1. Uluru, Australia
Uluru is located in Australian Northern Territory and got its name by local Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people. They believe that it is formed by Turtle Spirit and that taking away stone of Uluru brings bad luck. Nevertheless, the conventional science has its own theories, although none of them confirmed yet. It is a massive outcrop of eroded red sandstone that towers in the area, old millions of years, but it is unknown how is formed. Geologists know just that taking away stones of it doesn’t mean bad luck.
2. Killer Lake, Cameroon
This place is beautiful and is worth visiting, but people who pass by have to be aware that it’s risky. It is located in north-western part of Cameroon and totally deserves the name. Although the real name is Lake Nyos, locals now call it Killer Lake due to the events from 1986 when giant bubble of carbon dioxide mixed with sulfur and hydrogen spewed to the surface, spreading 23 kilometers from the source. Within two hours 1700 people and 3500 animals died. The rest of them got respiratory illnesses and other diseases.
3. The White Desert, Egypt
The White Desert in Sahara had been underwater in ancient times, but now it is above the sea level and the chalk figures formed with millenniums can be seen today. The figures are located near the Black Desert and the Crystal Mountain that makes it even more popular among tourists. They became real threat for them, so the place is protected as national reserve now.
4. Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania
It is located near the southern end of Tasmania and is a thin stretch of land that connects the mainland of Tasmania with Tasmanian Peninsula. It is characterized by the surface shaped like perfect Tessellated Pavement, which is result of the erosion of the rocks. However, it became world wide famous not because of its beauty, but due to the “Dog Lines.” Long time before, when criminals from Britain have been sent to the island, lot of them used to pass the 200 meters strip of land on the coast of the lake. In order to stop it a local military commander deployed nine beasts of dogs, a line that was passed only by three convicts.
5. Pamukkale, Turkey
Weird but breathtaking! Pamukkale means “castle of cotton,” and the place is cottony indeed. The white terraces are created with help of the earthquakes, common for this area, which allowed a hot water full of calcium to reach the surface. A huge amount of layers of chalky material slowly had built up the terraces over the last two millenniums. There’s a little town near this wonder of nature, called Heirapolis, which means “Sacred City.”
6. Moeraki, New Zealand
When the first ancestors of New Zealand on the island with their great Araiteuru canoe it sunk and the whole crew turned into stones. However, this is just a legend. These stones, better known as Moeraki Boulders, were formed on the sea floor from sedimentary deposits that fused around a core just like the pearls form around a particle of sand. They’re located on Koekohe Beach, on New Zealand’s southern island.
7. Hell’s Door, Turkmenistan
“The Gate to Hell” is located in Turkeminstan, in the heart of Middle Asia, in the Kara-Kum desert. It was formed with little human help, when in 1971 Soviet experts ordered drilling in the cavern filled with loads of natural gas, which roof collapsed leaving a hole with 60-70 meters diameter. After that the gas continued rising from even deeper sources. Aware of the possibility of poisoning, the government decided to burn it. It never stopped burning since than and today it offers a spectacular view, especially at night. People can’t stay there more than five minutes because of the gases.
8. Sanqingshan, China
It is small National Park in the Jiangxi province, but it is big in its spectacular look. The exceptional granite rocks formed as skyscraping outcrops is often surrounded by mists and they together create a breathtaking mystic scenic. The sunset view here is magnificent, too, but there are also waterfalls, springs and pools. The mystic gives a feeling of tranquility and adventure in the same time. A must-see place for surrealistic views seekers.
9. Eye of Africa, Mauritania
Visitors can not see too much by going there, but traveling with Google Earth offers an image that takes the breath. These weird cliffs shaped like human eye are located in Mauritania. There are several theories that try to explain the origin of this wonder, but the official one is that it is a richat structure formed by symmetrical uplifting of the geology. One of the others says that a meteor is the reason.
10. Racetrack Playa, United States
Racetrack Playa is located in the Death Valley, California and it is one of the flattest places in the world. In winter there are rains in the desert making the surface slippery. During those times, stones are moving there leaving clear tracks behind. It is believed that the winds are responsible for this weird phenomenon, but the rocks are never filmed or pictured while moving. We can do nothing but wonder why in age of high technology there are no shots from this place.
