Russell Falls Tasmania Australia

One of the most accessible, and beloved, waterfalls in Tasmania and could have been one of favorite spot. It is definitely the best known and most popular waterfall and was often a contest between this waterfall and Liffey Falls for the title of Tasmania's most beautiful waterfall. It is actually consisted of two main drops, but it was the satisfyingly segmented and vertical appearance along with its size that really drew the camera clicks from us and just about every other visitor who shared the experience at the falls. Russell Falls is located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The Russell Falls are situated on the eastern boundary of Mount Field National Park, 100 metres downstream of the Horseshoe Falls, around 70 KM northwest of Hobart via the Brooker and Lyell highways. The nearest populated place is the village of Maydena which is 11km away with a small population and nearest sealed road to Russell Falls is the Lyell Highway 15.2km away.

They were first named the Brownings Falls when it was discover in 1856, but were recognized as the Russell Falls after 1884, by at that time they were already a popular tourist attraction. The Falls Reserve was established in 1885 and in 1899 the Russell Falls were selected as one of eight images to be used on a set of pictorial postage stamps, aimed at promoting the then colony's growing tourist industry. The Russell Falls is popular tourist attraction which is accessible by a paved walking track. The Russell waterfall descends over horizontal marine Permian siltstone benches, while the vertical faces of the falls are composed of resistant sandstone layers. Moreover at night time glow worms can be seen among the vegetation on the approach to the falls, however, you will need to turn torches off. A handrail will help you move along the track in the dark.

Prohodna: Two Eye Cave in Bulgaria

Prohodna is a karst cave in north central Bulgaria, located in the Iskar Gorge near the village of Karlukovo in Lukovit Municipality, Lovech Province. The cave is notorious for the two eye-like holes in its ceiling, famous as the Eyes of Oknata. The cave owes its name, which factually means Thoroughfare Cave or Passage Cave, to this feature. Prohodna is the best recognized attraction in the Karlukovo Gorge one of the largest karst regions in Bulgaria and a prevalent location for speleology.

The cave is formed during the Quaternary, Prohodna is 262 metres long, which makes it the longest cave passage in Bulgaria. The cave has two entrances which lie opposite one another, recognized respectively as the “small entrance” and the “big entrance”. The former is 35 metres high and the latter reaches 42.5 or 45 metres in height. The size of the big entrance makes it appropriate for bungee jumping, and it is between the widespread places in Bulgaria for that particular activity. There’re traces of prehistoric habitation in the Prohodna cave, which testify that humans lived in the cave during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic. Prohodna Cave is one of the most famous and easily accessible caves in Bulgaria. It is not by chance that local people sometimes refer to them as The Eyes of the Devil. Seen from a specific angle, they even resemble a face that looks down, and when it is wet it seems as if they are “crying”.

Prohodna is most distinguished cave due to two equal-sized eye holes in the ceiling of its middle chamber. It is believed that the eye resemble holes, is formed through erosion, let in light into the cave. The cave formation is generally identified as the Eyes of Oknata. Therefore several Bulgarian and foreign films were shot there, however the natural phenomenon was featured in the 1987 Bulgarian film “Time of Violence”. The cave lies two kilometers from Karlukovo, nearby the Karlukovo–Lukovit road. It is also reachable from Rumyantsevo, and there is a parking lot near the Small Entrance. Near Prohodna are the much longer cave Temnata Dupka, and a pathway from the Big Entrance of Prohodna leads to the Petar Tranteev National Caving House, one of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.

Persons who witness this beautiful natural phenomenon are amazed and a little enthusiastic the improbable symmetry and location of the cave holes fill one with awe and a sense of mystique. In 1962 the cave was declared a natural landmark. Moreover Prohodna Cave is a popular destination for climbers, and there’re sport climbing routes divided into more than a few sectors. Their level of difficulty differs, but they’re considered to be some of the toughest in Bulgaria. Furthermore accommodation is available at the mountain hostel, but visitors are advised to make a reservation in advance. There’s a junction on the Lukovit – Karlukovo road leading to the office of the speleological society. The cave is open for travelers all year round. Therefore a guide is not required. Make sure in the cold winter days it is suitable that visitors mind the huge icicles forming on the ceiling and around the cave holes and the slippery surface.

The Valley of Ten Thousand Smoke Alaska United States

On June 6, 1912, after 5 days of violent earthquakes on the Alaska Peninsula, one of the most massive eruptions of the 20th century from a previously unidentified geological formation called Novarupta, Latin for “new eruption”. Incredibly almost sixty hours the eruption sent ash and pumice into the sky as high as 30 kilometers and dense darkened the sky over most of the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover as the ejected materials rained down back into the valley it smothered a 100-square km area with ash and pyroclastic flows up to 200 meters deep. The ash fell two feet deep in the neighboring Kodiak Island 185 kilometers away, and fumes produced acid rains 600 kilometers away, ruining brass as far away as California and Colorado. The high-altitude haze robbed the northern temperate zone of an estimated 10 % of the Sun’s heat during the summer of 1912.

