XN000022-1979-10-24 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1979

MR, NICHOLS SAID THE COUNTRY PARKS IN CENTRAL NEW TERRITORIES ARE HEAVILY WOODED AND ONE SINGLE ACT OF CARELESSNESS COULD DESTROY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PLANTATIONS AS WELL AS UPSETTING THE BALANCE OF NATURE.

IT IS PREDICTED THAT THE HUMIDITY WILL BE LOW DURING THE WEEKEND AND WITH THE ABSENCE OF RAIN FOR THE PAST 28 DAYS, THE FIRE RISK IS VERY HIGH,

+THE RISK IS EVEN GREATER WITH LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE PARKS,+ MR. NICHOLS SAID,

SIR MURRAY TO OPEN HONG KONG'S LONGEST HIKING TRAIL

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A 100 KILOMETRE-LONG (62 MILES) HIKING TRAIL STRETCHING ACROSS THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE OPENED ON FRIDAY (OCTOBER 26) BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE.

THE MACLEHOSE TRAIL NAMED AFTER SIR MURRAY, WHO HAS TAKEN A KEEN INTEREST IN CONSERVATION OF THE COUNTRYSIDE — IS HONG KONG'S FIRST LONG DISTANCE HIKING ROUTE PASSING THROUGH THE FINEST SCENERY OF EIGHT COUNTRY PARKS BETWEEN TUEN MUN AND THE SAI KUNG PENINSULA.

THE TRAIL IS DIVIDED INTO 10 SECTIONS, FOR SHORT DISTANCE HIKING, AND HAS A NUMBER OF CAMPSITES AND OTHER FACILITIES TO ASSIST HIKERS.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND A REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER TO COVER THE OPENING OF THE MACLEHOSE TRAIL BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE. AT THE COUNTRY PARKS MANAGEMENT CENTRE AT ROUTE TWISK, ABOUT HALF-A-MILE NORTH OF THE 12 MILESTONE AT 3 P.M. ON FRIDAY (OCTOBER 26).

GOVERNMENT TRANSPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE NEWS MEDIA. IT WILL LEAVE KOWLOON PUBLIC PIER AT TSIM SHA TSUI FOR THE CENTRE AT 1.30 P.M. SHARP. SENIOR INFORMATION OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MR. MARK PINKSTONE, WILL BE ON HAND TO ASSIST THE MEDIA.

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