Tag Archives: Beaches

Design: Te Pae North Piha Surf Tower, New Zealand

ArchiPro Films (August 16, 2023) – The lifeguard tower is an essential facility that enables observation, patrolling and protection at North Piha – one of New Zealand’s most beautiful but dangerous surf beaches. The tower is to serve the club and the community providing a functional and durable building to replace the existing dated structure.

The brief was for a robust, low-maintenance building that would withstand the severe North Piha coastal environment. It needed to provide accommodation for four lifeguards with excellent visibility along the beach – a building that was functional and responded to its context.

Piha is a part of the rohe (territory) of Te Kawerau ā Maki (the indigenous Māori tribe) who gifted the name Te Pae, meaning ‘to perch’ – a place to sit, look, and observe. It was a privilege to be able to incorporate this narrative into the concept for the tower.

The form offers a softness and quiet presence in this powerful coastal location. The site is remote, and so prefabricated concrete sections were factory-made and assembled on site. This minimised dune and planting disturbance on this fragile beach. North Piha is unusual in that the sand is black. The black oxidised concrete references this and the curved form reflects the undulating dunes that the building sits amongst. The tower is modest in scale and recessive, respecting its setting. At the same time, as a beacon for visitors to the beach, it requires easy recognition, and the distinctive form sits in contrast to the beautiful, rugged backdrop. This is a piece of coastal sculpture with a nod to traditional maritime observation structures around the New Zealand coast.

The tower is sustainable, utilising operable windows for ventilation, with high levels of insulation, sun protection, thermal mass, and natural light. It provides shelter and protection for the lifeguards. The placement of the windows was carefully determined with the club to provide optimum beach surveillance and a connection back to the clubhouse.

The new tower is a vital addition to safety at North Piha. It delivers a facility that supports the extraordinary volunteers who run it and meets the needs of its community now and into the future.

Travel: A Guided Tour Of San Sebastian In Spain

DW Travel (June 17, 2023) – San Sebastián is a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. It’s known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, beaches framed by a picturesque bayfront promenade, and world-renowned restaurants helmed by innovative chefs.

DW’s Sebastian Heemann – the perfect name for this job – shows us around the city on Spain’s northern coast.

Video timeline: 00:00 Intro 00:29 Beaches: Zurriola and La Concha 00:52 Weather 01:14 Surfing 01:56 Art 02:35 Mobility: city bikes 03:08 Old town 03:35 Eating Pitxos in Bar Txepetxa with food journalist @MartiBuckleyLive 05:21 Monte Igueldo

In its cobblestoned old town (Parte Vieja), upscale shops neighbor vibrant pintxo bars pairing local wines with bite-size regional specialties.

Island Views: A Walking Tour Of Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

Uploaded March 25, 2023: The southwest shore of Maui is home to the lovely town of Kihei, one of the sunniest places on the island- with only about a foot of rain per year. As the climate is sweltering and dry, it was once called Kama’ole, which means ‘barren.’ 

Video timeline: 00:00 Video Preview 01:10 Start of Video, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii 02:17 Kalama Park 09:30 South Kihei Road 12:20 Cove Beach Park 17:07 Charley Young Beach 22:45 Kamaole Beach Park I 29:57 Kamaole Beach Park II

Filmed on February 13, 2023 by: Walking Ambience

Aerial Views: Thung Wua Laen Beach In Thailand

The white sandy Thung Wua Laen Beach is 2 km long and lies 13 km North of Chumphon in Southern Thailand.

The “beach of the bull running across the field” is also signposted ‘Thung Wualan’. According to the legend the beach was named by hunters who killed a wild bull. This bull was so strong that it freed itself and escaped while it was being skinned. It ran “across the field”.

Beach chairs and jet skis are not allowed on this beach. The priority here lies on environmentally friendly tourist projects where they try to keep a natural balance.

Cinematic Travel: An Epic 30-Day Roadtrip In Iceland

Iceland, island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. Lying on the constantly active geologic border between North America and Europe, Iceland is a land of vivid contrasts of climate, geography, and culture. Sparkling glaciers, such as Vatna Glacier (Vatnajökull), Europe’s largest, lie across its ruggedly beautiful mountain ranges; abundant hot geysers provide heat for many of the country’s homes and buildings and allow for hothouse agriculture year-round; and the offshore Gulf Stream provides a surprisingly mild climate for what is one of the northernmost inhabited places on the planet.