Therefore four years later when National Geographic Society sent explorer Robert F. Griggs for a cover story, he amazingly found that the valley has engulfed in superheated steam escaping from thousands of fissures and cracks. The unbelievable sight prompted him to name the once vibrant valley “the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.” Now more than hundred years later, most of the fumaroles are vanished and the valley is no longer filled with smoke, but some signs of volcanic activity are still noticeable on nearby hills. Therefore; till 1960’s this region has been so scarred and it was used as training area of U.S. astronauts for moon landings. Novarupta itself is a mere bump on the Valley’s floor and rises only 65 meters above its surface. At what time explorers first entered the Valley, this was one of the hottest regions and the dome still wafts warm steam.

Moreover during the eruption a big amount of magma was drained from magma chambers below resulting in the collapse of the summit of another volcano called “Mount Katmai”, almost 10 kilometers away from Novarupta. The huge collapse produced a crater around two miles in diameter and over 800 feet deep. However the early investigators assumed that Katmai was responsible for the eruption. It was not until the 1950s that true source of the eruption was discovered. Nowadays you can take the trip from Brooks Camp out to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, where the turbulent Ukak River and its tributaries have cut deep gorges in the accumulated ash. The region is still recovering and plants have started to grow on the valley floor. The valley is not yet able to unable to sustain animal life, but moose and bear can cross it from time to time.

Northern Show in Iceland

Here’s are some tourists incredible photos displaying Northern Lights just like fire in sky, blending orange glow from erupting volcano in Iceland. The Northern lights dancing in the night sky while chasing with the orange glow of an erupting volcano.They say; the celestial display is well worth it as they’re able to take in the rare double treat. Even in one picture, the glow of Holuhraun Lava field at Jokulsarlon glacial lake at the edge of Iceland’s Vantnajokull National Pakr. We really love them and cannot get more of them, even extremely strong in two times when the sun activity was at peak. They were so bright, so colorful and fast, just out of this world. The real natural phenomena lasted around two hours and colorful display as “unreal”. 

This is one of the most attractive and magical places in Iceland when the combined with two of the most captivating natural phenomena it was so unreal and hard to believe. We just felt at one with nature and completely forgot everything else. Every time we see them we were wondering what the people in the old days felt when they didn't know what these lights are.The beautiful glow from the Holuhraun eruption was located almost 50 miles north of the breath-taking glacial lake, where the green, purple and orange colors reflected off the water's surface. Moreover the Holuhraun eruption started last summer and is the largest to occur in Iceland since the Laki eruption from 1783-1784.We’re sure most of the time you cannot see the purple color with your naked eye. But when they’re really strong you can see the purple, pink and red colors with your eyes. However when light is too bright to take good pictures because the foreground objects gets too dark depending whether it is full moon or not. Therefore it all depends on the strength of the sun activity. 

Midnight Sun A Natural Phenomenon of Iceland

Midnight Sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in the summer months north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle where the sun never fully sets and remains visible 24 hours a day. The video is shot completely in Ultra HD 4K resolution; however; this short time lapse film was shot during the Icelandic Midnight Sun in June of 2011. 

Furthermore the photographer says; for 17 days I’ve traveled solo around the whole island shooting almost 24 hours, even sleeping in the car, and eating whenever I had the time. During my days shooting this film I shot 38,000 images, traveled some 2900 miles, and saw some of the most astonishing, striking, and extreme landscapes on the planet. Iceland is unquestionably one of the most striking and infrequent places you could ever imagine. 

Particularly during the Midnight Sun when the quality of light hitting the landscape is very unusual, and very remarkable. Iceland is a landscape photographers ecstasy and playground, and should be number one on every photographers must visit list. Iceland during the Midnight Sun is in sort of a permanent state of sunset. The sun never full sets and travels horizontally across the horizon throughout the night, as can be seen in the opening shot and at the :51 second mark in the video. 

Moreover; during the Arctic summer, sunset was at midnight and sunrise was at 3am. The Arctic summer sun providing 24 hours a day of light, with as much as six hours daily of "Golden light". Once the sun had set it wouldn't even get dark sufficient for the stars to come out, and they don't start to reappear until August. My best guidance to everyone out there, no matter you’re photographer or not, this is extremely beautiful and simple, you must visit Iceland sometime during your lifetime. You will never regret it.

Midnight Sun | Iceland from SCIENTIFANTASTIC on Vimeo.