ENG-1977 — Page 32

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: A FULLER LIFE FOR ALL

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to open in 1978, a double-decker bus service will be introduced to take passengers from Kowloon to the park. Those opting for private vehicles will have to leave them at a car park on the periphery of the gazetted area and use buses for the remainder of the journey.

To Hong Kong's credit, vandalism is not a major problem in the country parks, although both park rangers and police are constantly on the alert for more serious crimes.

Personal safety in a more immediate sense also is becoming increasingly important with the opening up of the countryside. Not all outdoor enthusiasts have had the benefit of courses run by the Recreation and Sport Service, Outward Bound or the Scouts and Girl Guides Associations, and there is considerable public ignorance when it comes to potentially-dangerous activities like hiking and rock climbing. Although search and rescue operations, including those supplied by the Civil Aid Services, are carried out quickly and efficiently, prevention is infinitely preferable to cure.

As a result, a media-based compaign organised by the Council for Recreation and Sport will be held early in 1978 to focus attention on the need for safety in outdoor pursuits. A feature of the campaign will be a handbook giving advice on safety

measures.

In the meantime, other organisations have become aware of the need for positive action. Among these is the Outward Bound School, which has just published a com- prehensive booklet entitled, Safety in the Hills.

It is surely a sign of the times that such detailed advice is necessary for Hong Kong.

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