Western Australia, with its large land mass and diverse geology, has sustained its community through the economic activity of mining.
Dotted across the great state of Western Australia are iconic buildings reflecting the architecture and social idealism of the exploitation of minerals.
Its rich history is reflected in its man-made structures.
The Folded Island Kimberley coastline of Western Australia
Bungle Bungles in the East Kimberley region Western Australia
Horizontal Falls
Copper Coast Geopark in County Waterford, Ireland.
One of 3 geoparks in Ireland. A charming geopark with quaint villages, picturesque beaches and a rich copper-mining history.
“The story of the Earth itself hadn’t been told before. People know about the biodiversity and culture of the landscape but geoparks tell us about the memory of the planet itself in a non-scientific way,” says Patrick McKeever, secretary of the international geosciences programme at Unesco."
Geological Survey of Ireland director Koen Verbruggen says UK research has found that geoparks are bringing more economic benefit to regions than world heritage sites bring.
“Ireland has a great diverse geology and the geoparks are a great opportunity to link local sustainable tourism to geology. Farming and regional foods are dictated by soil and therefore by geology. Geoparks celebrate all of this,” he says.
(https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/geology-rocks-ecotourism-1.3046279; Apr 22, 2017)
