Have you ever wondered what makes a place famous? Obviously, the answer is point of interest. Famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Natural beauty such as the Jungfrau region in the Swiss Alps or the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Not to mention places of historic and architectural significance, from the Tower of London to the Empire State Building in New York.
However, there are some places that are famous for very strange reasons. One American town turned into a dog once its grocery store was burned down, and the Alleys of England became a prankster’s ass.
An “undiscovered” Pacific island and a growing Australian peak. Some of these places you may not want to visit, and others may prove a bit difficult unless you venture into the online world. They’re all famous for very strange reasons.
Explorers ventured out on many voyages of discovery throughout history, however very few places have ever been “undiscovered”.
Captain James Cook first charted the tiny island of “Sandy Island” north east of Australia in 1774, with the whaling ship “Velocity” confirming the existence of the land mass in 1876.
The remote Pacific Ocean island conjures up images of an idyllic holiday among the swinging palm trees. However you may find difficulty in arriving at your destination.
Despite appearing on a number of maps, seafarers failed to locate the 24 kilometer long island. Google earth even recorded the existence of the pacific island, using data from these historic paper charts.
The island was officially “undiscovered” in November 2012 when Australian scientific researchers failed to find the island. In fact using modern-day technology, including Google’s geo-locations, they actually sailed straight through the island.
One explanation for the disappearing island is that early explorers in fact came across rafts of pumice from underground volcanoes, mistakenly identifying them as an island.
