OUTDOORS

Deep discoveries

Avid diver Natasha Grabner explores Sai Kung’s ocean floor

September and October offer some of the best visibility in Hong Kong’s waters, making it the perfect time to put on your wetsuit and explore the depths. Avid diver and Sai Kung resident Natasha Grabner started scuba diving around the town at just 10 years-old. After two years of exploring she shares her diving experience and favourite swimming spots.

Through Blue Yonder Diving I completed my National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) training and have since completed 80 dives around Sai Kung and other countries. Instructors Stephanie Luo and Simon Lam and their speedboat Sharkie were a great way to learn and enjoy being underwater. I have vivid memories of practicing my duck dives underneath it and having tons of fun. Ocean life has always fascinated me. It’s amazing how sea creatures communicate with each other and show signs of mutualism. The Goby Fish and Mantis Shrimp are an example of this. The shrimp has bad vision so it depends on the fish as an antenna. In return the mantis shrimp provides a home for the goby fish, by digging a hole in the sand. Clownfish and Mantis Shrimp are common in Sai Kung’s waters but there are many other species to discover. Equipped with an underwater camera, I have been able to capture some of these beautiful sea creatures. Sharp Island is the perfect location for night driving, there are so

many creatures including crabs, octopus, squid, eels and box fish that come out during night time, while jellyfish, salps and worms can be seen during blackwater diving. With global warming and pollution, the temperature in the ocean is rising, causing the coral to bleach and die, resulting in many fish losing their habitat. This is happening from Hong Kong all the way to the Great Barrier Reef. In my two years diving around Sai Kung, I have already noticed some species are thinning out and want people to experience the beauty of our oceans before it’s too late.

Advice for beginners

• Don’t panic, relax when you’re underwater. • When you ascend, make sure to go slowly and follow your bubbles, ascending too quickly may cause decompression sickness. • Remember to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water before you dive, as there’s no way to get water while diving.

To see more of Natasha’s adventures follow her on Instagram @underwater_wonders_by_tasha

cover story The future of Sai Kung Charmaine Ng looks at the town’s current and upcoming developments

Dubbed the back garden of Hong Kong, Sai Kung is known for its rural villages, hiking trails, beaches, islands and geological formations. Most of the action is centred in Sai Kung Town, where a constant flock of tourists come in to experience a day on the islands whilst locals go about their daily lives.

As opposed to the constant rush of the

city, the laid-back way of life shared by Saikungers allows us to slow down and really appreciate the beauty of Hong Kong. Right now, Sai Kung is our city’s best-kept secret – but not for long, it seems.

In the last few years, Sai Kung has seen a large number of construction works. One example is Sun Hung Kai Properties’ largescale housing development in Shap Sze Heung, which when completed, will house a whole new population equivalent to that of Sai Kung Town.

With so many developments underway, our little town may look very different in the future. Here are all the major works happening in the back garden of Hong Kong right now.

Hiram’s Highway As the only principal road linking Sai Kung to Kowloon East and Tseung Kwan O, the ongoing improvement works at Hiram’s Highway is one of the most prominent projects in the area.

Saikungers are no stranger to the traffic congestion along some sections of the road during peak hours on weekdays and the weekend. In the event of a traffic accident or when there is road maintenance or utility works, the full closure of the carriageway is required, affecting the daily life of residents.

The existing highway was designed based on old standards. As a result, the narrow carriageway, which retains sharp bends, insufficient pedestrian crossing facilities and insufficient laybys (an area at the side of a road where vehicles may pull off the road and stop), has caused adverse traffic impact throughout the years.

Split into two stages of development to turn the current highway into a dual two-lane carriageway, the public project proposed by the Highways Department is currently wrapping up its first stage.

Stage 1

Construction work at Hiram’s Highway began in March 2016 with a focus on two sections: between Clear Water Bay Road 22 | SAI KUNG

and Pak Wai; and the existing Ho Chung Road and Luk Mei Tsuen Road. The proposed improvement works will relieve the traffic congestion near Marina Cove, enhance the safety of the road section and improve local access to Ho Chung and Luk Mei Tsuen.

Stage 2

As the first stage of improvement works finalises, the second stage is under review with preliminary design and investigation works in progress. Essentially, this stage will improve the section of Hiram’s Highway, Po Tung Road and Tai Mong Tsai Road from Marina Cove to the south of Sha Ha. Similar to Stage 1, the proposed works will relieve traffic congestion and enhance the safety of the road section around the Sai Kung area.

Sai Sha Road Sun Hung Kai Properties, a major developer in Hong Kong, is currently in the works of a large-scale housing development located off Sai Sha Road in Shap Sze Heung. With 9,500 apartments of around 610 square feet each, the project will amount to a population equivalent to that of Sai Kung Town, assuming that it is fully occupied with three members per family.

Sai Sha Road is currently a single

Sai Sha Road

carriageway that will more than likely become congested when serving the influx of population. Acknowledging this, Sun Hung Kai Properties is in the process of widening the road into a fourlane carriageway with additional traffic interchanges and up to three footbridges. The project will also include a public car park and coach stable, a cycling track, noise barriers, greening works to compensate for the affected trees, as well as extensive water and sewage utility provisions.

Roadworks are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2023.

Other construction works In addition to the major works at Hiram’s Highway and Sai Sha Road, there are a small number of projects in their initial phases dotted around Sai Kung.

In an earlier issue of Sai Kung Magazine, we mentioned a proposal to the Town Planning Board for a new housing development on Hong Kin Road. The site is a 3,810 square metre plot of land adjacent to the fire station. An application was submitted on March 3, requesting planning permission to build 19 three-storey houses for domestic purposes on the land. It was rejected at the end of March.

The application was resubmitted on April 27, under Section 17 of the Town Planning Ordinance, asking for a review of the refusal decision of the application. Due to current circumstances, the meeting with the Town Planning Board has been deferred until further notice.

In a similar vein at Clear Water Bay, an application was submitted to rezone several lots totalling 18,033 square metres from a ‘Green Belt’ to ‘Government, Institution or Community” classification. A meeting with the Town Planning Board was slated to take place on July 10, but has since been deferred indefinitely.

One last development we’re watching closely at Sai Kung Magazine is located at Hong Ting Road. The proposal, currently awaiting a meeting with the Town Planning Board on September 18, calls for a new large-scale residential care home for the elderly. The upcoming meeting will review the applicant’s responses to prior departmental comments.

It’s safe to say that housing development projects will continue to crop up as more people choose to move to a more rural and natural part of Hong Kong. One thing’s for sure – Sai Kung is changing and whether we like it or not, we’ll have to adapt with it.