[woofa.express]

• These are the wonders of the world as seen by Gary. There are of course many places I haven’t seen.
• Rocky outcrops protruding from the water on approach to and within Da Nang harbour, Vietnam. These island outcrops were numerous and spectacular. Patsy and I took a cruise out of Hong Kong down to Viet Nam. At daylight we peered out our port hole window to see a rock protruding from out of the water only about 200 feet off the starboard side and about 80 foot high. We took fright because the Costa Concordia was fresh on our minds. Remember the cruise liner that ran aground on the rocks in southern Italy. And we were on a liner operated by the same company. Concern aside, it is the most amazing sight I have ever seen.
• The Grand Canyon. Everyone would be astounded at this remarkable spectacle. The erosion that has taken place over millions of years. The colours and the immense area it covers. I had a young pilot fly me over here. He did a good job with commentary and aircraft handling especially engine handling on both assent and descent. I was impressed. Whoever taught him did a good job. This was in 1992 so I guess he is an airliner captain or maybe a cropduster now and that would be good.
• Vancouver harbour as we departed on an ocean liner on a sunny afternoon. Water surface was rippled and with the sun reflecting off it the sight was splendid. The last of the snow on the peaks which formed the backdrop. Snow covered peaks is something we don’t have in Australia.
• Gibber desert and salt lakes of South Australia. Real outback. Extensive areas of desert of small stone. I’d run the wheels of my aeroplane over parts of it. Then it would turn to sandy desert. In front of the aeroplane, maybe 200 yards the rabbits would run to their burrows. They sometimes built up to major plagues but the introduction of virus’s ( 2 with a break of several years between) cleaned them out. The lowest land in Australia is lake Ayre. It is seldom full. The water starts about 700 miles north and spreads to maybe 80 miles wide and covers a large area of land and when it subsides it leaves hundreds of square miles of fodder for livestock. When lake Ayre is dry it is white because of salt exposure. I think this is when it looks it’s very best. If you stay at Oodnadatta you can have a salt water shower and feel uncomfortable when you dry off and dress. I used to avoid it.
• Coastal swamps of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Featuring big tidal rivers with crocodiles. Simular on the south west side of Darwin on the Daly River but treeless swamps. Here lived hundreds and hundreds of water buffalo and thousands of pigs. I used to muster them up with either aeroplane or helicopter just for the fun. In both these areas I transported geologists doing uranium exploration.
• Mountains protruding high out of the ocean in Sulawesi (Indonesia). Specifically the isthmus on the north east side. I’ll attach a map so you readers can see where. High mountains dropped sharply into the ocean and only a few feet from shore the ocean turned black with the depth. I did once read that this area would become a tourist destination sometime in the future. The sea around the north east side of Borneo was simular and many large lighted fishing boats could be seen working here at night.
• Coastal villages in Borneo. This is where the locals live in crude wooden houses amongst the palm trees. When I’d fly past the kids would get excited and wave like crazy. The men would catch fish in the shallow water with nets. In the deeper water they’d use canoes with an outrigger. Their lives appeared idyllic. Small vans would take them to town at times. These vans would pack people in just like they were sardines. I don’t know where they gained their income. At low tide never ending and extensive area of trash (plastic bags) would be revealed. Malaysians have no concept of cleanliness or care.
• Villages and human activity along the Nile River in Sudan. This is a busy place. Mud housing and activity. This once was a very extensive area of farming and many would have derived their income from this. I am told the civil war trashed the irrigation infrastructure and farming industry. In the poorer areas one could find grass huts. Camels were a common sight. They have the most ungainly walk. Cattle herders too could often be seen but these were not common in the irrigation area. A herd was a persons savings and his status would be judged on the number he owned.
  
  I must conclude with the most disappointing thing. In Malaysia and Indonesia large areas of jungle were cleared to grow oil palms. No areas were kept for the animals. Near Kalabakan in the north east of Borneo where I worked, the elephants revolted and would pull palms out of the ground. Electric fences were erected to exclude them. The nearest jungle could be 50 or even 100 miles away in areas which were considered unsuitable for palm. Macaque monkeys had no trees. I would see whole families on the roadside with nowhere to go. They don’t live in palms. I’m not a socialist radical but I did feel sorry for these animals and others that were left homeless.
  
  These pictures are off the internet. I do have similar in my collection but it is on external drive and I can’t find my connecting chord. I can’t find a picture of Vancouver harbour as I viewed it nor the mountains rising out of the ocean in Sulawesi but a map and the spectacular part is the north east.