Comments on: The ancient shields of paradise http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/ Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:12:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Tahiti from Space | A Few Reasonable Words http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333651 Tahiti from Space | A Few Reasonable Words Mon, 25 Jun 2012 02:44:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333651 [...] green, inviting, volcanoes (odd set of words I grant you.) Nice blog entry on it over at Bad Astronomy, where I first saw the picture while trawling around for yet more Transit of Venus stuff. The [...] [...] green, inviting, volcanoes (odd set of words I grant you.) Nice blog entry on it over at Bad Astronomy, where I first saw the picture while trawling around for yet more Transit of Venus stuff. The [...]

]]> By: Fatboy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333650 Fatboy Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:19:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333650 Years ago, my wife and I went on our honeymoon to Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti. We charged it to a credit card and took over a year to pay it off. It was worth every penny. I'd highly recommend going to Bora Bora and Tahiti at some point in your life. For a travel tip, we got one of the huts on the beach, not one of the ones over the water. At the hotel we were at on Bora Bora, we're glad we did, because the beach huts had more privacy than the overwater ones, and were just as stunning being only yards away from the water. Oh hell, I wasn't going to blog-whore, but instead of writing a book for a comment, I'll just link to my site to describe our experiences there: <a href="http://www.jefflewis.net/french_polynesia_advice.html" rel="nofollow">French Polynesia Travelling Tips </a> <a href="http://www.jefflewis.net/photos-french_polynesia.html" rel="nofollow">French Polynesia Photos</a> Years ago, my wife and I went on our honeymoon to Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti. We charged it to a credit card and took over a year to pay it off. It was worth every penny. I’d highly recommend going to Bora Bora and Tahiti at some point in your life.

For a travel tip, we got one of the huts on the beach, not one of the ones over the water. At the hotel we were at on Bora Bora, we’re glad we did, because the beach huts had more privacy than the overwater ones, and were just as stunning being only yards away from the water.

Oh hell, I wasn’t going to blog-whore, but instead of writing a book for a comment, I’ll just link to my site to describe our experiences there:

French Polynesia Travelling Tips
French Polynesia Photos

]]> By: Mick http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333649 Mick Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:24:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333649 I live on the Gold Coast in Australia, and the mountains of the hinterland are the northern face of the massive Tweed Caldera, an ancient volcano. It has mostly eroded away, leaving a ring of mountains which can be easily seen on Google Maps. http://goo.gl/maps/IiKb In the center of the caldera lies Mt Warning, which is the volcanic remnant that has resisted erosion compared to the surrounding landscape, and towers over everything when viewed from the coastline. Captain Cook connection: Mt Warning got its name from Cook's voyage to the east coast of Australia. The crew of the Endeavour used the location of the mountain to warn other ships of the dangers that lurk upon the coastline in the days before anyone had a chance to build lighthouses. The rest of the region is a smorgasbord for geologic delights. As one example, in times of bad weather, rough seas can reveal pumice rocks that have been buried under the beaches for 23 million years. I live on the Gold Coast in Australia, and the mountains of the hinterland are the northern face of the massive Tweed Caldera, an ancient volcano. It has mostly eroded away, leaving a ring of mountains which can be easily seen on Google Maps. http://goo.gl/maps/IiKb

In the center of the caldera lies Mt Warning, which is the volcanic remnant that has resisted erosion compared to the surrounding landscape, and towers over everything when viewed from the coastline.

Captain Cook connection: Mt Warning got its name from Cook’s voyage to the east coast of Australia. The crew of the Endeavour used the location of the mountain to warn other ships of the dangers that lurk upon the coastline in the days before anyone had a chance to build lighthouses.

The rest of the region is a smorgasbord for geologic delights. As one example, in times of bad weather, rough seas can reveal pumice rocks that have been buried under the beaches for 23 million years.

]]> By: DaveH http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333648 DaveH Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:31:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333648 Can I also recommend the day-by-day blog of Cook's Journal, http://jamescookjournal.blogspot.co.uk/ with the journal of Joseph Banks and one of Cook's lieutenants appended. The transit was a week or so ago, but the first impressions of Australia are yet to come. Fascinating stuff. Cook's journal is very professional and quite technical, but Banks' is very lively and quite funny. Can I also recommend the day-by-day blog of Cook’s Journal,
http://jamescookjournal.blogspot.co.uk/
with the journal of Joseph Banks and one of Cook’s lieutenants appended. The transit was a week or so ago, but the first impressions of Australia are yet to come. Fascinating stuff. Cook’s journal is very professional and quite technical, but Banks’ is very lively and quite funny.

]]> By: Nigel Depledge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333647 Nigel Depledge Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:29:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333647 Edinburgh Castle is built on the basalt plug that is all that remains of a long-extinct volcano. Have you ever been to Edinburgh? Edinburgh Castle is built on the basalt plug that is all that remains of a long-extinct volcano. Have you ever been to Edinburgh?

]]> By: CR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333646 CR Wed, 20 Jun 2012 05:55:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333646 I've always understood why so many people over the centuries have found Tahiti to be a destination worth visiting, based on surface and aerial photos of the twin islands, and this image proves that even from space, it's gorgeous. As for Bora Bora, I've seen lovely aerial pics of it, and it's also a destination for me. (I'd best get going on actually visiting some of these places before I get too old or too poor to do so!) I’ve always understood why so many people over the centuries have found Tahiti to be a destination worth visiting, based on surface and aerial photos of the twin islands, and this image proves that even from space, it’s gorgeous.

As for Bora Bora, I’ve seen lovely aerial pics of it, and it’s also a destination for me. (I’d best get going on actually visiting some of these places before I get too old or too poor to do so!)

]]> By: Bramblyspam http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333645 Bramblyspam Wed, 20 Jun 2012 02:35:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333645 I can't believe Phil hasn't been to Haleakala. Go there, watch the sunrise from the summit, then bike down. There are tours for that sort of thing, and it's well worth doing. I can’t believe Phil hasn’t been to Haleakala. Go there, watch the sunrise from the summit, then bike down. There are tours for that sort of thing, and it’s well worth doing.

]]> By: Rachel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333644 Rachel Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:57:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333644 Even better, look at an aerial image of Bora Bora. It has a more solid reef and a huge lagoon ringing one central volcanic island. It's gorgeous! Even better, look at an aerial image of Bora Bora. It has a more solid reef and a huge lagoon ringing one central volcanic island. It’s gorgeous!

]]> By: MadScientist http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333643 MadScientist Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:40:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333643 Don't miss out on Pu'u-o'o in Hawaii (Hawaii itself is made up of 2 monstrous volcanoes with Mauna Loa being the largest mountain on the planet when measured from its base). The vegetation in Hawaii is also somewhat unique - it'll certainly look very exotic to anyone from the US mainland. Don’t miss out on Pu’u-o’o in Hawaii (Hawaii itself is made up of 2 monstrous volcanoes with Mauna Loa being the largest mountain on the planet when measured from its base). The vegetation in Hawaii is also somewhat unique – it’ll certainly look very exotic to anyone from the US mainland.

]]> By: Neil Haggath http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/19/the-ancient-shields-of-paradise/#comment-333642 Neil Haggath Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:43:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=50271#comment-333642 I second the recommendation of Kilauea. It's pretty amazing. I second the recommendation of Kilauea. It’s pretty amazing.

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