The Pine Trees of Lanai

Pine Trees of Lanai

When you think of traveling to Hawaii, one of the first images which pops into your head is probably a palm tree on a white sand beach. Indeed, Hawaii does have its share of palm trees. On the island of Lanai, however, the tree you will be most likely to find isn’t a palm tree …

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McDonald’s Noumea

The McDonald’s in Noumea wasn’t anything special. Nothing special on the menu. The only thing of note was how they organized their value meals. You picked a sandwich, you picked a side (salad or fries) and a drink. Each meal was the same price. They also had the Royal Cheese from Pulp Fiction fame. Not …

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Melbourne, It’s Been Nice Knowing Ya

Ok. I’m leaving Melbourne for real now. I realize that this site probably hasn’t been the most exciting thing in the world the last few weeks as I sat here in Melbourne and took care of my business. I can actually start moving again. I’m not going to go to Tasmania like I had first …

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Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park, New Zealand: World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription for Tongariro National Park: In 1993 Tongariro became the first property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List under the revised criteria describing cultural landscapes. The mountains at the heart of the park have cultural and religious significance for the Maori people and symbolize the spiritual links between this …

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Te Wahipounamu

Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site, New Zealand

From the World Heritage inscription for Te Wahipounamu: The landscape in this park, situated in southwest New Zealand, has been shaped by successive glaciations into fjords, rocky coasts, towering cliffs, lakes, and waterfalls. Two-thirds of the park is covered with southern beech and podocarps, some of which are over 800 years old. The kea, the …

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East Rennell

East Rennell, Solomon Islands - UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the East Rennell World Heritage inscription: East Rennell makes up the southern third of Rennell Island, the southernmost island in the Solomon Island group in the western Pacific. Rennell, 86 km long x 15 km wide, is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. The site includes approximately 37,000 ha and a marine …

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Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens

Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens - UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens: The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens are a surviving manifestation of the international exhibition movement which blossomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition building was constructed as a Great Hall, a permanent building initially intended to house …

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Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House - UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription for the Sydney Opera House: The Sydney Opera House constitutes a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture. Its significance is based on its unparalleled design and construction; its exceptional engineering achievements and technological innovation and its position as a world-famous icon of architecture. It is a daring and visionary experiment that has …

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Greater Blue Mountains Area

Greater Blue Mountains Area - UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription for the Greater Blue Mountains Area: The Greater Blue Mountains Area (GBMA) is a deeply incised sandstone tableland that encompasses 1.03 million hectares of the eucalypt-dominated landscape just inland from Sydney, Australia’s largest city, in south-eastern Australia. Spread across eight adjacent conservation reserves, it constitutes one of the largest and …

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