a travel and hiking journal
According to the Bibbulmun Track Foundation, the track distance from Albany to Denmark is 85km. I had shaved off roughly 8km slackpacking from Albany to the Frenchman Bay road crossing the day before. I had taken six days to finish 100km on my last long distance hike in Hong Kong, so I expected to take… Continue reading Albany to Denmark
I was despondent. I had just been told by the café I had been trialling at for the past two weeks at Esperance that they would not be keeping me on for longer. Initially planning to work there for up to the next six months, I was suddenly left without a plan, uncertain about what… Continue reading Albany: Prelude to the Bibbulmun
The Maclehose Trail in Hong Kong was my first self-guided long distance hike. I'd wanted to do some long distance hiking, and it turns out that after accounting for the costs of flights and pre- and post-accommodations, the total cost of hiking the Maclehose by yourself was still cheaper than other options closer to Singapore… Continue reading Getting Ready to Thru-Hike the Maclehose Trail: A Guide
Although it's mostly road walking here, you do pass by some intriguing sights on Section 10, such as local abandoned buildings and a small shrine/temple with a bronze horse. You will even get to walk under some power line towers! The road is also mostly level, so it's an easy relaxing walk. Although there are… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 10
What a disappointing section for a hiker. It's pretty much a road walk all the way, and is primarily for recreational biking use. Going up and down, then up and down again on the road make it unnecessarily challenging, and there are scant opportunities for scenic views (the road goes through the forest). If you're… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 9
Section 8 soon became one of my favourite parts of the hike. After a short stair climb and some clambering over rocks, we eventually arrived at a field with open views, with well-maintained tracks and gently undulating ground over open fields that reminded me of an American national park I was in once. We passed… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 8
This section brings you up onto the ridgeline of the mountains in the middle of the New Territories. Lots of steps to overcome, but once you get higher, the view is worth it. The first good view you'll see is Shing Mun Reservoir (where you walked up from at the start) and the town of… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 7
Mainly encompassing Kam Shan Country Park, the initial part is an uphill road walk in Kowloon Reservoir, with lots of visiting people. Many picnic tables are available for those here to enjoy a peaceful day out. But we had a hike to do, so we kept walking. As you keep winding along the road upwards,… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 6
Other than Gilwell campsite at the beginning of Section 5 (where you are not allowed to camp at if you aren't part of a HK organisation), there are no campsites along this section. However, the trail crosses plenty of roads that you can leave from by foot if you have accommodations booked in the city.… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 5
After breaking camp at Shui Long Wo campsite, we continued on towards Ma On Shan Country Park on an inclining road. Views might have been spectacular, if it weren't shrouded in fog. We climb higher in elevation as the forest closes around us and the air is thick and moist. The path becomes slightly muddy,… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 4
We went on steep, stone-stepped inclines and declines up and down the green hills. From some vantage points, you can still see inlets leading into the sea. Get ready to crest some hills, including Kai Kung Shan at 399 metres. On top of the world! An ultrarunning event called the Oxfam Trailwalker was happening concurrently… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 3
This section passes through three beaches (all are camping options): Long Ke Wan, Sai Wan, and Ham Tin Wan, in this sequence. You'll be walking on paths above the sea before descending to sea level to these beaches, then ascending again once you've traversed the sand. Long Ke Wan does not have tap water, but… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 2
The 100-km Maclehose trail begins at Pak Tam Chung, in the Sai Kung Country Park. Once you've found your way here, you'll be almost ready to embark on your first of many steps on the Maclehose. Directions to the trailhead and other trail information can be easily found at the Sai Kung Country Park Visitor… Continue reading Maclehose Trail Section 1
The Maclehose is the longest marked trail in Hong Kong. It is a 100-kilometre trail that crosses from east to west across the New Territories. You can get to the start of the trail without a car, using either a taxi or public transport. The latter is cheaper, and the method I took. Most public… Continue reading Maclehose Trail: Getting There
Prelude In 2017, I had met up with some friends at a restaurant for a late night supper. One of my friend's friends called Deborah who lived nearby dropped in for a chat. Deborah brought up that she was looking for friends to go with on a mountain trek in India. Our mutual friend (he… Continue reading Har Ki Dun
Shaun, Deborah, and I were on a three-day journey to Har Ki Dun, where we would commence a valley trek. To get to Har Ki Dun, we were flying into New Delhi, then taking a train to Dehradun the next morning, where we would stay another night before meeting with our trekking group from Indiahikes… Continue reading Delhi to Dehradun
