Best piece of nature youve ever seen/been in the middle of

Specialun

Not seen much here outside of ireland...so i guess the sea/mountains around nice in france were my fav.

JaseBelleVie

Outside Ireland:

-The Grand Canyon, Arizona
-Ayers Rock, Australia
-Loire Valley, France
-The Alps
-Lake Garda, Italy
-Florida Everglades
-Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah
-Lake Superior, USA
-Yorkshire Valleys, UK
-Mississippi/Missouri River, USA
-Rhine Valley, Germany
-Fjords, Norway

Ireland:

-Giant's Causeway, Antrim
-Lakes of Kerry
-Glendalough, Wicklow
-Dublin/Wicklow Mountains
-The Burren, Clare
-Cliffs of Moher, Clare
-Wild Atlantic Way
-River Shannon
-Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Kerry


Just off the top of my head.

Lando Griffin

Saw a man stagger from a pub just after noon one Sunday and fall against the door of the house next to the pub. He fumbled his keys from his pocket, tried to get them in the keyhole but they dropped to the ground. He then tried to bend over to pick them up but stumbled into the wall. This seemed to put sence into him as he staggered back to the pub.

the_monkey

No point listing things, it takes away the greatness of each, so to choose one.

No question

Grand Canyon.

Specialun

Thought lake garda was in templemore

Cody montana

Shark bay in Western Australia.

Specialun

Cody montana wrote: »

Shark bay in Western Australia.

Not being stupid but is it covered in sharks

Señor Fancy Pants

I actually haven't been anywhere traditionally amazing.

I was in The Bekka Valley in Lebanon.
Sea of Galilee, The Dead Sea and the River Jordan in Israel.
I was up the Schilthorn mountain in Switzerland.
Cliffs of Moher
Ailwee Caves

There's some lovely random spots in Africa too but nothing "famous".

I need to do more.

I'm sure there's more

Red Kev

A huge thunderstorm at dusk in Guinea Bissau, two days after the 2002 World Cup final, astonishing light show, never seen anything like it before or since. It was my first day in the country and I stayed for a couple of years.

Driving through Russia and Siberia, thousands of miles of steppe, then forest.

The noise of the wildlife in the jungle in Gabon.

the_monkey

the_monkey wrote: »

No question

Grand Canyon.

Absolutely.

Grand Canyon, no competitors. The scale and grandeur of the thing, indescribable.

Call Me Jimmy

Just the other day I came out to the back garden to the sound of birds making more noise than I thought birds could make. They were all spread across the grass, flapping and wailing. Then I saw the dogs were out there too. The birds were all around the dogs hassling them, they could easily have been killed. Usually they fly off when the dogs come out. Then I saw the young bird lying badly injured near the dogs.

What I was witnessing was The Last Of The Mohicans of the bird world. Parents and elders risking their lives to save their young.

Cody montana

Specialun wrote: »

Not being stupid but is it covered in sharks

Well I didn't get into the water, let's put it that way.
We did see a dugong (sea cow) though.

Swanley

The best piece of nature I've been in the middle of was your ma.

Summer wind

Cliffs of Moher.

The Amalfi Coastline.

Señor Fancy Pants

Candie wrote: »

Absolutely.

Grand Canyon, no competitors. The scale and grandeur of the thing, indescribable.

You obviously haven't seen The Holy Stone of Clonrichert!

Den14

Not sure if this applies but a few years ago I went on a J1 visa to the States. One particular night I was walking home just after sunset in the woods on Nantucket Island. I remember it was a really warm summers night and the moon was high in the sky. As I walked along I began to notice that the trees were covered in little pulses of light. Glowing with little glow bugs. It looked amazing. They remined me of those tiny fairies in a Disney film. A memory that will stay with me for a long time

hmmm

Watch the thread fill up with all those "oh when I was swimming with penguins in the falklands" or "that time I rode bareback through Mongolia".

