update on update of N7W

After my update on yesterday's post, Geewits asked about the disqualification of Dinosaur National Park in Drumheller Alberta from the New 7 Wonders of Nature. At the time I thought it seemed odd that it was cut for "not meeting contest requirements". I read that it hadn't competed enough in the international voting. Nope, didn't understand that either. But not being a very good investigative journalist, I let it slide by and rejoiced in the re-entry of New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy - who immediately reignited a massive campaign which included twitter, facebook, a blog, numerous ads...

Alberta Tourism Parks and Recreation said "The reason they gave us was that expectations were different from our end than there was on theirs of what was involved in the competition."
[A] spokeswoman for the Swiss-based non-profit organization, told the Calgary Herald from Belgium the Alberta park didn't make the cut because, well, there's not much to do there.
"What happened is that they couldn't fulfill some of the requirements we needed, and it had to do with activities that people could engage in," she said.
-from Calgary Herald June 18, 2009

This sounds a little strange to me - a natural wonder not dependent on man made entertainment, and it is disqualified for lacking things to do. What is there 'to do' at Uluru? Sure you can hike there, and climb the rock - can you still climb the rock? What about those atolls in the middle of the Pacific?

Anyway, the Bay of Fundy is not lacking. It is home to a variety of unique marine species and serves as the summer feeding area for half the world’s population of endangered North Atlantic right whales and 12 other whale species. There are fossils galore, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as as biosphere reserve.

So, there is whale watching, birding, and hanging out on the water in sailboats, canoes, kayaks, or swimming. There are cruises and whale watching tours. There are the fossil cliffs to see. And that amazing tide.

See here for more about the tide and the Bay of Fundy.

N7W Updates

Some of you may remember a year ago I posted a series on my 7 random choices for the New 7 Wonders Nature. Over the past couple of days I have had a flurry of visits from many parts of the world, seeking out my choices. Okay, by flurry, I may mean about 30-35 visits. I don't get that many hits. Still, it is interesting to see their flags on my feedjit page and I hope these people weren't disappointed.

I had started an update sometime in January when the list for the first phase was finalized... and somehow it has been on hold ever since. So I dug it out to rewrite.

Out of my original list these places were in the finals of phase one:
Bay of Fundy
Grand Canyon
Milford Sound
Iguazu Falls
Erg Chebbi
Ha Long Bay

Not bad, eh? Six out of my seven were voted on and made it through. Pamukkale in Turkey did not make the cut. Lake Superior and Niagara Falls are the other Canadian/American (they both straddle the border) spots still in the running, and I did a comparison post about Niagara Falls and Iguazu Falls, and (oh for shame) I went with Iguazu. But you see it was also chosen. So it's all good. Anyway, the aim of the contest is to create an appreciation for what the world has to offer and to engage people in talking about (and visiting?) the beautiful places on every continent.

At midnight tonight, the voting for phase 2 will be over and the results calculated and verified. The top 77 nominees will be announced on 9 July, from which the New7Wonders of Nature Panel of Experts will advise on the choice of the 28 Official Finalists, to be announced on 21 July 2009 - the day that voting resumes in the Official New7Wonders of Nature, as chosen by over 1 billion votes and to be revealed in 2011.

I have no recent photos of Niagara Falls, though I do have many, many, postcards that I've collected for sending to my Postcrossing people, including these 6-pack souvenir ones.

There are three waterfalls - Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

A blurb from a different postcard: Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three Niagara waterfalls. The best views of it are from the Canadian side. The Horseshoe Falls derives its name from its dramatically curved shape. It measures 671m (2,200') wide and 53m (173') high. Ninety percent of the Niagara River flows over the Horseshoe Falls and the remaining 10 percent flows over the American Falls. So much mist is produced that it is difficult to see the falls. The Maid of the Mist boat tour provides a much closer look as it visits the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls before sailing right into the dense mist inside the curve of the giant Horseshoe Falls. From any vantage point the thunderous waters of Horseshoe Falls are truly awe inspiring.

