Secret beach

I know it isn't peak tourist season yet but the Silvermine Bay beach is beginning to fill up already. So we decided to take a walk to the quiet "secret" beach along the road to Man Kok Tsui.

It takes a bit of walking to get there but it is so worth it. Even when the main beach is crowded, there are hardly more than two or three couples here.

I wanted to live in this building – until Buffalo Wilbur pointed out that it probably used to be a pig sty.

The beach is surprisingly clean, considering there are no armies of cleaners sweeping it every morning.

Can anyone tell me what fruit this is and whether it's edible?

Silvermine Bay Carnival 2011

Last year, we didn't know what to expect so we went to the Silvermine Bay Carnival after lunch.

Big mistake as we didn't get a chance to fully appreciate the free local fare they were dishing out. This year, we went there for lunch... and I saw a lot of people had the same idea.

The noodles and roasted pork were yummy. And there was also the local favourite: Swiss chicken (actually sweet soya sauce chicken).

But just in case you think I am all stomach, here are some pictures from the fair. These pretty dancers perked up the crowd.

The most popular games stall was the fishing one. Maybe that shouldn't be much of a surprise seeing as Mui Wo used to be a fishing village?

Village fair on Sunday

Village fairs always bring to mind the famous Craggy Island Fun Land in Father Ted, which had attractions such as Spin the Cat, Whirly-Go-Round and The Crane of Death.

Sunday's Silvermine Bay Carnival at the open area next to the municipal services building has tamer stuff:

But, with any luck, there might be some Freak Pointing at 10am.

First swim of the year – in fluorescent waters

I took off today instead of Buddha's birthday, which is tomorrow, and boy am I glad I did. The sun was out and, as today is technically a working day, the beach was just the way I like it – quiet but with enough people to make a buzz.

Last year, the waters were warm enough by April for me to take my first dip but we've had an extended winter this year so the sea never looked inviting – till today.

So I got my first swim, first ice-cream.. and was feeling such a sense of wellbeing, until I reached home and noticed that the sea had gone a fluorescent green.

Buffalo Wilbur says that's probably just harmless dye that they use to test the sewage system for leaks. But even the intrepid fishermen (the ones who wouldn't mind eating even the ugliest of fishes which have been fed on the strangest of things) are nowhere to be seen.

Coincidence? I think not.

Buffalo attack (updated)

The Lantau water buffaloes are normally placid beasts used to humans so this attack by a rogue buffalo is very unusual. It's usually the case of them suffering at the hands of humans rather than the other way round.

I hope the authorities will allow the Lantau Buffalo Association a chance to do a thorough investigation as to why the buffalo charged first rather than cull all the animals as a "preventive measure".

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From The Standard

'Spooked' buffalo gores beachgoer

Natalie Wong

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A young bull buffalo that gored and tossed a man visiting Mui Wo on Lantau Island may have been spooked by people trying to hitch a ride.

The man, named Li, left hospital yesterday after being admitted on Saturday with leg injuries.

Eyewitness Paul Melsom said the man had not provoked the animal.

But the water buffalo covered at least 30 meters of Silvermine Beach in charging at Li and his three-year-old daughter near the Wang Tang River at 7pm on Saturday.

Li, in his 40s, was gored in a leg and then hurled into the air and "tossed about like a toy," Melsom said.

"It was something you might see in a bullfighting arena. The man couldn't move. He was in a lot of pain and bleeding heavily from a deep gash in a thigh."

A Lantau police officer said Li was conscious after the attack, while his daughter was unhurt.

He was taken to a clinic in Mui Wo and then transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung.

Witnesses called an Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department hotline to offer details of the attack. Ho Loy, director of the Lantau Buffalo Association, said it is highly unusual for water buffalo to attack people unless they are provoked.

"The attack might be associated with the repeated spooking of a pair of male buffalo aged about three years by groups of visitors earlier in the day," she said, drawing on accounts of people in the area.

"In particular, an unidentified individual was seen trying to climb on the back of a young bull.

