Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Uluru Webcam - Live View from Ayers Rock, Australia

Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; 450 km by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park.

This live webcam shows the awe inspiring Uluru:

Uluru webcam

Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a World Heritage Site.

The local Pitjantjatjara people call the landmark Uluṟu (IPA: [uluɻu]). This word has no particular meaning in their language, also known as Pitjantjatjara, but it is also used as a local family name by the senior Traditional Owners of Uluru.

On 19 July 1873, the surveyor William Gosse discovered Uluṟu and named it Ayers Rock in honour of the then-Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. Since then, both names have been used, although Ayers Rock was the name used by most people.

In 1993, a dual naming policy was adopted that allowed official names that consist of both the traditional Aboriginal name and the English name. On 15 December 1993, it was renamed "Ayers Rock / Uluru" and became the first officially dual-named feature in the Northern Territory. The order of the dual names was officially reversed to "Uluru / Ayers Rock" on 6 November 2002 following a request from the Regional Tourism Association in Alice Springs

Liverpool Webcam Live for Beatles Week 2010

Organised by Cavern City Tours, this annual celebration of the music of The Beatles features more than 50 bands from all over the world performing at various venues in Liverpool.

This live streaming webcam feed is from the iconic Abbey Road crossing in Liverpool:

Abbey Road webcam

The highlight of the event is a full day convention at the Adelphi Hotel on Sunday which includes a memorabilia market, live music all day plus guest speakers, video shows and exhibitions.

Abbey Road is regarded as one of The Beatles' most tightly constructed albums, although the band was barely operating as a functioning unit at the time. Rolling Stone magazine named it the 14th greatest album of all time. At some point, the album was going to be titled Everest after the brand of cigarettes I used to smoke," recalls Geoff Emerick. The idea included a cover photo in the Himalayas but by the time the group was to take the photo they decided to call it Abbey Road and take the photo outside the studio on 8 August 1969. The cover designer was Apple Records creative director Kosh. The cover photograph was taken by photographer Iain Macmillan. Macmillan was given only ten minutes around 11:30 that morning to take the photo on a zebra crossing on Abbey Road. That cover photograph has since become one of the most famous and most imitated album covers in recording history. In the photograph, the Beatles walk across the street single file from left to right, with Lennon leading, followed by Starr, McCartney, and Harrison. McCartney is bare-footed and out of step with the other three. The photograph also played a prominent part in the "Paul is dead" urban legend in late 1969. With the exception of Harrison the group are wearing suits designed by Tommy Nutter. The man standing on the pavement in the background is Paul Cole (c. 1911 – 13 February 2008), an American tourist unaware he had been photographed until he saw the album cover months later. The zebra crossing today remains a popular destination for Beatles fans. There is even a webcam featuring it.

Stuttgart Webcam - Wine Festival 2010

For connoisseurs of wine and beer, summer is a fantastic time to be in Germany. This week it is the turn of Stuttgart to host their annual wine festival.

This live webcam is in the city centre throughout the festival:

Stuttgart webcam

The middle Neckar region has a viniculture tradition which is more than a thousand years old. In order to hold the national drink of the Swabians in honor and to celebrate it duly, the Pro-Stuttart Verkehrsverein initiated to the beloved festival in 1974. From the end of August to the beginning of September, the Stuttgart city center is changed into a festive wine village ever since.

On the marketplace and the Schillerplatz as well as in the Kirchstrasse, around 120 cozy wine alcoves are decorated according to the Swabian folklore tradition. Respectively from the end of August to the beginning of September, for ca. 12 days around 250 different Wuerttemberg wines are poured.

Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 (December 2008) while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million (2008).

Virginia Beach Webcam - East Coast Surfing Championships 2010

The ECSC stretches over a four day period every year in late August at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The original inspiration for the East Coast Surfing Championships came from Long Island, New York in the summer of 1962 when a group of teens held a beach and surf party. Since its official establishment in Virginia Beach in 1963, the ECSC has grown to be the second-longest running surfing contest in the world.

This live view will be at Virginia Beach throughout the Championship:

Virginia Beach webcam

The ECSC is a place not only for professional surfers, but for amateur surfers as well, to ride and contend for cash prizes totaling close to $40,000 and championship titles.

Men’s and women’s surfing events are held throughout the week, plus other beach sporting events such as volleyball, skateboarding, skimboarding, a 5k Oceanfront run, and a swimsuit competition. A new event called the Beach Bum Classic was introduced for the first time in 2007. The Beach Bum Classic, organized and sponsored by Wareing’s Gym in Virginia Beach, is a triathlon-type event including a one mile sand run, a three mile bike race on beach cruisers, and a half mile surfboard paddling race.

A reported spectator count of over 100,000 people show up to watch the events during the day, and at night, the Virginia Beach boardwalk fills with people for free concerts on the beach. Bands and musicians include national, regional, and local talents.

Phuket Webcam - Full Moon Party August 2010

August 25 sees the latest full moon parties taking place on the beaches of Thailand, where tourists and backpackers in their thousands take to the white sand beaches to celebrate the full moon.

This webcam will capture one of these beach parties live:

Phuket webcam

The first Full Moon Party was improvised at a wooden disco not far from the beach in 1985 for giving thanks to about 20-30 travelers. The Full Moon Party gained fame quickly through word of mouth, and the event now draws a crowd about 20,000-30,000 every full moon evening. The party carries on until the sun rises the next day. All the bars on the sunrise beach of Haad Rin town stay open and play music

The modern event has become a part of the itinerary of many travelers to Asia. It is characterized by unruly and potentially dangerous attractions. It is indeed seen by many as the "ultimate party experience", although laws are still strict, and police enforcement is stepped up during the parties.

The Full Moon Party is featured in films such as Last Stop for Paul and the Thai film Hormones. It was also featured in the first episode of the Comedy Central tv show Gerhard Reinke.

Buñol Webcam - La Tomatina Festival 2010 Live

An event that is famous the world over sees hundreds of tons of over-ripe tomatoes bring thrown in the streets for exactly one hour. This is the culmination of a week long festival features music, parades, dancing, and fireworks.

This live webcam is in Buñol for La Tomatina:

Buñol Webcam

Approximately 20,000–50,000 tourists come to find out more about the tomato fight, multiply by several times Buñol's normal population of slightly over 9,000. There is limited accommodation for people who come to La Tomatina, and thus many participants stay in Valencia and travel by bus or train to Buñol, about 38 km outside the city. In preparation for the dirty mess that will ensue, shopkeepers use huge plastic covers on their storefronts in order to protect them. They also use about 150,000 tomatoes, just about 90,000 pounds.

Buñol (Valencian: Bunyol) is a town and municipality in the province of Valencia, Spain. The municipality has an area of some 112 km², and is situated approximately 38 km west of the provincial and autonomous community capital city, Valencia. It lies along the Buñol River and is surrounded by the mountain ranges La Sierra de Las Cabrillas, la Sierra de Dos Aguas and la Sierra de Malacara y Martés.