Port Island 赤洲

"Rome was not built in all day and neither is nature. You think hills are only greens and the sea blues, but you are wrong. The bricks of a city fade in colour and crumb away eventually, but nature is truly a spectacular world that is constantly evolving.”

「羅⾺非⼀天建成，⼤⾃然都⼀樣。你以為⼭是綠的，海是藍的，這就錯了。城市的磚頭最多退⾊碌落，唯有⼤⾃然，才是真正不斷在變的奇幻世界，⽣⽣不息。」

Today, I would like to introduce you to a place that is deep red – Port Island. It is a part of the Shuen Wan Country Park and has been listed a Hong Kong global geopark. At the end of the volcanic period 180 million years ago, the area was subjected to a long dry spell. The climate was so hot that the rocks on the peaks weathered and crumbled into the plains to form sediments in which iron-bearing minerals transformed into red iron oxide, forming the red colour of the island. Many people visit Port Island only to swim along the beach, but the many changes in the earth have created a few unusual characteristics on the south-eastern side of the island, which are truly spectacular.

今天跟⼤家介紹的是地⽅是⼀⽚鮮紅之地–赤洲。赤洲是塔⾨以北的⼀個島嶼，屬船灣郊野公園，更被列為香港世界地質公園之⼀。在⼀億8千萬年前，火⼭活動完結，該範圍出現漫長的乾旱期，氣候異常嚴熱，⼭上的岩⽯風化崩落，沖到平原形成沉積物，當中帶有鐵的礦物轉化為紅⾊的氧化鐵， 就形成島上的紅⾊岩⽯。很多⼈到訪赤洲只會沙灘暢泳，但由於這裡經過多次地殻變動，所以在島的東南⾯，形成很多奇特風貌，那才是真正壯觀的地⽅。

To get to Port Island, I bought a white swimming costume along to match the red rocks for a great shot! As a woman, I want to look my best! Visit Port Island by boarding a boat from Wong Shek Pier. It takes around 20 minutes to reach this crimson land. Right in front of us is the first attraction – Dharma Cave. Surrounded by solid rock formations, there is the only round cave, just big enough for one person to sit inside and imagine being a monk. Later, I reflected that these strange rock formations had taken millions of years to form and were too fragile and precious to be stepped on, just like Bluff Head and should be protected.

出發前往赤洲，我為了襯托紅⾊的岩⽯拍美照，刻意去買了件⽩⾊的泳衣，女⼈就是這樣啦～到訪赤洲可在⿈⽯碼頭上船，⼤概20分鐘到達紅沙北灣，正式宣佈踏上赤紅⼤地，迎⾯⽽來是第⼀個景點–達摩洞！四周都是堅固的岩⽯，唯獨有個圓形的洞，剛好夠⼀個⼈坐進去扮和尚打坐。但是呢， 經過我⾏程完結後我反思，這些奇特的岩⽯是經過上千萬年的時間才形成，很脆弱和珍貴，不應該踩踏上去，就像是⿁⼿岩⼀樣，好好保護。

Several abandoned facilities remain from the British garrison on Port Island. As we walk up the concrete bridge, we cross a grassy stretch and was greeted by an endless coastline. We look ahead and see a rock formation shaped like a goat's horn, a mountain peak looking over the sea. It takes just ten minutes to reach the top where it overlooks the whole of Port Island. You can't help but marvel at the power of nature over a clear ridge of crimson peaks. Whereas red gives the impression of passion, romance and mystery, here is another dimension. On the sea by the goat’s horn are rows of rocks eroded by the sea over thousands of years. If you look carefully and use your imagination, you can just make out rock formations that resemble two small dogs.

赤洲曾有英軍駐守，故保留了不少廢棄設施，我們沿著⽯屎橋往上走，跨過⼀段草叢後，迎來眼前⼀望無際的海岸線，向前看⾒到⼀個形似⽺⾓的怪⽯，好像站在嶺峰中遙望⼤海。徒步⼗分鐘上到⽺⾓頭⼭頂，這個位置可以俯視全赤洲，看著清晰⼀條起伏跌宕的赤紅的⼭脊，不禁讚嘆⼤⾃然的威⼒。紅⾊給⼈的感覺是熱情、浪漫、神秘，這裡卻多了⼀份滄桑歷練。⽺⾓頭旁的海上，有個⽯排，那邊的岩⽯長年累⽉受海⽔侵蝕，出現奇特的切⾓，細⼼觀看再發揮想像⼒， 會發現有兩隻⼩狗呢～

As you walk down the hill, you get to a wall of rocks extending from the peak to the sea, resembling a giant snake slowly entering the water, a phenomenon known geologically as differential erosion. Rocks have different resistance to erosion - in simple terms, the hard rock is left behind from weathering and the soft rocks are washed away, leaving parts of the rock to hollow out. As we walked on the snake's back to take photos, eureka! Directly beneath is a heart shape pond not mentioned in any travelogue! As we walked slowly down, we stepped on what looked like a massive spider's web of rocks that had peeled off. It resembled a caramel biscuit or a honey rusk looking at it from the side. I guess we must be hungry! The water was too stagnant to go in, we took photos and left.

