Vignettes of the World
At this point of the tour in the East Mac, I could not miss the obvious – that the East Mac is significantly less preferred as a tourist attraction than the West Mac. When we did meet a few souls there, they were local tourists …
At the Trephina Gorge, I pressed my ear against a Red River Gum Tree and heard the sound of flowing water. What happens inside the hollow tree bark is that the bad wood is eaten up by the termites, then the water begins to fill …
We were in the afternoon and the tour in East Mac was soon to end. On our way back home we stopped by the Corroboree Rock. The Meaning of Corroboree The corroboree is a nocturnal dance ritual for the Aboriginals. The Aboriginals gathered with face …
The day was bright. I looked for a straightforward trail that does not require research, but comes with some climbing. I decided to visit the Hok Tau Reservoir via the Lau Shui Heung Country Trail.
The last time that I visited the Lau Shui Heung Reservoir, it was dried up and the scenery was disappointing. I therefore had no expectation on the Hok Tau Reservoir. Being in the vicinity of Lau Shui Heung, the Hok Tau must have been dried up too, I thought. I told myself that the point is the hiking, not so much the scenery.
Like the Lau Shui Heung Reservoir, the Hok Tau Reservoir serves as an irrigation reservoir for the fields in that part of the New Territories.
The itinerary is straightforward. At the Lau Shui Heung Country Trail loop, go on the first opening on the left. It is the one that shows some serious stairs up. Yes, it seems like hard work but that was my intention.
The upward stairs took about 15 minutes, then the trail eased into a nice stroll. I went on for another 15 minutes to arrive at the sign post for Hok Tau Reservoir.
From this point on, it was all downhill until I reached the reservoir. But I did not miss the scenery in between. As I walked, I felt a clear sense that I was descending into a valley from a high ground. Gentle breezes whirled around me. About five, ten minutes further I felt a fresh humidity. I even smelled water. The sensory pleasure was distinctive. I did wonder how I would make it back up on the same trail, however, as I would have to climb back up.
Left: The descent down to Hok Tau Reservoir. Right: The view opens up with scenery of water.
Other hikers told me that the reservoir would be in sight in a few minutes. I had high expectations. The smell of water showed that there would be water at the reservoir. The scenery should be good.
The views of the reservoir opened up as I continued the descent. Surely, the reservoir was welled with water, plenty of water, true to its form.
I saw the ridges afar that envelop the reservoir. The rolling summit reminds me of Pat Sin Leng (the Ridge of the Eight Immortals). The view was beautiful.
From the Lau Shui Heung Country Trail to Hok Tau, it would take one hour, of which 15 minutes are stairs up. To go back to Lau Shui Heung, it takes an hour, and again, about 15 to 20 minutes of climb up on a somewhat steep incline.