In saying that, for me it was a boat trip on a Patagonian lake surrounded by mountains and glaciers

Fraughen Rock glen in Wicklow is also pretty nice. Lacks penguins and icebergs however, don't go looking for them or you will be disappointed.

cajonlardo

On new years day several years ago my sons and I had had enough of the house and headed out for a walk in the hills. It was really cold and there was some snow on the ground in the Wicklow mountains. We were walking through the Djouce woods and could see a lad stopped dead up the track. He was completely still. We knew something was up and we walked up slowly and quietly. the lad whispered to us stay still and he slowly pointed up into the trees.
It took a moment to see in the gloom and shadows but first I saw a huge stag , then the Doe and finally a small deer barely more than a fawn. The animals stood there rock still and the steam from their breaths and from their flanks rose up in the freezing air. Absolutely still for minutes, just watching us until the stag snorted and turned away. He led them off into the woods. Absolutely fabulous animals and a brilliant experience for my then young sons.
Also, last week, while driving down from Glencree I saw the little fawn in the attached photo, couldn't have been more than 18 inches tall. He could barely walk. I drove at less than walking pace to scare him back into the woods as he was surely going to be killed on that road.

The Backwards Man

Grand Canyon for me too, I'm not one for taking photos, but I've hundreds of my trip there.

the_monkey

Señor Fancy Pants wrote: »

You obviously haven't seen The Holy Stone of Clonrichert!

St. Kevin's stump is even better ...

PandaPoo

Sting ray city in Grand Cayman. Was absolutely amazing.

Sheep Lover

The Great Fur Bush of Mary Mac.

Public_Enema

The Karst Mountains in Yangshuo, China. Were for me, simply stunning and mystical.

Swanley

Public_Enema wrote: »

The Karst Mountains in Yangshuo, China. Were for me, simply stunning and mystical.

Just like the OPs Ma!

NachoBusiness

hmmm wrote: »

Watch the thread fill up with all those "oh when I was swimming with penguins in the falklands" ..

Reminds me of this..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALnbesSQ-bo

mad m

Myself and family hiked into a place called Havasupai Indian reservation based in the Grand Canyon. Took us 5hours to hike in, amazing place. Only 3 ways into it. Hike, mule, tribes helicopter ($95 each) needless to say we helicoptered it out.

2 miles further you hit Havasu Falls, then another mile down Mooney Falls. Then even further down there is another one.

http://havasuwaterfalls.net/havasu.html.

We were so glad we went down on the day we arrived to the falls as there was a flash flood next day, it looked Charlie chocolates waterfall. Amazing to find out the Havasupai Tride gave money to Ireland to help out with the famine.

Also did a half day float trip down the Colorado river from Page Arizona.

AgileMyth

Candie wrote: »

Absolutely.

Grand Canyon, no competitors. The scale and grandeur of the thing, indescribable.

There's a fairly serious competitor just a few miles south. Its in mexico though so no ones ever heard of it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Copper_Canyon

suicide_circus

Probably up round the Kitzbühel Alps in Austria. Stunning.

Aongus Von Bismarck

The 4 days spent on the W-Trek in Torres Del Paine national park in Chilean Patagonia.

The towers themselves, alpine valleys, icebergs, avalanches, stunningly blue lakes. Just incredible.

Potential-Monke

Wouldn't be one for really remembering nature and it's beauty, but one image will never leave my mind. Back in Sept 09 i was in Orlando. It was about 22.30 and i was in the hotel pool, suppin on a can. To my left, the fireworks from Seaworld. To my right, a lightening storm not too far away. It was amazing!

Los Lobos

Back before we had mobile phones, i was in a friends gaff and had arranged for one of the lads to drop by and bring me home. He was meant to collect me around midnight.
About 1.30 in the morning, with work in a few hours and no way of contacting the bolix, i decided to walk home, a 3 hour walk.
On that walk i saw at least 6 shooting stars, and at a bridge, a family of swans playing at about 3 in the morning.
Didnt overly appreciate it at the time, especially when you're walking past a house on a backroad at that time and hear a dog growl, but looking back, twas pretty cool

Dubwat

A certain part of the Mahon Falls valley in Waterford. The river does a kind-of u-turn to make a little island. The valley walls seem especially steep and you can just about see the sea in the distance. You sit there in near-silence and feel like a dot in the universe. I'm not religious but...