You can always tell who has been on the Maid of the Mist tours by their distinctive blue raincoats.If you are interested, you can check out the other nominees and vote here.

New 7 Wonders/Nature vote #7 of 7

And, finally we come to the final vote. My 7th choice after a week of wandering the world. I have seen, in real life #1, #4, #5 and one of the places in #7. These choices were by no means in any preferential order. I'm not that decisive. I simply decided to start at the farthest location (New Zealand) and make my way back to Canada.

"Poor Niagara"

But didn't stay here long because there is an even more impressive sight to see.

check out the size of the falls compared to the boat in each of these pictures!

Iguassu Falls scroll down on this link to see a panorama of the falls from Brazil. My download lost way too much of the immensity of the view. Don't be too lazy to read up on the legend and accessibility and comparisons (to Niagara and Victoria).

Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horsehoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River, Iguazú Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth. These matter of fact details do nothing to describe the grandeur of the falls, the tremendous amount of water (an average of 553 cubic feet per second) thundering down 269 feet, the tropical location and the sheer beauty that led Eleanor Roosevelt to say "Poor Niagara". Four times the width of Niagara Falls, Iguazu Falls are divided by various islands into separate waterfalls. Iguazú Falls, called Foz do Iguaçu in Portuguese, and Cataratas del Iguazú in Spanish, lie on the Argentina - Brazil border and are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The falls are part of a singular practically virgin jungle ecosystem protected by Argentine and Brazilian national parks on either side of the cascades. Two thirds of the falls are on the Argentinian side of the river where you can also tour Iguazú National Park where there are jungle trails and bird hikes. The view from the Brazilian side is the most panoramic and there are helicopter rides out over the falls from Foz do Iguaçu. The light is best in the morning for photographs.

Iguassu Falls Waterfall

ARGENTINA/BRAZIL Iguassu Falls lies on the Iguassu River and consists of a spectacular series of several hundred cataracts, separated by rocks and tree-covered islands. Together they form a horseshoe some 21/2 miles (4 km) long. The vast hydroelectric power potential of the falls is undeveloped. National parks have been established here by both Argentina and Brazil.

Current rank: 18

And here we go, another link to someone else's travel photos!

New 7 Wonders/Nature vote #6 of 7

Enough of North America. There is still Europe and South America to explore. And ... dare I suggest Central America. And Antarctica. Although, its only nominee, the Ross Ice Shelf technically belongs to New Zealand. But I'm not one to let technicalities get in my way of a good round the world journey. I had planned on visiting and choosing one place from each continent, with one wild card (which was always going to be #5). The rules of the N7W Foundation are that only one site per country can win. I make my own arbitrary rules for choosing my votes. My next choice is listed in Asia but ... it is in the European Union. So I've stuck it in my Europe entry.

In Turkey, Pamukkale is considered the eighth wonder of the world (another one!). So it is a wonder that the government has botched up this amazing tourist destination. Access is much more limited than it was before it became a World Heritage Site, but at least it has been preserved. I would still make the effort to get there.

Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site.

Pamukkale, Springs
TURKEY The hot springs at Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, are in south-western Turkey. It is some 2,700 meters long and 160 meters high and can be seen from a great distance. Every second, 250 liters of hot water rises from the spring. The water contains large amounts of hydrogen carbonate and calcium, which merge to form calcium bi-carbonate. This natural phenomenon leaves thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope, which resemble a frozen waterfall.

Current rank: 121

For a 6 minute video of the area and more photos check out kusadasi.biz/pamukkale. For a slideshow of photos see this link below
http://www.slideshare.net/GreenBeingNancy/pamukkale-399694?from=email&type=share

New 7 Wonders/Nature vote #5 of 7

Now let's see what beautiful damage water can do as it cuts into layer upon layer of rock over 17 million years. I'm heading south to Arizona.

"Mountains of music swell in the river,

Hills of music billow in the creeks...

While other melodies are heard

In the gorges of the lateral canyons.