Uluru is located in Australian Northern Territory and got its name by local Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people. They believe that it is formed by Turtle Spirit and that taking away stone of Uluru brings bad luck. Nevertheless, the conventional science has its own theories, although none of them confirmed yet. It is a massive outcrop of eroded red sandstone that towers in the area, old millions of years, but it is unknown how is formed. Geologists know just that taking away stones of it doesn’t mean bad luck.
2. Killer Lake, Cameroon
This place is beautiful and is worth visiting, but people who pass by have to be aware that it’s risky. It is located in north-western part of Cameroon and totally deserves the name. Although the real name is Lake Nyos, locals now call it Killer Lake due to the events from 1986 when giant bubble of carbon dioxide mixed with sulfur and hydrogen spewed to the surface, spreading 23 kilometers from the source. Within two hours 1700 people and 3500 animals died. The rest of them got respiratory illnesses and other diseases.
3. The White Desert, Egypt
The White Desert in Sahara had been underwater in ancient times, but now it is above the sea level and the chalk figures formed with millenniums can be seen today. The figures are located near the Black Desert and the Crystal Mountain that makes it even more popular among tourists. They became real threat for them, so the place is protected as national reserve now.
4. Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania
It is located near the southern end of Tasmania and is a thin stretch of land that connects the mainland of Tasmania with Tasmanian Peninsula. It is characterized by the surface shaped like perfect Tessellated Pavement, which is result of the erosion of the rocks. However, it became world wide famous not because of its beauty, but due to the “Dog Lines.” Long time before, when criminals from Britain have been sent to the island, lot of them used to pass the 200 meters strip of land on the coast of the lake. In order to stop it a local military commander deployed nine beasts of dogs, a line that was passed only by three convicts.
5. Pamukkale, Turkey
Weird but breathtaking! Pamukkale means “castle of cotton,” and the place is cottony indeed. The white terraces are created with help of the earthquakes, common for this area, which allowed a hot water full of calcium to reach the surface. A huge amount of layers of chalky material slowly had built up the terraces over the last two millenniums. There’s a little town near this wonder of nature, called Heirapolis, which means “Sacred City.”
6. Moeraki, New Zealand
When the first ancestors of New Zealand on the island with their great Araiteuru canoe it sunk and the whole crew turned into stones. However, this is just a legend. These stones, better known as Moeraki Boulders, were formed on the sea floor from sedimentary deposits that fused around a core just like the pearls form around a particle of sand. They’re located on Koekohe Beach, on New Zealand’s southern island.
7. Hell’s Door, Turkmenistan
“The Gate to Hell” is located in Turkeminstan, in the heart of Middle Asia, in the Kara-Kum desert. It was formed with little human help, when in 1971 Soviet experts ordered drilling in the cavern filled with loads of natural gas, which roof collapsed leaving a hole with 60-70 meters diameter. After that the gas continued rising from even deeper sources. Aware of the possibility of poisoning, the government decided to burn it. It never stopped burning since than and today it offers a spectacular view, especially at night. People can’t stay there more than five minutes because of the gases.
8. Sanqingshan, China
It is small National Park in the Jiangxi province, but it is big in its spectacular look. The exceptional granite rocks formed as skyscraping outcrops is often surrounded by mists and they together create a breathtaking mystic scenic. The sunset view here is magnificent, too, but there are also waterfalls, springs and pools. The mystic gives a feeling of tranquility and adventure in the same time. A must-see place for surrealistic views seekers.
9. Eye of Africa, Mauritania
Visitors can not see too much by going there, but traveling with Google Earth offers an image that takes the breath. These weird cliffs shaped like human eye are located in Mauritania. There are several theories that try to explain the origin of this wonder, but the official one is that it is a richat structure formed by symmetrical uplifting of the geology. One of the others says that a meteor is the reason.
10. Racetrack Playa, United States
Racetrack Playa is located in the Death Valley, California and it is one of the flattest places in the world. In winter there are rains in the desert making the surface slippery. During those times, stones are moving there leaving clear tracks behind. It is believed that the winds are responsible for this weird phenomenon, but the rocks are never filmed or pictured while moving. We can do nothing but wonder why in age of high technology there are no shots from this place.
