TRAIL WALKER

LANTAU TRAIL HIKE: DAY THREE

CONTINUING THEIR 70-KILOMETRE CHALLENGE, CLAIRE SEVERN AND HER HIKING BUDDY DISCOVER THE INCREDIBLE BEAUTY OF THE SOUTH LANTAU COAST ON SECTIONS 7, 8 AND 9 OF THE LANTAU TRAIL

PHOTOS BY Andrew Spires

It had been over a month since our last hike and our traumatic descent towards Tai O through the spiderinfested ‘Tunnel of Doom’. It was time to get moving again. This time around, our arrival at Lantau’s famed fishing village was rather more serene (if you can describe a ride along South Lantau Road in a blue taxi as such), and we set off along the coast, ready for another day of adventure.

We were about to walk sections 7, 8 and 9 of the Lantau Trail, starting out in Tai O and making our way along the coast to Shui Hau, a designated marine reserve with the biggest mudflat on Lantau.

SECTION 7: TO KAU LING CHUNG

Section 7 of the Lantau Trail skirts the coastline from Tai O to Kau Ling Chung. It starts off as a gentle walk, passing by a number of village houses before heading into the shade of the trees.

Anyone wishing to walk this section should be aware that parts of the surrounding farmland are undergoing rehabilitation, and the government advises hikers to stick to the path. Luckily, the landowners didn’t seem too perturbed by our presence, and we navigated through their beautiful farmland without issue.

On reaching the coast, the hike became more challenging, with some steep climbs and descents along the way. But it was worth it. The beaches on this part of Lantau are literally stunning, with white, powdery sand stretching for miles. Tsin Yue Wan took my breath away, as did the beach and mudflats at Yi O San Tsuen.

A DETOUR: FAN LAU FORT

BEAUTIFUL VIEWS OPEN UP ON LEAVING TAI O

To get there, we turned right at a T-junction and followed the signs to the fort from the next beach (after a little directional assistance from a friendly villager and his dog).

Believed to have been built in the first half of the 18th century, it is said that the strategic stronghold, now a ruin, was once armed with eight cannons and manned by a lieutenant and 48 soldiers. From there, they defended the coast, helped to control the increasing trade with the West and kept a look out for roaming pirates.

While not much remains of the original structure except the outer wall, it provided us with a good place to stop for a snack before heading back downhill and through Fan Lau Tsuen to re-join the Lantau Trail.

SECTION 8: TO SHEK PIK

Back on the trail, the path rises again, offering panoramic views back over Fan Lau Wan, and its beautiful lighthouse. Here in the far south west, the waters from the South China Sea and the Pearl River famously meet and mingle.

TSIN YUE WAN TAI O

SECTION 7

SECTION 6

YI O FARM

S E CTION 5

KAU LING CHUNG SECTION 8

SE CTION 4

SHEK PIK

SHEK PIK RESERVOIR

HUNG HAU TEMPLE

SECTION 9

TIN HAU TEMPLE FAN LAU FORT

SEC T ION 3

SHUI HAU

SHUI HAU WAN

LO KEI WAN

SECTI ON 10 SECTI O N 2

SECTION 11 SECTION 1

1 2

N SECTIO

THE LANTAU TRAIL

A 70-kilometre loop starting and finishing in Mui Wo, the Lantau Trail is the third longest in Hong Kong, after the MacLehose Trail and Wilson Trail. The route is well marked with information boards and maps at junctions between each stage. Distance posts around 500 metres apart help hikers know where they are. At each turning, route signs give instructions about directions, place names, and the distances and times for hiking between various locations.

SECTION ROUTE LENGTH DISTANCE POSTS

1 Mui Wo to Nam Shan 2.5km L000-L005 2 To Pak Kung Au 6.5km L005-L018 3 To Ngong Ping 4.5km L018-L027 4 To Sham Wat Road 4km L027-L035 5 To Man Cheung Po 7.5km L035-L050 6 To Tai O 2.5km L050-L055 7 To Kau Ling Chung 10.5km L055-L076 8 To Shek Pik 5.5km L076-L087 9 To Shui Hau 6.5km L087-L100 10 To Tung Chung Road 6.5km L100-L113 11 To Pui O 4.5km L113-L122 12 To Mui Wo 9km L122-L140

Following the signs to Shek Pik Tsuen, we continued our climb up to the catchwater, where we joined section 8 of the trail. While this section isn’t necessarily the most interesting part of the Lantau Trail, it’s an easy walk offering some welcome respite for the legs.

On arriving in Shek Pik Tsuen, we crossed the glorious triangular-shaped reservoir, lingering a while to soak up the impressive views. Built between 1957 and 1963, the reservoir has a storage capacity of 24-million cubic metres and is the third largest in Hong Kong after High Island and Plover Cove. While it is surrounded by hills, it seems to flow into the sea like an infinity pool. We took a moment to sit back in wonder.

SECTION 9: TO SHUI HAU

Located in Lantau South Country Park, Shek Pik Reservoir marks the starting point of section 9 of the Lantau Trail. As we turned right after the prison, the hard work resumed, with the path soon turning into a sharp climb.

On we soldiered, eventually reaching a beautiful, secluded beach with a few tents pitched at the rear. We took a moment to take in the view before tackling our final challenge for the day – yes, you’ve guessed it – another steep coastal ascent.

As we headed downhill towards Shui Hau – our end point for the day – we chatted excitedly about the highlight of our hike so far. We had finally seen a snake.

We’d been keeping our eyes peeled since we started out and nothing. But this time, we’d struck gold, in fact we’d nearly stepped on it, it was that well camouflaged. A quick post to the Hong Kong Snakes Facebook group confirmed that we had spotted a copperhead racer. We were delighted – it was wonderful to see one of Lantau’s slithery friends up close in the wild.

It had been a great day – the best so far. South Lantau’s coast is stunning, and spending a day admiring it was worth every ache and pain we’d gained along the way. As we rested up on Shui Hau Wan, we agreed that our destination was a highpoint in itself, and somewhere well worth revisiting with our families.

A 30-minute taxi ride from Ngong Ping, Shui Hau Wan is a clam-digger’s haven but its vast mudflat has more to offer than that. When the tide goes out, the waves leave ripplelike marks, creating a mesmerising vista, which villagers call a “mirror of the sky”.

Sitting back, admiring yet another glorious stretch of coastline, we knew we still had three more sections of the Lantau Trail to conquer, but we’d think about that another day. For now, it was time to take it easy.

TSIN YUE WAN CLIFFTOP OUTSIDE FAN LAU TSUEN SHEK PIK RESERVOIR A COPPERHEAD RACER

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