"Buffalo of such age are active and sensitive to their surroundings because they are approaching full maturity."

Ho also linked the attack to development. Recent construction has reduced the beach area by half, she said.

This comes even as construction projects disturb Lantau's natural habitat, forcing buffalo from inner wetland areas to busy beaches.

Attempting to guard against more incidents involving the two young bulls that were on Silvermine Beach on Saturday, the association has arranged for a vet to castrate them this morning.

The association notes that the young bulls are among six stray buffalo around Mui Wo. All are the offspring of working animals abandoned by farmers in past decades.

Mui Wo Rural Committee vice chairman Cheung Chee-hung worries there will be more attacks.

He wants authorities to relocate the beasts. "Local residents are already fed up with the nuisance they cause - their excrement and problems for traffic when they stray on highways."

An AFCD spokesman said officers visited the scene and found four stray buffalo around the scene of the attack.

They could be rounded up if they appear to be a nuisance, he said.

There are around 200 buffalo in rural areas of Hong Kong, with about 70 percent on Lantau.

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The photo and the statement is from the Lantau Buffalo Association:

BUFFALO INCIDENT ON SILVERMINE BEACH

LBA was deeply concerned to hear of the terrible incident on Silvermine Beach, Mui Wo last night when a member of the public was seriously injured by a male water buffalo. Our thoughts and best wishes are with him and his family for a speedy recovery. We would also like to express gratitude to Mui Wo resident Paul Melsom for his courageous intervention with vital First Aid.

Lantau residents have coexisted with Buffalo and Cattle for many years. It is highly unusual for water buffalo to attack humans and we are trying to find out what may have caused this individual buffalo to behave this way. We are investigating urgently and talking to vets, SPCA, AFCD and the police.

Since the mass cull of the Mui Wo buffalo herd in early 2007, a small group of just four or five male buffalo has survived in the Mui Wo area. There are no females, therefore no breeding has taken place. This means that there is no normal herd social structure. Nevertheless, there is no history of aggression in this group up to now, though it is reported that a new male has joined recently, which may have disrupted any emerging hierarchy.

Major drainage works and other construction activity in the area have greatly disturbed the Buffaloes' habitat in the last couple of years, causing them to roam far away from the inner wetland areas.

Mui Wo beach has been very busy with visitors recently, more and more of whom reportedly like to engage the animals. However, repeated attention from large numbers of people may cause them to panic. Another theory is that the animal in question may have been alarmed by a flash from a camera in the twilight. Further, the engineering works on the beach have reduced the open space by about 50%, making it a very crowded area. We would be grateful for additional information from anyone who witnessed the incident and can shed any further light on what happened.

LBA is currently undertaking a herd management programme in conjunction with SPCA and AFCD, desexing male bovines across Lantau, to humanely reduce breeding and testosterone, with the aim of minimizing potential for bovine/human conflict. All male cattle in Mui Wo for example have been desexed already.

WE WILL NOW FOCUS ON THIS GROUP OF WATER BUFFALO IN MUI WO AND INTIATE AN URGENT PLAN OF ACTION.

LBA WILL PUT UP WARNING NOTICES FOR VISITORS.

PLEASE ALSO WARN OFF ANY VISITORS SEEN APPROACHING ANIMALS. HOWEVER WELL MEANING, THEY RISK SPOOKING THEM.

PLEASE TAKE GREAT CARE AROUND THE BUFFALO AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO LIKEWISE.

Thank you

Lantau Buffalo Association

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Email from Paul Melsom:

Hi all,

Please pass this on to your groups.

A warning for everyone to take care with the Water buffalo on Mui Wo Beach especially with young children.