The Grand Canyon is a land of song."

- John Wesley Powell

Grand Canyon
UNITED STATES The Grand Canyon is one of the most studied geologic landscapes in the world. It offers an excellent record of three of the four eras of geological time, a rich and diverse fossil record, a vast array of geologic features and rock types, and numerous caves containing extensive and significant geological, paleontological, archeological and biological resources. It is considered one of the finest examples of arid-land erosion in the world. The Canyon, incised by the Colorado River, is immense, averaging 4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles. It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 15 miles at its widest. Its great biological diversity can be attributed to the presence of five of the seven life zones and three of the four desert types in North America.

Current rank: 20

And the usual bonus, for your viewing pleasure see this link.

New 7 Wonders/Nature vote #4 of 7

After that visit to Ha Long, well, so many of my other choices just didn't measure up anymore. So I came home to think on it some more. And I decided the best place to think would be not in my corner of the lake near Niagara Falls, but in Gwen's backyard on the Bay of Fundy. This measures up very well indeed.

Forever restless, the Bay of Fundy tides are in constant motion. As life ebbs and flows just beneath the surface, tidal waters rise and fall and the shoreline continually evolves. This is the intrigue and uniquenss of the Bay of Fundy, where the highest tides in the world wash the shores twice daily...exposing life, creating life, sustaining life.

Bay of Fundy
CANADA The Bay of Fundy is renowned for having the highest tides on the planet (16.2 metres or 53 feet). One hundred billion tonnes of sea water flows in and out of the Bay of Fundy twice daily – more water than the combined flow of all the world’s fresh water rivers. Fundy’s extreme tides create a dynamic and diverse marine ecosystem. The Bay is also renowned for its coastal rock formations, extreme tidal effects (vertical, horizontal, rapids and bores) and sustainable coastal development. It is also a critical international feeding ground for migratory birds, a vibrant habitat for rare and endangered Right whales, one of the world’s most significant plant and animal fossil discovery regions. The Bay of Fundy is located between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on North America’s east coast.

Current rank: 179

Visit this interactive video to watch the tide speeded up or you could visit in real time and watch the tide rise at a rate of between six to eight feet an hour, for 6 hours and 13 minutes.

New 7 Wonders/Nature vote #3 of 7

Moving along with my continental tour, I have now reached ASIA. Suddenly the choices have become much more complicated and numerous.

Two of the criteria for my choices is accessibility and a fervent wish to visit the natural site. The descriptions alone on the N7W website were not enough for me, so I delved into the internet.
The pictures on this site alone have me crying with desire (and feeling intense envy that Jazz has actually been there) .


Ha Long literally means descending dragon(s) and according to local myth, long ago when their forefathers were fighting foreign invaders from the north, the gods from heaven sent a family of dragons to help defend their land. This family of dragons descended upon what is now Ha Long bay and began spitting out jewels and jade. Upon hitting the sea, these jewels turned into the various islands and islets dotting the seascape and formed a formidable fortress against the invaders. The locals were able to keep their land safe and formed what is now the country of Vietnam. The Dragon family fell so much in love with this area for its calm water and for the reverence of the people of Vietnam that they decided to remain on earth. Mother dragon lies on what is now Ha Long and where her children lie is Bai Tu Long. The dragon tails formed the area of Bach Long Vi known for the miles of white sandy beaches of Tra Co peninsula.

Dotted with 3000 limestone islets rising from emerald waters, it is the best known natural wonder of Vietnam. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. The islands feature endless numbers of beaches, grottoes, and caves.


Ha Long Bay
VIET NAM Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Quang Ninh province. The bay features thousands of karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes.

Current rank: 2

oops ... and I neglected to include links to more photos of vote #1. For consistency that has now been attended to, so have a gander back a couple of posts and dream some more.

New 7 Wonders/Nature vote #2 of 7

Important
This is not a place to get stranded without a hat, sun glasses and a big bottle of water.
These dunes may or may not be the largest in the world, but they are the largest in Morocco. It is said that they can be good for patients with rheumatics — they bury themselves in the sand and stay there all the day. And these dunes are often used in films and commercials.

