Oglesby is a small city in north-central Illinois, located in LaSalle County near the Illinois River and the wooded canyons of Starved Rock State Park. Its location places it within the Illinois Valley, an area shaped by rivers, limestone bluffs, forests, and agriculture. Oglesby is particularly well positioned for exploring the region’s natural attractions, with Starved Rock State Park and Matthiessen State Park nearby. The community itself has a quiet residential character, while its location
St Lucia is a small coastal town in northern KwaZulu-Natal, positioned beside the St Lucia Estuary and within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The town is surrounded by a landscape of wetlands, coastal forests, grasslands, dunes, lakes, and the Indian Ocean. Its location makes it a base for exploring one of South Africa’s most diverse protected areas, where freshwater and marine environments occur close together.
Lake Retba, also known as Lac Rose, is a shallow salt lake near the Atlantic coast, north of Dakar. Its water is separated from the ocean by a narrow belt of dunes, creating a landscape of pale sand, salt flats, and low scrub. The lake is best known for its high salt concentration, which can produce pink, reddish, or mauve tones under particular conditions of sunlight and water chemistry. Its appearance changes with weather and light rather than remaining one fixed color.
Kalbarri is a coastal town, set alongside the Murchison River. The coastline around Kalbarri is wonderful and has quite a history, with several shipwrecks along the shore. There is a fabulous cycle path along the coastline and coastal clifftops, including Eagle Gorge, Natural Bridge, Pot Alley, Rainbow Valley and Red Bluff. There is also fantastic surf at Jakes Corner.
Lake Tana, located in the northwest of Ethiopia, is the country’s largest freshwater lake and the source of the Blue Nile. Its calm waters are dotted with more than 30 islands, many of which are home to ancient monasteries adorned with religious paintings and manuscripts.