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Hong Kong is brilliant in many respects, and one of those is that 6 million people can live in quite a small area - and still leave lots of natural, unspoilt land. There are plenty of web-sites and books describing the "walks/hikes of Hong Kong", but I want to describe here, more the enjoyment of a lovely warm day and getting out (often fairly quickly) of the skyscraper jungle into.... country....
Here's a map to give you an idea of what I'll describe.... Firstly, we lived mostly in the Mid-Levels area of the city either in Conduit or Robinson roads. This provided a spectacular view down into the business district and across the harbour (north) to Kowloon and beyond - but also, behind us (south) a sheer rock face of trees and greenery. So butterflies, dragonflies, birds etc were in abundance whilst it appeared from the northerly view that we were in the middle of a busy city - best of both worlds!!
SoHo - The "Blue Walk" - on the map was the least "countrified", being more of an exercise work-out than a pleasant walk. It started with a walk (no lifts or escalators on this walk!) down maybe 23 floors (including car parks etc..), down onto Caine Rd, then basically down the route of the Mid-Levels Escalator - BUT, never using the escalator - always walking down steps and steep pavements/roads. Out onto one of the "Outlying Islands Ferry Piers" - 16 minutes. Enjoy the day there - looking back up the Peak and generally watching the building site that was IFC (International Finance Centre), then retrace steps (all of them ascending), back home to the apartment building - 15 minutes AND then - walk up 17 storeys - another 9 minutes. All that you'd expect of Hong Kong - noisy, busy, hot and lots of smells....
Bowen Road - The Red Walk - This was along cemented tracks and regular roads, but for the most part, no cars etc.. It was the scene of my magnificent "Marathon" . From Robinson Rd - walk about 1 Km, across the top of Garden Rd, along (over the Peak Tram route) to Bowen Rd where the 4 Km walking track starts. Initially along through apartment blocks, but quickly the road tapers down to a track maybe 10 feet wide and only the occasional "large" house and shortly thereafter - just the track. It hugs the cliff face hardly rising or falling, which encourages lunch-time joggers to come up from Central and have a work out. Large trees, waterfalls, lots of large leaved plants, creepers, birds, insects, the hum and bustle of Central occasionally breaking through - and all the while wonderful views down into Central, Admiralty, Wanchai, then Happy Valley - into the Race course, and over the harbour into Kowloon etc.. Memories...
At around 3.5 Km there's a big waterfall and on its left amongst the trees there are 2 plaster or stone three-quarter life-size Tiger statues/ornaments.. must have been dumped? and when you first see them (quite difficult), you think your eyes are playing tricks.
Some of the "regulars" I used to nod/talk to including Mr Kooman - must have been 70+, Dutch, retired from American Express
At about 1Km - the BIG house with all the cars.. couple of Rolls Royces/Bentleys + Jaguar etc...
The school kids that used to congregate around Km 3.75 - mostly smoking and trying to look cool.
At 4Km the 2 massive apartment blocks - both 65 storeys, but additionally perched on rocky outcrops at an elevation of about 1,000 feet.
At around 2Kms there was a track angling off to the right... this is the Wanchai Gap track - and it is STEEP!! Nothing much to see except the pavement in front of your nose. Up to the top of that and out onto Peak Rd - walking along there one day saw a small bright green and black snake, continue on - up to Magazine Gap Road - then all downhill back to Garden Rd and home.
Little Tai Tam to Stanley - The Purple Walk - This was a long but easy walk which usually included a group of us and was preceded by a greasy fry-up breakfast at around 11:00 o'clock on a Sunday morning, in the Old China Hand, Lockhart Road, Wanchai. From there, a taxi up to the Shell Garage by the Hong Kong Cricket/Tennis club - but this often got confusing because we called the little reservoir up there "Little Tai Tam Reservoir" - because its next to the Tai Tam Country Park - however the much larger Tai Tam reservoirs is where our drivers would initially set off for (our fault) - real reservoir name is Wong Nai Chung. The track/trail (not cemented at all, but often running alongside drainage channels) started there (at about 200 metres elevation) and went gently down (to 140 metres) for about 6 Kms always hugging the rock face, sometimes being heavily overgrown - trees and shrubs meeting overhead - providing well accepted shade. Around halfway there's the option (very daunting to see) of continuing on the Wilson Trail up over the top of The Twins (320 metres) - Simon Walker and Fran decided to take that route one time - and they and we have never forgotten it... we thought it was just "up and over" - and rejoined the easy trail a few Kms further on. Not true! Its up,up... along, down.. up, up.. along and then down, apparently very tough if all you're expecting is a quiet Sunday walk!! The best part is to come of course... the descent from the trail onto the main Stanley road then a quick walk down into Stanley itself and some well earned sundowners, followed by a very enjoyable dinner in one of the waterfront restaurants.
