Sunday 30th March
Russell and Christine came over for Mothering Sunday and we went for a walk through Hetchell Woods.

At the far end of the woods we explored the rounded hills of Pompocali.

On our way back we chose the high path to the top of the crags.

The wood anemones were in full bloom in all the open spaces.

Thursday 20th March
We crossed over to Hong Kong Island on the Star Ferry and as we were early it was fairly quiet.

Rather than climb the steep streets, we used the mid level escalator as far as Hollywood Road. As we were walking along here, looking at the antique shops, we came across this artist who was working by the side of the pavement. We watched him complete one picture and we liked it so much we bought it.

Cat Street is the well known market area at the end of Hollywood Road and we spent some time browsing the stalls and shops.

As we were returning we passed this tree right in the middle of the bustle of the shops and houses.

The walkway along Connaught Road allowed us to enjoy the views of the gardens while avoiding the heavy traffic below.

This will be our last post as we are returning to the UK tomorrow. 

Wednesday 19th March
We visited the Hong Kong Museum of History which was opened in 2001. We spent a couple of hours looking at scenes from Hong Kong's past.

We then crossed the square to the Science Museum next door and enjoyed some time with the hands-on exhibits there.

A walk through the shopping streets brought us to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. We concentrated on viewing the contemporary work on display.

The Art Museum gardens lead on to the Avenue of the Stars on the waterfront, which celebrates China's movie stars. We hadn't heard of any of them except Bruce Lee.

Tuesday 18th March
Our day started with a Star Ferry crossing to Hong Kong Island.

We walked from the ferry past the designer stores to Statue Square which is in the middle of the banking district.

On one side of the square is the HQ of the HSBC Bank which was designed by Sir Norman Foster in 1985. We took the escalator to the third floor and marvelled at the enormous central atrium.

A little further along is Chater Garden, a lush area in the centre of the city where we saw many workers taking their lunch break.

Nearby was the HQ of The Bank of China and after checking our identification, we were given a pass and allowed up to the public viewing gallery on the 43rd floor. The views of Hong Kong and the harbour were impressive.

There are pedestrian walkways high above the streets, many reached by escalators, which make walking around the central district much more pleasant.

Our main destination was Hong Kong Park with lovely water features, interesting gardens and multi level walks, but lots of steps.

High above the park is the Forsgate Conservatory with arid and humid sections. Both felt cool and dry compared with the local conditions outside.

The best feature of the park is the Edward Youdy Aviary which is huge and you walk through it on raised wooden pathways at eye level with the tree branches and the birds.

After a strenuous walk uphill we reached the Zoological and Botanical Gardens which are much more formal than Hong Kong Park.

Just before dinner we had a walk along the promenade outside the hotel and enjoyed the sight of the illuminated boats passing by.

Monday 17th March

This clocktower at the Star Ferry quay is all that remains of the original station on the Kowloon to Canton railway. It was the starting point of our walk today.

We did not catch a ferry as it was too misty on Hong Kong Island.

As we walked towards Nathan Road, we passed the Heritage shopping centre with giant bunch of flowers in the courtyard.

After threading our way through the crowds by the shops, we reached Kowloon Park, which is an oasis of greenery in the city.

This group was in the centre of the sculpture walk practising Tai Chi to traditional Chinese music.

There is a great deal of construction across all areas of the city and the scaffolding of this building was made completely from bamboo.

As we headed away from the tourist areas, we felt we were seeing some of the real Kowloon as we seemed to be the only Europeans around.

We visited the Jade Market and close by is the Tin Hau Temple dedicated to the Goddess of Seafarers. It was quite busy with worshippers.

Near the Temple, just off Saigon Street, we came across this busy and extensive fruit market. Each street seems to be dedicated to just one trade and the street next to this was full of car repair shops.

We returned through another side of Kowloon Park via a couple of bird gardens and several large lakes. These two appeared to be deep in conversation with each other.

Sunday 16th March
Nothing much today as we spent the day flying from Auckland to Hong Kong. We arrived after a good flight and are now checked in to the hotel.

Saturday 15th March
A memo was slipped under our door this morning asking as to move the balcony furniture inside as the remnants of Cyclone Luci was due to pass over Auckland this weekend. It seemed a bit calmer in the afternoon so we walked past the marina to explore the fish market.

With our heads down against the wind we walked as far as the next marina which is where the very big yachts are berthed. This one had a helicopter pad on the stern deck.

The wind got up again and there was only this tug braving the waves.

When the wind settled again, this unusual craft crossed the bay several times. We had seen it in the first marina and it is a very modern boat with beautiful woodwork on the deck.
We've been told that it is the tender for a very big, modern super yacht.

Friday 14th March
We took the ferry to Devonport to have lunch over there today. It is only a 10 minute crossing. It is described as an historic seaside village and has a very pleasant atmosphere even though it was cloudy today.

We took the path out of town to the top of Mount Victoria, another volcanic cone. This is the classic view back to the city centre.

In the opposite direction there is a clear view of Rangitoto Island, the largest and youngest of Auckland's volcanic cones appearing only 600 years ago.

This shows the Auckland Domain and Mount Eden where we were yesterday.

The buttress roots of this pohutukawa tree near the bay were very impressive. Over Christmas it would be covered in vivid red flowers earning its nickname Christmas tree.