Getting the train from Seattle to San Francisco in USA - absolutely loved the Sierra Mountains.

Turtyturd

Watching a lion chase down and kill a gazelle.

Myself and my OH got stuck in a shop during a thunder storm years back too. Went from a sunny 90+ day to completely dark in a matter on minutes. Eventually had to leave the shop because it wasn't passing over. Thunder claps setting off car alarms is a memory I will always have.

Turtyturd

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Wouldn't be one for really remembering nature and it's beauty, but one image will never leave my mind. Back in Sept 09 i was in Orlando. It was about 22.30 and i was in the hotel pool, suppin on a can. To my left, the fireworks from Seaworld. To my right, a lightening storm not too far away. It was amazing!

Same place as mine.

GrumpyMe

10kms off the Fastnet Rock and "Thar she blows!" whale breaths...
Magic!

tricky D

Grand Canyon - check.

A graceful Basking Shark grazing away in Balscadden Bay many, many years ago.

Under a large murmuration of starlings on Bull Island. Amazing stuff, a bit like... (kicks off around 25secs in)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNqhi2ka9k

In a remote section of Killarney National Park about 5 years back, was walking along at dusk when about 15 deer just rose out of the mountain around me. I had managed to walk right into the middle of a large herd that was resting. Could never figure out how it happened as deer are so skittish and have such a great sense of smell.

fleet_admiral

Slieve League in Donegal. The cliffs of Moher are nothing in comparison

tricky D

tricky D wrote: »

Grand Canyon - check.

A graceful Basking Shark grazing away in Balscadden Bay many, many years ago.

Under a large murmuration of starlings on Bull Island. Amazing stuff, a bit like... (kicks off around 25secs in)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNqhi2ka9k

I grew up right beside the same lake and was about to say starling murmurations myself.

I've never seen one as massive and spectacular as that one though. Hugely impressive.

LadyFenghuang

The Dublin mountains.

Sandymount beach.

The sally Gap.

Different parts of the wicklow way. I walked that with my mom.

The hell fire club. ( I spend a lot of my childhood messing around there !)
.

Sandymount beach.

The Hag's Nipple in mullingar.

Powerscourt. (cultivated but still)

I love GARDENS.

There is now a field left wild in Marley like a meadow!

Tony Beetroot

A silver feather.

JohnMearsheimer

Since I was a teenager I always had an ambition to see the Rockies. When I was in Canada I was lucky to get a job out that way. I spent 6 months working at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. It was a really stunning place and I still think about the lake often. You'd pinch yourself everyday that you were being paid to live there. To stay in the lodge cost something like $600 CAD a night.

LadyFenghuang

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

A silver feather.

Shhhhhhut uuuuup sssshhhh

Why do people keep doing that!? }:-(

LadyFenghuang

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

A silver feather.

But thank you if it was a compliment. I need to get better at being ....secretive....

Next user name ....discreet feather.
I'm a feather head.

Tony Beetroot

Over 100 posts a day is a give away

LadyFenghuang

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

Over 100 posts a day is a give away

Not if I call myself MATT next time !

nibtrix

Milford Sound, NZ


That was actually pretty hard to decide!

gw80

One morning I got up early to fish a small river near where I live, about 6 in the morning, early spring, everything had a coating of frost, really quiet, nobody around,

About half an hour into my fishing I notice downstream a v shape wave coming towards me so I stop in my tracks, I was kinda confused, so when the wave got to me I seen a huge otter swimming underneath it, then the otter spotted me and poked his head out of the water and just kinda threaded water starring straight at me and me starring back,

It felt like ages but was probably just a few seconds and then real casualy ducked his head under the water and carried on,

Ill never forget it

LadyFenghuang

nibtrix wrote: »

Milford Sound, NZ


That was actually pretty hard to decide!

We are so lucky to have many choices in Ireland itself actually.

Amirani

Iguazu Falls probably. Though Halong Bay was pretty awesome too.

osarusan

There's a place in Japan called Kamikochi - it s tourist mecca in summer, but i love snow so I was more interested in getting there in winter.

I wasn't disappointed.

(not my pic, but basically what I saw)