Port Adelaide | Australia

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Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia, and the fifth-most populous city of Australia. Port Adelaide is known for its well preserved 19th-century pubs and hotels, reflecting the area's maritime history in catering to the sailors of trading ships.

Baikonur Cosmodrome | Kazakhstan

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Kazakhstan isn't known for its space program. So why does the country have a large space facility known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome?

For most of its existence, the Kazakh cosmodrome was a secret site whose location was unknown in the West. It was built at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union and the Space Age was just starting.

But with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, everything changed. Today, the Russians lease the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan. To support Russia while benefiting from its space station, NASA agreed to a shuttle-Mir program, which paid Russia to host American astronauts on the Mir space station.

Douglas | Isle of Man

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Douglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of about 28,000. The city is located at the mouth of the River Douglas.

The ship is a 96-metre wave piercing catamaran and the largest vessel of its kind in the Irish Sea. It is one of the ferries operating between Liverpool and Douglas.

Motor Vessel Ilala | Malawi

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Built in 1949, the mv Ilala is a 400 tonne passenger vessel which has traditionally sailed the full length of lake Malawi. The ship is based in Monkey Bay on the southern end of the lake.

She carries both passengers and freight, and calls at major towns on both the Malawian and Mozambican coast, as well as at the two inhabited islands of the lake.

Lake Malawi National Park | Malawi

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Lake Malawi National Park is a national park at the southern end of Lake Malawi in Malawi. Lake Malawi is one of the deepest lakes in the world. The national park is home to many hundreds of fish species, nearly all endemic. Its importance for the study of evolution is comparable to that of the finches of the Galapagos Islands.

Cape Maclear or Chembe is a town located in Lake Malawi National Park, close to the islands of Domwe and Thumbwe.

Lake Malawi National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A Postcard from The Gambia

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Gambia is one of the smallest countries in Africa: A long narrow strip of land at almost 500 kilometers in length and 50 kilometers in width. The country is surrounded by Senegal.

M29 Weasel | Australia

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The M29 Weasel was a World War II tracked vehicle, built by Studebaker, designed for operation in snow.

The Weasel was the first mechanical oversnow vehicle to be used by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) on the continent. It was in use until the mid-1960s.


Thank you Steve!

Boat lift on the Canal du Centre | Belgium

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The Canal du Centre is a canal in Belgium, which, with other canals, links the waterways of the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. Some section of this canal climbs 66m over a distance of 6790m. Therefore this section contains four hydraulic boat lifts.

Of the eight hydraulic boat-lifts built at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the only ones in the world which still exist in their original working condition are these four lifts on the Canal du Centre. The four lifts are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Serra do Mar | Brazil

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Serra do Mar is a 1,500km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil.

Serro do Mar is part of the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage site Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves. The 25 protected areas that make up the site, contain some of the best and most extensive examples of Atlantic forests. But being the buffer zone I do not mark it as Unesco.

Postcard perfect Dürnstein | Austria

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Dürnstein is a small Austrian town on the Danube river. On the top of the hill you see Dürnstein Castle, dating back to the year 1192. Interesting fact: King Richard I of England was imprisoned in this castle by Leopold V, Duke of Austria after their dispute during the Third Crusade.

The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems, a landscape of high visual quality. The town of Dürnstein is located here and part of the site inscribed under the name Wachau Cultural Landscape.

Nilgiri mountain railway | India

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The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908. Together with Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Mountain Railways of India.

The track is 46 kilometers long and passes over 250 bridges and through 16 tunnels.

Nauru Airlines

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Nauru Airlines is the national carrier of the Republic of Nauru, operating passenger and freighter services to and from the Central Pacific. Today Nauru Airlines utilizes a Boeing 737 aircraft.

Nauru is an island country in Micronesia in the Central Pacific. With just under 10,000 residents in a 21-square-kilometre area, Nauru is the third smallest state by area in the world. Only Vatican City and Monaco are smaller.

Stamps

The stamps are part of a set of four, issued in 2003. Theme is Anemones and Anemonefish. 

thank you very much David!

Paddle Steamer Marion | Australia

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For much of its length, the Murray is a slow-moving river – making it absolutely perfect for a paddlesteamer. This type of boats were used in the 1800’s to transport all sorts of goods up and down the river Murray. Today a perfect way to explore the river.

Over a 100 years old, PS Marion is the only vessel of her type left in the world. PS Marion was built in 1897 and is the world's last wood fired, side paddle wheel steamers with accommodation operating.

From Victor Harbor to Granite Island by horse tram | Australia

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The Victor Harbor Horse Drawn Trams are a South Australian icon and have been serving visitors to Granite Island and Victor Harbor since 1894. 

The Tram uses 14 Clydesdale Horses on a rotational basis to transport approximately 50 passengers for each ride. Each horse works only two shifts a week with the trams running on roller bearings, to make it easy work for them.

Stamps

A series of four stamps dedicated to four iconic tourist-transport-vehicles (2015).

Thx again Steve! 

Granite Island | Australia

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Granite Island is a small island next to Victor Harbor, South Australia. There are no permanent residents on the island but it is a popular tourist attraction. The main reason to visit the island is the magical Little penguins (also known as Fairy penguins). The way to travel to the island is by antique horse-drawn tram.

The main picture shows a Leafy Seadragon, a fish that looks like a plant. This  little dragon is found only in southern Australian waters.

Thx Steve!

Ngalawa boat on the shore of Pangani river | Tanzania

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Pangani River is located in northeastern Tanzania. Ngalawas are sailingboats (actually canoes) with a double outrigger for stability and a triangular sail. Used for short distance transport of goods or people or serving as a fishing boat.

Ai-Petri Mountains Cable Car in Crimea

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Ai-Petri is a peak in the Crimean Mountains. There is a Cable Car that takes passengers to the main area in Ai-Petri. The upper station is located at an altitude of 1153 meters and offers spectacular views of the southern coast of Crimea. 

 

The peak is actually the weathered remains of a huge coral reef formed millions of years ago, when this area was under the sea.

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On the left you see “Swallow’s Nest”, a castle built in the late XIX century near Yalta, in the South of Crimea. 

The Semmering Railway | Austria

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The Semmeringbahn is a mountain railway crossing the Semmering, a mountain pass in Austria. Built over 41 km of high mountains between 1848 and 1854, it is one of the greatest achievements of civil engineering from this pioneering phase of railway building.

The Semmering Railway is UNESCO World Heritage site.

Stamp

The postcard was actually send from Germany. Normally I only show cards sent from the country of origin. But I guess the exception proves the rule.  

Jungfrau Railway | Switzerland

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With 4,158 metres Jungfrau is one of the highest mountain peaks in Switzerland. The Jungfrau Railway went into service in 1912. The railway travels to the highest railway station in Europe, located 3,454 meters above sea level.

The Jungfrau is part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Fishing boats in Madura Island | Indonesia

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The Indonesian island of Madura, with a population of 4 million, is flat and rugged. Traditional culture is strong on this island. The sarong and peci (typical hat for men) are the norm and the people are deeply Islamic – virtually all children attend religious schools.

The island is connected to Java by Indonesia’s longest bridge.