The Big Picture competition: Readers' top travel photos, March 7, 2015

  • This is Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, where we went in April 2013. It is a fabulous place with plenty to do or doing nothing is plenty. The place is so vibrant and safe and we had a great time, trying stand-up paddle boarding (didn’t stay up too long), hiking up to Diamond Head and shopping. The most memorable part was surprising my wife by slipping an Eternity ring onto her finger! We were there celebrating our 30th Anniversary. Photo: Trevor and Janet Barr
    of
  • There is a magical place hidden deep within the forest in the valley of the Yokoyu River In Japan. Called Jigokudani it is surrounded by steep snow covered cliffs where each winter swarms of wild Japanese macaques descend upon the man made hot spring. In December 2014 we made the 3km round trip in bitterly cold conditions with absolutely no regrets. The monkeys bathing in the hot springs were truly a sight to behold. What an absolute joy and privilege is was to visit with them, if only for a few hours. Photo: Dyan Hallworth
    of
  • This photo was taken in Havana, Cuba 2014. My partner and I are about to 'hoon' around Havana, complete with a bottle of rum, cigars and of course a Che Guevara beret. The driver was also a 'hoon' and enjoyed tearing along through the tunnel blasting his retro horn. the car was quite uncomfortable and had very bad suspension, but we enjoyed ourselves. Photo: Meredith Malcolm
    of
  • Faversham is the oldest market town in Kent, England . We visited the town to take in the sights of it's antiques and vintage fair. The weather was maginificent and a group of "Mods" had also taken advantage of the beautiful summers day to take there classic scooters out for a ride. Photo: Michael Clements
    of
  • This image was taken at the Tondo dumpsite in Manila, Philippines earlier this month. It is a very memorable image for me. These kids live amongst rotting garbage and sewage. I was incredibly lucky to have met them and witnessed their joy and happiness despite their dire living conditions. They are truly remarkable children and an inspiration. Photo: Ben Shepherd
    of
  • From Melbourne to the former East Berlin suburb of Prenzlauer Berg where this photo was taken, the Saturday morning cafe ritual is one of relaxation and communication...even if it is sitting alone with technology or more traditional print media in hand! Photo: Nathan Edwards
    of
  • Summer is not the only time one should visit The Summer Palace in Beijing. Taken in January 2015, a great view from above sees people skating on the frozen lake like ants foraging around for food. Photo: Jimmy Earlwood
    of
  • Street musician, Paris. Photo: Glenn Mickle
    of
  • The Harpa - Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre is eye catching by day and stunning by night. Located by the old harbor between Reykjavík city centre and the North Atlantic, this unique landmark is in continuous interplay with its surroundings. The design was influenced by Iceland‘s exceptional and dramatic nature and is a gleaming sculpture designed to reflect both sky and harbor, as well as the vibrant life of the city. The glass facade, which covers the entire building, was designed by renowned visual artist Olafur Eliasson . The Centre, which is the home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera, has four halls, the largest one accommodating up to 1,800 seated patrons. Smaller meeting rooms are located throughout the building and a spacious exhibition area is nearby. Photo: Peter Morton
    of
  • I've spent the last year aboard travelling to many beautiful parts of the world, however visiting Scotland was easily one of the best experiences by far. As a little girl I was extremely close to my Pop, Frank a full-blooded Scotsman who left his homeland at the age of 17 to fight in world war II. He didn't get to return home till his late seventies to visit his family, where only two out of his seven of his siblings were still alive. He told me endless stories about Scotland and I always promised him I would get there. This year I did and as I stood along side the Loch Lomond I realised all his stories about his beauty homeland were true. Photo: Tabbatha Gallen
    of
  • I took this photo of Singapore's Chinatown in February 2015, during the lead-up to Chinese New Year. Crowds surged through the streets as everyone was preparing for their festivities, and every nook and cranny was adorned with decorations. Despite the large crowds, the atmosphere was not at all chaotic but instead buzzing with enthusiasm and animation. Photo: Michelle Seeto
    of
  • Whilst walking the streets of a small village in Nias, Indonesia I came across this family sitting in the window of their shack watching the world pass by. I asked if I could take a photo and as I did the lady in the photo burst into laughter. This photo always struck me because after suffering from the devastating Tsunami in 2004, the people in this village held a remarkable zest for life despite all the adversity they had experienced. Photo: Adam Nyeholt
    of
  • In November 2014 I visited Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. It is located between the Great Rift Valley and Serengeti National Park and must be one of the best wildlife viewing locations in Africa. This photo shows a flight of flamingos framed against the crater's inner walls. Photo: Greg Poropat
    of
  • At the entrance of Itsukushima Shrine, on the island of Miyajima in southern Japan, stands the renowned Great Torii. The Torii represents the boundary between the human and spirit worlds. Its bright vermilion colour is intended to deter evil spirits. The symbolism and majesty of the Great Torii, bathed in a warm golden sunset at low tide, remedied the somberness we experienced visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park earlier that day in October 2014.  Photo: Anthony Snow
    of
  • Having only previously seen docile elephants in zoos, we were amazed to see these two characters jostling with each other in Limpopo Province, South Africa during January this year. How is it even possible to get your trunks tied in a know? This took place only metres away from our jeep... it was clearly fun for them, but their hugeness was a little terrifying for us! Photo: Desmond Chu
    of
  • Arles, France. Photo: Glenn Mickle
    of
  • We could see the frenzy, hear the crunching, and smell the fresh blood of this pack of African wild dogs with their freshly killed impala in the Okavango Delta of Botswana in January. The ruthless leader of the pack stands proudly, with mouth smothered in blood. Little did he know that a massive crocodile was lurking in the waters, and moments later would fight for the carcass... Photo: Desmond Chu
    of
  • This photo was taken in a less-photographed area of the Taj Mahal — less famous, but still beautiful. It was a family trip to India in 2014 and my 12 year old son had fun photo-bombing me.  Photo: Kristen Walker
    of
  • After a spectacular drive through the Florida Keys, we arrived at the seafront with little time to spare. An array of buskers, magicians and street performers littered the vivacious boardwalk with a sense of energy. Although it was a renowned sunset that had brought us to the Key West, Florida, it was the entertainers performing in the sunset that made it such a memorable experience. Photo: Zak Ben-Moshe
    of
  • I recently enjoyed a trip to the peaceful little fishing village of Port Fairy on the west coast of Victoria. I believe that the serenity of this lovely town is perfectly captured in this photo, taken in the early hours of the morning, looking out over the boats and houses that line the tranquil sweep of the extremely picturesque Moyne River.  Photo: Norman Allchin
    of
  • I would like to enter the third 'Big Picture' contest with this photo taken at Ancient Olympia Greece in September 2014 during a stopover from our cruise. The photo was taken in the morning and I particularly liked how the light broke through the trees to highlight the different shades of the surrounding foliage which frames and contrasts the main scene. I particularly liked how the light highlights the two main columns to give them an almost spiritual feel. These particular ruins date back to the third century AD. Photo: Fred James
    of
  • This photo was taken in Tanzania while on safari in September 2013. This is not a photo of a 3 headed giraffe but of 3 giraffes perfectly in line. I couldn’t believe the guide chose the perfect position to park to enable me to take this shoot.  Photo: Trevor Collins
    of
  • A tribal villager in the Western Ghats in the Coorg District of Southern India. This picture was taken of an Indian lady in her home by an open fire just as her pet cat wandered in to see what was happening. This lady and her family live in a small house in the tropical rainforest close to a coffee plantation where she works as a coffee-bean picker.  Photo: Chris Tate
    of
  • This picture of Lake Louise, in Banff National Park, Canada, was taken in early January of 2015. This photo is so memorable to me because it was my first solo international travelling experience, and while I was unable to completely share the beauty and sheer awe of the world famous lake with my friends and family, this photo manages to portray a small glimpse of just how beautiful Lake Louise is, and how wonderful Canada's rocky mountains are. The photo will always rekindle the amazing memories I have of my first solo trip to Canada. Photo: Nicholas Furlong
    of