This saturday evening (26 March) about 6.45 p.m. I and many other people witnessed a man (tourist) being attacked by a water buffalo on on Mui Wo beach; location where the Wang Tong Stream reaches the sea. The man did not provoke the water buffalo. The water buffalo charged him and his 3 year old daughter from roughly 30 to 40 meters away. He was lifted by the horns of the buffalo and his leg gored by one of the horns. He was hurled into the air and tossed about like a toy, several times. It was something you might see in a bull fighting arena. The man couldn't move, was in a lot of pain and he was bleeding heavily from the deep gash in his thigh. He was taken to hospital fairly quickly. Luckily his daughter was safe but it was a near thing for her too.

Prior to this two males were sparring further down the beach and one of these was the one that charged the man. It may just be this one individual that is the problem.

I like water buffaloes but the water buffalo experts need to follow this up before anyone else or a child is attacked.

regards Paul Melsom

Sunny day

For the past few months, the beach hasn't been much of a draw. The water looked cold and the sand, dirty.

It didn't help either that much of it was cordoned off with ugly plastic barriers and cones for drainage works.

But today, the sun is out, the cold has abated (for a bit) and suddenly the beach looks inviting again.

And there are crowds coming out from the ferry again. Mui Wo is a holiday destination again!

Hotel food

The rule of the thumb when looking for a good restaurant when you're in a new place is to see where to locals go. Unfortunately, we decided to ignore this and strike out on our own. We had seen Thai food advertised in Silvermine Beach Hotel so thought we'd try the restaurant out for some variety.

Big mistake. The seafood linguini was on the menu as having clams and mussels and in a tomato wine sauce. Instead, we got spaghetti in an lumpy cream sauce with a handful of peppers thrown in (peppers being a "Western" sort of vegetable).

The pad Thai was another disappointment. The seafood was fresh and the scallops were plump, I grant it that. But it was all cooked into a soggy mess, more hor fun style than anything Thai I'd seen.

To add insult to injury, the bill came up to about the same as if we'd had a meal at China Beach Club... which would have been infinitely better.

It's a pity, really, as the location is great and the staff are friendly. If only they'd get a new chef or do away with dishes the existing one cannot cope with. A good hor fun cooked well would have pleased us more than an interesting dish cooked indifferently.

Silver mining

Many day trippers come to Mui Wo, or Silvermine Bay, in search of the mine that gave the place its name. Problem is, the mine has been closed for more than a century and all there is to see is a spooky arched entryway that has been boarded up.

We've gone up there a few times, mainly to watch the disappointed looks on people's faces when they realise "this is IT?!" But the view from the top is worth the steep slope up.

Silvermine Bay waterfall

It was a long weekend and it was hot. Those two factors combined to make the Silvermine Bay waterfall a tempting option for a family day out.

Plus, the waterfall was an easy five minute hike from the beach (unlike Bride's Pool, which I have heard about but am too lazy to hike to).

Luckily, there had been a downpour a few days ago so the waterfall was, well, falling. We have been there a couple of times where the water was trickling down slower than a drain pipe.

There is something soothing about just sitting and listening to the white noise of falling water and soaking your feet in the ice cold stream. Maybe next time we should take a picnic with us.

Village walk

Every day, when I get off the ferry, I see a lot of my fellow commuters getting on their bicycles and heading for parts unknown. So we decided to check out just where they were headed. We walked down Mui Wo Rural Committee Road (just how rural is that name?) and found some sweet little villages behind the beach.

There were so many houses just crying out for a renovation that will make them wonderful minimalist homes. And there were also interesting villages giving you an idea of village life before the big bad city beckoned the young people: Pak Ngan village has a small square for villagers to play badminton or just hang out.

But there are some McMansions around too. Maybe a legacy from the older generation updated by the younger folks?

Mui Wo rocks

The Silvermine Bay Music Festival is on today but you wouldn't have known it from the publicity it is getting on Hong Kong island. We only knew about it because the nice man from Uncle Russ told us as we were getting our coffee to get on board the ferry yesterday.

According to the posters, the two-day festival with local and foreign bands was supposed to start at 3pm yesterday. But we went there at 4pm and this is what we saw:

Ah well, there probably was more action today but we just couldn't be bothered. Maybe next year.