Mutti, Anne, et al in Ballarat

"Where we had tea in Ballart.  Lovely!". 27th Sept.

Sent my Mutti from her iPhone, taken by her and sent by her, so getting very clever with all this hi-tech stuff!  They're going to see Meredith (I believe) and also Jane and Anna.  No news yet of that.  Hi to all, from P, J and the dogs...

Some piccies

31 Aug: John and I made a solar powered car from the pressie he got
for his birthday from me. It worked!

16 Sept: Jing at North Plaza DB, before heading off
on a walk up the moutains

16 Sept: Jing stands outside our newly repainted house, before we head
off to a movie: Woody Allen's "To Rome with Love".  Crap...

The blocked hiking trail at Discovery Bay. Photo: May Tse

Further to report a few posts back about the blocking of trails here in DB.... Today's South China Morning Post letter:

Public should be consulted about trail

I refer to the letter by Yung Tak-ko ("Developers must work with residents to find alternative DB trail", September 16), regarding a "a popular hiking and mountain bike trail" which has "been blocked off".

Hong Kong is a crowded city, with so many buildings and vehicles and too few trees by the roadside.

It is rare to have such a pleasant environment as Discovery Bay. Its developers have adopted a good town planning strategy.

I sometimes go there for a walk with my family and especially enjoy the promenade. But now the developers have a new construction project which threatens the trail referred to by your correspondent.

I can understand the concerns of Discovery Bay residents.

They are angry that the Trappist Monastery trail has been blocked by concrete boulders at different locations and that there was no warning notice.

This lack of communication is regrettable. Residents should have been informed about details of the construction project. I hope there will some consultation between Discovery Bay management and the public.

With such projects it is always important to strike a balance between development needs and protection of the environment.

Edward Chiu, Tsuen Wan

Why Wildebeest won't rule the earth and other nonsense

From David Thompson's blog, which also has link to Face in the Blue blog, with the lovely bit of nonsense, started at reditt.com...

"In a Mass Knife Fight to the Death Between Every American President, Who Would Win, and Why?"

The comments are amusing too....

"Discovery Bay residents to protest at loss of rural trail"

Ugly!  How dare they!

They've put the barriers where
you can't get to the trail
to Mui Wo, where lots of
people want to go...

Have been on this trail many times.  The barriers will block this

We have regularly walked this trail.  This is an outrage!....  Some comments on the DB "fleamarket" website (a residents' site), here. Marcus the dog will be disappointed.  All not lost, however, as residents are fighting back....

Discovery Bay residents to protest at loss of rural trail

Cheung Chi-fai chifai.cheung@scmp.com

Unexplained closure and partial destruction further strains relationship with developer

Discovery Bay residents will stage a protest rally today over the unexplained blocking of a popular hiking and cycling trail with tonnes of concrete blocks and boulders.

Part of the trail, which leads to the nearby Trappist Monastery and over the hills to Mui Wo, has been destroyed, while a massive site-clearing operation is going on behind barriers alongside with no hint of the purpose.

Calls are mounting for an explanation from Hong Kong Resort Company (HKR), developer and manager of the Lantau town, amid questions about whether the work complies with the company's land lease.

"The residents are kept in total darkness about projects being planned around them. This is unheard of in a decent society, but in DB it's the norm under which HKR operates," resident Peter Esschert said.

The works have further strained the relationship between the developer and some residents, who have complained about insufficient services - such as the ferry service to and from Mui Wo - and a policy that discourages cycling.

Residents will meet a district councillor today to discuss possible steps to protect the trail, and afterwards hold a protest rally.

Hong Kong Resort Co said the trail had been closed to protect its private property and the public's safety during construction work, of which it gave no details.

It said the trail was not an official one and the government had confirmed that the work complied with the land lease.

"HKR will announce information about new developments in Discovery Bay when available and appropriate. But for the time being, I am afraid that we have nothing to announce," a spokesman said.

The Lands Department said the trail was on private land and was not among the recreational facilities required in the land grant of the Discovery Bay development.

Rumours are circulating that luxury housing will be built on the site.

It remains unclear whether the trail was one of the replacement recreational facilities pledged by the developer when it sought approval from the government to delete a public golf course from its master layout plan in the 1970s and '80s.

Resident and mountain biker Aldo deCola said destruction of the trail was just one more blow on top of the hostility shown by the developer to cyclists.

"This trail has been in existence for at least 30 years, as far as I know. Now, with the stroke of a bulldozer and without any consultation, HKR has wiped it off Hong Kong maps," he said.

Bernard Murphy, who moved to Discovery Bay in 2004 and uses the trail regularly, described the blockage and damage - which he discovered only last Sunday - as "tragic and sad".

Amy Yung Wing-sheung, a district councillor returned by the community, said she had already received about two dozen complaints about the trail closure.

She has written to the Lands Department to check if the blockage is in line with the land lease.

Yung said residents were increasingly dissatisfied about the community being deprived of recreational facilities, and said the loss of the trail would further aggravate matters. "The population has grown since 2004 but the facilities available seem to be diminishing," she said.

HKR has a history of controversial land-use issues.

"Bold Moves"

Anne has a new review...

As a child Asa Larsson was not allowed to read crime fiction - now she writes it herself. Anne Forsythe talks to the Swedish ex-lawyer about her brilliant career...  [the rest]

Henri's Paw de Deux

Cute!
Sent along by Anne...