  • You may also like these photo galleries

    On board the private Boeing Dreamliner, the BBJ 787 VVIP.

    US orders one of the world's most expensive private jets to be seized

    Take a look inside Singapore Airlines' upgraded lounges at Changi Airport's Terminal 3. The Private Room is the most ...

    World's best airport's luxurious new lounges unveiled after $50 million upgrade

    The Benev's classic Flemish gables.

    The surprising, amazing thing you'll find in this Beechworth hotel room

    The Westin has direct access to Nusa Dua Beach.

    Luxury without the premium price tag in Bali

    Sofitel is Adelaide's first five star luxury hotel in 30 years.

    Inside Adelaide's first internationally-recognised five-star luxury hotel

    US born hotel chain Ace has finally landed in Sydney, marking the group's first southern hemisphere property.

    The hippest hotel chain in the US lands in Sydney

Advertisement

Take a look at some of the best entries in our Big Picture reader travel photo competition above.

The overall winner and a partner or friend will travel to the Maldives, courtesy of Singapore Airlines, staying five nights at the beautiful Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa, courtesy of Singapore Airlines Holidays. The prize includes speedboat transfers from Male International Airport to the resort and all breakfasts and dinners.

WHAT TO ENTER

Send one unpublished image of a special moment from your travels taken in the past two years (at least 1MB and 300dpi in JPEG form). Also, please tell us in 100 words or less where and when the image was taken and what made it so memorable.

HOW TO ENTER

Send previously unentered images to bigpicture@fairfaxmedia.com.au with your name, address and daytime telephone number. Put the place where your photo was taken in the subject line. The competition closes on May 22, 2015.

Full terms and conditions

See Also

Traveller

Comments