A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness. The annual Torgya Festival in Tawang, in north-eastern India, is full of colourful dancing, music and theatre. The three day festival is held in the courtyard of the Tawang monastery, which is nestled on top of the hill overlooking the town. The vibrant event was attended by Australian photographers Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak.
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
HOPPING onto the scales, these adorable baby Humboldt penguins are ready for their first weigh-in .
As sunlight cascades through its vibrant stained glass windows, every inch of the Nasir-ol-Mulk Mosque bursts with colour .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
THIS is the shocking moment a clumsy radio newsreader plunged into a freezing canal while texting her boyfriend instead of looking where she was going .
VENTURING into the ocean with self-made spears and nets, the fishermen of Zanzibar put their lives on the line when they catch food for their families .
An American black bear mimics John Travolta’s famous Saturday Night Fever dance move by hurling its arm in the air .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .
WELCOME to the pretty 122-inch-tall red dwelling that lays claim to the title of the UK's smallest house .
PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds .
THESE LOVE BIRDS can’t keep their beaks off each other as they share a very public display of affection .
A BUMPER season of births has left zoo with three of the cutest exotic kittens you're likely to see .