Thailand Views: Haad Rin Peninsular Beach (4K)

Hat Rin is a peninsular beach area and town on the southern tip of Ko Pha-ngan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Its two main beaches are Sunset Beach to the south and the larger Sunrise Beach to the north. A Full Moon Party takes place on Sunrise Beach each month. 

8K Views: Cities, Shores & Landscapes Of Oregon

Oregonconstituent state of the United States of America. Oregon is bounded to the north by Washington state, from which it receives the waters of the Columbia River; to the east by Idaho, more than half the border with which is formed by the winding Snake River and Hells Canyon; to the south by Nevada and California, with which Oregon shares its mountain and desert systems; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean, which produces the moderate climate of Oregon’s western lands. The capital is Salem, in the northwestern part of the state.

Video timeline: 0:00 Intro of oregon 0:40 Aerial view of smith rock 1:05 Oregon portland at sunset 1:27 Rocky mountain 1:32 Caruthers bridge in 1:40 Stream and mounta in portland 1:50 Newport oregon 2:04 Beautiful crater lake 2:13 Mt hood & mountain 2:19 Oregon portland at night 2:31 Crater lake with snowy mountain 2:39 Ocean with wave 2:48 Aerial ocean 2:53 Aerial oregon and snowy mountain 3:08 Green fields with lake 3:15 Natural landscape 3:29 Golf course 3:38 Lake view at sunset time 3:47 Oregon eugene 3:57 Covered bridge 4:01 Oregon lake 4:29 Aerial oregon 4:29 Sunset and sonwy mountain 4:42 Oregon field 4:47 Oregon eugene 5:03 Oregon waterfall 5:16 Smith rock aerial view 5:46 Rocky shoreline 5:58 Mt bachelor 6:15 Snowy mountains 6:20 Portland at sunset 6:49 Mountain 6:56 Skyscraper in oregon 7:26 Mountain and field 7:36 Skyscraper in oregon, USA 8:00 Waldport oregon 8:08 Colorful sunset 8:12 Aerial view mountain 8:20 Canon beach 8:45 Crater lake 8:56 Canon beach 9:26 Beach oregon 9:38 Crater lake 10:01 Deschutes river 10:31 Mt hood 10:46 Paddle board 10:54 Oregon eugene 11:23 Oregon clear lake 11:56 Mountainside 12:01 Rocky ocean 12:14 Mt bachelor 12:32 Aerial view of portland, USA 12:44 Snowy oregon 13:03 Lake of oregon 13:24 Waterfall in oregon 13:38 Smith rock 14:07 Mount hood 14:27 Painted hills 14:42 Mt bachelor 14:59 Relaxing river & rock 15:09 Oregon mt bachelor 15:30 Oregon rocky hill 15:50 Oregon portland 16:12 Oregon smith rock 16:42 Oregon skyscraper 17:12 Downtown in Oregon 17:42 Aerial Oregon 18:09 Smith rock 18:29 Aerial skyscraper

Admitted to the union as the 33rd state on February 14, 1859, Oregon comprises an area of startling physical diversity, from the moist rainforests, mountains, and fertile valleys of its western third to the naturally arid and climatically harsh eastern deserts.

Mountains, plateaus, plains, and valleys of different geologic ages and materials are arrayed in countless combinations, including such natural wonders as the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Caves National MonumentCrater Lake National Park, the majestic snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range, and the central Oregon “moon country” (lava fields that served as a training site for astronauts in the U.S. space program in the 1960s). The name Oregon is thought to be Native American in origin.

Greek Islands: Coastlines And Beaches Of Rhodes

Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands, is known for its beach resorts, ancient ruins and remnants of its occupation by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades. The city of Rhodes has an Old Town featuring the medieval Street of the Knights and the castlelike Palace of the Grand Masters. Captured by the Ottomans and then held by the Italians, the palace is now a history museum. 

Views: Turtle Hatchlings Great Barrier Reef Beach