Lamma Island - Orange Walk - This too was combined with lots of eating and drinking to expand the outing into a day long event, again with a group ideally. Ideally start around 11:00 o'clock on a Saturday or Sunday - catch the Ferry to Sok Kwu Wan (30 minutes), straight into one of the many Seafood restaurants that line the shore there, we had favourites (Hilton and another that I could take you to, but don't remember its name) - lots of live seafood selecting, wine drinking and general enjoyment before a leisurely walk past the Tin Hua Temple around the end of the inlet (Picnic Bay), over the footbridge by some houses then after skirting the beach for a while push up and inland to the school and village of Lo So Shing, up and behind the cement works to the highest elevation on the walk - about 80 metres - great seascapes out to the left (West) and quite a dramatic rocky coast. Then dropping down to Hung Shing Yeh Beach (lovely looking) whitish sand, small, surrounded by rocks, trees, shrubs - and a small Hotel - where... its time for a drink or two!! After that it gets a bit "villagy", houses and roads, Police Station etc.. and you gradually come into the back of Yung Shue Wan, where we used to seek out the Waterfront Bar, because it was time for Sundowners
This is looking out from the balcony of the Waterfront and it makes the place look idyllic... it wasn't that
But it was good fun and enjoyable - for example we were sitting there one evening - looking at that "idyllic scene" and floating in on the tide came a Samsonite suitcase. From there it would be a short walk down Main Street towards the Ferry, but into a restaurant on the left owned by an Aussie couple serving mainly Fondue.. brilliant!! We'd have Cheese Fondue as a starter, then Meat/Fish Fondue as the Main Course and Fruit Fondue as dessert... lots of Oz wine... stagger off for the last ferry of the night - what a great day!!
High West and Victoria Peak - Rose Walk - this was my "bread and butter walk" - did it 3 and 4 times a week sometimes. Initially set of along Conduit Road Westwards for about 1 Km. Conduit was just about the last road up the Peak that was cut into the rock face and ran east-west, so all along it there were apartment blocks as with any other road in Mid-Levels, but behind the "upslope" blocks was just bush and rock. Then where Hatton Road angles up left off Conduit Rd - that's where the climbing starts at about 120 Metres. Up through the few apartment blocks, onto the "Morning Trail" cemented track. Fire Station on the right with tended garden, then up further there's a children's playground on the left shortly followed by what appears to be a bird sanctuary, but is shown on maps as Ching Yuen Garden. Already (after only .5 Km) the elevation is over 200 metres and continues at that rate all the way up - another 2 Kms. You're mostly under trees with few viewing opportunities, although there is Lung Fu Shan Pagoda lookout at around 260 Metres and a split in the route. Left is easier and longer - whilst taking the steps up through the old Battery emplacements is initially steeper, then flatter, then steeper again. Both routes merge again around 360 Metres and about .5 Kms after that you pass some toilets on the right and emerge onto Harlech Road, which is really just a cemented trail from the Peak Walk going to a lookout site towards Pok Fu Lam. Continue straight across this trail, through another children's playground towards a couple of steps down onto an uncemented trail through trees, which after about 400 metres emerges out onto a green with old ruins and you are faced with the start of 552 steps going up through scrubby bush to the High West Lookout point at 500 Metres. This is a fabulous place... I've been up there alone for an hour or more just looking at the 360 degree view, soaking up the sun, and listening to the birds and insects. I have a series of photos taken from there which I'll have to insert into here. One thing that always amazed me was the waste-paper baskets at the top - who emptied them?? There is a trail onward from this point - and I have seen lots of people take it - but there are a few signs saying "Danger", "Trail Closed", "No climbing" - which being alone - I thought it best to follow. Back down the 552 steps, back to the children's playground and there are some alternatives:
Back down the way you came
Around the Peak Walk (saw another small snake here one time) to The Galleria etc.. and down The Old Peak Road... very, very steep!! but also a good alternative route - I mean do all this backwards... Old Peak Road up, around the Peak Walk and down the "Morning Trail"
Through the playground, onto the Peak Walk, and immediately off onto the Governer's Walk, which is again through scrubby bush until you get to the top of Victoria Peak then through the Garden there, down Mount Austin Road (past the Japanese Embassy and a few apartment blocks to the Galleria and maybe The Old Peak Road back home.
Down Harlech Road to the Pok Fu Lam Lookout point and down from there through some very overgrown trails back to the Lung Fu Shan Pagoda and down the Morning Trail from there , back to Conduit Road.
Brilliant "back to nature" stuff - on Hong Kong Island!! There are hundreds more walks on Lantau, up at Sai Kung and elsewhere, but for just coming out of your back door - these were brilliant!!
************* Update ************ August 2011 ********** Update **********
At long last (I took the photos 17th October 1999) I've given up trying to "stitch" these panoramic photos together
Normally I'd be alone, but the day I take the camera there are about 15/20 people doing the trek... l to r... turning to the right High West summit with the crowd... a view over a bit of Central and Kowloon... and The Peak then turning further right - Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, CyberPort and in the distance Lama island
Strip 1
Then - getting closer to the summit, more turning to the right - insurance shots...
Strip 2
