Sony Twilight competition winner experience

Photos by Mike Murphy.

After 2 days of travelling we arrived at what can only be described as a "Paradise on Earth" and the adventure of a lifetime began.

Photo by Mike Murphy.

Due to the very heavy rains over the last 3 weeks the volume of water going over the Iguazú Falls was more than seven times the norm for this time of the year and this put our location for the match, San Martin Island, under seven meters of water.  Hastily, a second location was found in a local village deep in the forest where the local natives embraced the event after the Chief gave permission for the invasion from many nationalities.

The practice was played on a dry dust pitch with the Spanish team making all the running with their exuberance and flair while the French team, who had arrived late, concentrated on tactics.

The day of the actual match started with the most violent thunderstorm that I've ever seen. As a result, we decided to take a 20km boat ride up river to see the falls and to get very, very, very wet! This killed at least two cameras on the boat, including one of mine! And, as you can imagine, this meant the match was played on a very wet and muddy pitch with the tactics of the French winning the match 3 to 2 over the Spanish team.

Photo by Mike Murphy.

Iguazú National Park was created on October 9, 1934 to preserve the biological diversity of the subtropical rainforest and the dazzling scenery surrounding the Falls. Today, considered one of the seven wonders of the world, Iguazú National Park currently has an area of 66,148 hectares that were declared Natural Heritage of Humanity in 1984. To preserve the Falls and the subtropical rainforest surrounding them, two National Parks were created: "Parque Nacional Iguazú" in Argentina, and "Parque Nacional do Iguaçu" in Brazil.

Situated in the far northeast of the province of Misiones, Argentina, this nature reserve has regular rainfall and mild temperatures, creating a dampness-laden, almost windless environment, due to the luxuriant canopy of vegetation.

Iguazú National Park is part of the Misiones subtropical rainforest formation, with trees whose heights range between 15 and 40m; a large part of it, however, has suffered deforestation as civilisation has advanced. It's home to more than 400 species of birds, around 2,000 species of plants and an immeasurable world of insects, which makes this one of the richest natural environments in Argentina.

Photo by Mike Murphy.

The Park's climate is warm with average temperatures of 15°C in winter and 26°C in January, and a relative humidity ranging between 75% and 90%. The rains, with an annual average of 2,000mm, are caused by winds from the Atlantic.

Lying within the National Parks is the Iguazú Falls which is taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horseshoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazú River. During the rainy season of November - March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic m) per second. Steadily high temperatures and humidity make this area an immense greenhouse with all the essential conditions for the growth of exuberant vegetation. Six plainly identifiable strata between the soil and the tops of the tallest trees characterise this sector of the rainforest.

It has been a life changing experience for me to visit this stunning place and while it's 4,000 miles away I believe I will always have a small piece of Iguazú in me as I have truly been touched by the people and beauty of this paradise...not only that, I believe I ingested at least half the water coming over the fall during the boat trip and they say don't drink the water!

Thanks Sony and ePHOTOzine.

Mike and Philomena Murphy.

Photos by Mike Murphy.