FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1979
SIR MURRAY OPENS HK'S LONGEST HIKING TRAIL
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 100 KILOMETRE-LONG HIKING TRAIL,
WHICH STRETCHES FROM THE BEACHES OF SAI KUNG TO THE EDGE OF TUEN MUN, WAS A GREAT IDEA+,
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE MACLEHOSE TRAIL AT THE
COUNTRY PARKS MANAGEMENT CENTRE AT ROUTE TWISK TODAY, SIR MURRAY SAID THE IDEA WOULD GIVE A LOT OF PEOPLE FUN AND FITNESS AND FRESH AIR, AND THE ADVANTAGE OF SEEING BEAUTIFUL PARTS OF HONG KONG THEY NEVER KNEW EXISTED.
+IT IS ALSO TYPICAL OF THE IMAGINATION AND DRIVE WITH WHICH
THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY DOES HIS JOB, HE ADDED.
SIR MURRAY SAID THE ENERGY OF THE AUTHORITY HAS BEEN A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME. OF COURSE IN THE URBAN AREAS WE MUST HAVE AS MANY FOOTBALL FIELDS AND GAMES HALLS AND SWIMMING
COMPLEXES AND PLAY AREAS AS WE CAN, BUT IN SO CROWDED A CITY THERE WILL NEVER BE SPACE FOR ENOUGH OPEN-AIR ACTIVITIES.
+SO WE MUST DEVELOP AND PRESERVE AND BEAUTIFY OUR GREAT
TRACTS OF MOUNTAIN, VALLEY AND COAST.
+THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY WITH ITS LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC STAFF ARE DOING AND IN OPENING THE TRAIL, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THEM FOR THEIR WORK.
AFTER DECLARING OPEN THE TRAIL, SIR MURRAY MET MEMBERS OF THE COUNTRY PARKS BOARD, AND INSPECTED A CAMPSITE ALONG THE TRAIL.
THE MACLEHOSE TRAIL IS HONG KONG'S FIRST LONG DISTANCE HIKING ROUTE PASSING THROUGH THE FINEST SCENERY OF EIGHT COUNTRY PARKS.
THE TRAIL HAS BEEN DIVIDED INTO 10 STAGES OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS, AND EACH STAGE HAS BEEN GRADED WITH A DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY SO THAT HIKERS CAN PREDETERMINE THEIR LIMITATIONS.
ONE OR TWO STAGES COULD BE ATTEMPTED FOR A LEISURELY DAY'S OUTING WHILE THE LONGER STAGES FOR A WEEKEND CAMPING TRIP AND
IF FIT AND WELL EQUIPPED, THE WHOLE TRAIL COULD BE ATTEMPTED IN THREE OR FOUR DAYS.
ALONG THE TRAIL THERE ARE WAYMARKS TO GUIDE HIKERS. IT HAS ALSO 10 CAMPSITES TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE STAYING OVERNIGHT.
A COLOUR INFORMATION LEAFLET ON THE TRAIL HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE COUNTRY PARKS AUTHORITY. IN THE LEAFLET, THERE IS A ROUTE PLANNER EXPLAINING EACH STAGE OF THE TRAIL, THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY, THE DISTANCE AND ESTIMATED TIME TO WALK EACH STAGE HOW TO REACH EACH STAGE AND SIMPLE CAMPING FACILITIES AVAILABLE ALONG THE TRAIL.
/ALSO INCIDED
A