The dunes of Erg Chebbi is a strikingly strange natural formation. This mountain of sand is surrounded by flat and desolate nature on all sides. Its existence is so weird that it has given rise to legends and myths among the locals. One legend tells us that the dunes of Erg Chebbi were created by God as a punishment to the locals of nearby Merzouga after they refused to give shelter to travellers during a local festival. A sandstorm came, and buried the village of Merzouga where it was then.
© Copyright 1996-2007 LexicOrient. All rights reserved Tore Kjeilen.

Erg Chebbi, Dunes
MOROCCO
Erg Chebbi is the only Saharan erg in Morocco. This flat area of desert is 22 km long and 5 km wide. Its dunes reach a maximum height of 150 meters. It is located roughly 40 kilometers south-east of Erfoud.

Current rank: 120

While seeking more information on this area I found this blog with amazing photos which may be of interest.

New 7 Wonders/Nature vote #1 of 7

As of tonight (13 July 2008) the ranking of the top 21 New 7 Wonders of Nature sites has not changed.

My first of my seven choices is not in the top 10 and falls into the emotional category.

It has been described as "the eighth wonder of the world" by Rudyard Kipling.

I have been here and have tramped the trail (a very small part of it, mind you) and taken the tourist cruise. We almost didn't go as it had been raining so much overnight and was still overcast in the morning. But, patience, as the sun came out and we soon realized that the previous nights' rain only enhanced all the waterfalls. And there were many!




In an area often visited by rain, the mountain peaks rising from the waters of Milford Sound are often softened by mist and an air of almost flawless and overpowering mystic calm.


Milford Sound, Fjord
NEW ZEALAND Milford Sound, located in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island, is located within the Fiordland National Park. It runs 15 km inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1200 m or more on either side. Among its most striking features are Mitre Peak, rising 1,692 m above the sound, the Elephant at 1,517 m and resembling an elephant’s's head, and Lion Mountain, 1,302 m, in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins and dolphins populate the water.

Current rank: 97

Here is one link to a travel blog with some great photos of Milford Sound
and another poetic photo album link

View-Master

This post has been inspired by a Lone Grey Squirrel and a Grumpy Old Ken.


A favourite childhood diversion that occupied my imagination for many hours was my View Master and its ever present reel of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were my favourite. Interestingly, the most mysterious of the seven wonders. I was crushed to learn they were no longer standing. I also had a book of stories about the ancient cities and monuments of Greece, Persia, and Egypt. Archaeology featured large in my imagination. I travelled to these wondrous sites many times and made great discoveries while in my sick bed.

When a new Seven Wonders listing was proposed, I followed along. It was to be decided by popular vote (as opposed to one man glorifying his country's achievements). Of course, this would be no less subjective. Sites were nominated, the voting extended by a year due to demand, with great excitement for the shortlisted cities. Visits were made and each city had a chance to promote their man made wonder - think of the IOC visiting Olympic bid cities.

A New7Wonders of the World list was announced on 07/07/07. Hundreds of sites from around the world were nominated and voted on globally through the internet. The current project is the New7Wonders of Nature. Already there are almost 300 natural sites nominated. The top 77 sites will be whittled down to the top 21 in January 2009, and eventually the final 7 by December 2010.

Anyone can vote for their favourite 7 in the nomination stage (until Dec 31, 2008) and again for their favourite 7 of the shortlisted stage.

Lone Grey Squirrel has already posted his top 7 choices which you can see here.

I need a little more time for mine! There are so many places I have never heard of. So many beautiful natural spots in the world. So, I'm going through the lists by continent and will post one favourite vote a day. Starting Monday.

Play along if you wish.

If you are not going on holidays this year, you can dream of where you want to go next year.

If you are wondering how Grumpy Old Ken fits into this, you can check out his post on sterioscopic images and his trip down memory lane. A world apart, for sure.