Wineshark Go Hiking - Ap Chau Geosite 鴨洲地質景點

Difficulty: 1/5

Total Distance: 0.67 km

From: Ap Chau Pier

To: Wave-cut platform

Date: 11 July 2020


Transportation:

• Take the ferry operating from Ma Liu Shui Landing No. 3, operating on Sat, Sun and public holiday, leaving at 9 am
• The ferry will first go to Kat O, then to Ap Chau, leaving the island on 12:30 pm, before returning to Kat O and then Ma Liu Shui

Arriving at Ap Chau but before landing, you can see the two landmarks on the island: the Duck's Eye and Duck's Neck. The ferry typically will arrive around 10:45 pm, allowing visitors about 1.5 hours to walk around the small island.

Passing through the small village where there are only 2-3 people still living, Ap Chau is the smallest island in HK being inhabited. Right behind the playground is the Ap Chau Story Room, the prior school on the island, to offer visitors a glimpse of the history, the culture and other geological information related to the island. Unfortunately it is only open on Sun and so we could not go in during this visit. Outside there is a large banyan tree which must be very old and witnessed all those happenings in this place.

Walking past the village soon we trekked along the coastline towards the Duck's Neck, which is a fracture zone where the rock collapses and forming a break in between. Looking at the water they are very clear and clean, offering a flash of cool in the hot summer day.

Continue further is the famous Duck's Eye, a sea arch where the cliff has been eroded by the waves and gradually deepens and forming the arch. The most popular spot for photo-taking, it would take a long while if you want to take one without any people in the background. But able to walk underneath and experience this natural wonder it is definitely worth visiting.

At this tip of the island there are also the wave-cut platform, formed by the continuous erosion of the waves on the cliff, and creating a flat area above the water surface. Another interesting geological formation. Also to note is that the island has this reddish-brown rock called breccia, which is only seen in a few islands nearby in the whole of Hong Kong.

Returning back, I went up the hill to the viewing point, located at the highest point on the island, overseeing the busy container port of Yantian across the sea where I used to go very often to work 20 years ago, and contrasting to the quiet and peaceful village here in Ap Chau, prompted me to think how ironic that unless one takes a step slower and try to look around you, you will miss all the good things you got.