn continuously, unlike the Eternal Flame Falls that needs to be lighted.