沿路走下⼭，不久就看到⼀條由⼭上延伸⾄海上的⽯壁，形似⼀條巨蛇緩緩走入⽔中，這種現象地質學名是差異侵蝕。不同岩⽯的抗蝕⼒不同，簡單來說，就是經過風化侵蝕，硬的留下，軟的被沖走，最後形成部分岩⽯被架空的狀態。我們走在蛇背上拍照時發現新⼤陸！正下⽅竟然有⼀個⼼形⽔池，沒有⼀遍遊記提及的！我們慢步走下去時，腳踏著被⽯英入侵的岩⽯，好像⼤規模的蜘蛛網，有些剝落了，側切⾓看想極了焦糖味餅乾，還像蜜糖拉絲，是不是我們餓瘋了～⼼形池的死⽔，不宜下⽔，所以拍照後就走了。

The scary things you find in the four corners of Port Island are the appearance of feet of little birds! Some look like feet, others just webs. In fact, the government once planned to build a statue of a swallow on the island to attract this species back to the area, but since the island was later designated as a geopark with more visitors. This caused many swallows to migrate. Sometimes I wonder how to strike a balance between promoting the beauty of Hong Kong and attracting more people to visit as opposed to the potential harm on nature that results with more visits. All we can do now is to make more people aware of environmental protection.

在赤洲的四處會發現恐怖的東⻄，就是⼩⿃的腳！有些有腳丫，有些只有腳趾，讓⼈⽑⾻悚然。掛掉恐佈背景⾳樂說真的了～其實赤洲曾是燕歐的聚集地，政府曾計劃在此設置燕歐的雕像，吸引牠們回流，但因為後來赤洲被列為地質公園，多了訪客，導致⼤量燕歐遷移。有時都會反思，到底在推廣香港的美，吸引更多⼈到訪了解，比起除之⽽來有可能對⼤⾃然的傷害，到底如何平衡呢？但當下可以做的，是讓更多⼈有⼭野無痕，保護環境的概念。

After a long hot day, it was finally time to go into the water. First, we went down to the eroded cave on Port Island. Careful where you walk through the cave as there are extremely sharp quartz rocks. There's nothing special about the cave, except that there's quite a bit of ocean litter and a lot of midges in the cave. These pesty flies are worse than mosquitoes. Their sting last long so one needs to have persistence to stay on to take photos before leaving.  

在⼭上玩了很久，⼤熱天終於可以下⽔了。我們先下⾏到赤洲海蝕洞。由於⽯英網脈⽚佈，有些被切⾓得極為尖利，所以⼤家定必⼩⼼⾏走。赤洲洞沒什麼特別，只是海上垃圾有點多，加上洞內有很多蠓蟲，這些⼩東⻄被蚊可惡，不但痕還會持續很久，靠著強勁的意志⼒誓要拍出美照才撐下去！

There are a lot of strange rock formations on Port Island. I don't know if it because of generation gap as what was named by our predecessors looks like a red horse. To us post-90s we think it looks like a space shuttle while what was originally a red rabbit with its hands up looks like Agumon from Digimon Adventure. That's the funny thing about rocks, what looks dead but is in fact a history book. Every rock and crack are symbols of an old story but at the same time, interpreted another way by people from different generations.

赤洲真的有許多奇異怪⽯，但不知是不是代溝問題，前輩們命名的赤⾺在我們這群90後眼中，像穿梳機，⽽舉起雙⼿的赤兔卻像數碼暴⿓中的阿古獸。這就是岩⽯的有趣之處，它看來的死死的，卻像⼀本歷史書，它的每個裂痕都象徵著這裡曾經的故事，但同時在不同⼈眼中有不同詮釋。

Continue south along the coast and get to a patchwork of giant red-pink large pebbles, each one an art piece! The aerial view of this site from the sky is more stunning! It turns out that this pebbled beach changes colour from iron red in contrast with the green sea to red, reddish pink, bright pink... With the crystal-clear green ocean water, it's so beautiful, it makes every girl burst with joy!

繼續沿岸向南走，會看⾒⼀⽚赤粉紅⾊的巨卵⽯灘，每⼀塊都是artpiece! 從航拍⾼空看更震驚！原來這個⽯灘是有漸變⾊的，由迎海的鐵紅，慢慢變赤紅、赤粉、鮮粉...加上藍綠⾊的玻璃海⽔～救命呀，真的太美啦，少女⼼瞬間爆發！

Walk through the rocky beach and pass through a peculiar area of water in which we had to crouch down to pass through. It feels like a scene from The Mummy! It’s after 5pm and we had arranged for a boatman to pick us up at 6pm from North Bay but we still had one last destination - Red Desert Maze! The sand is smooth and fine but as we didn't have enough time, we could only get a quick glimpse before leaving.

走過⽯灘，我們會經過棧道奇⽳，要鞠⾝走過，有盜務迷城的感覺。走著走著已經五點多了，約了船家6點在北灣接我們，但還有最後⼀個點–赤漠迷城還未到啊！赤漠迷城是⼀⽚全島赤紅聚中地， 坐在地上拿起的粉砂碎屑很滑很細，但因為時間不夠，我們只能走⾺看花。

We tried to call the boatman to see if he can pick us up here. He refused because of the strong waves. With half an hour to go before the boat arrives, my companion and I had no choice but to walk as fast as we can the way back. We had to climb 132 metres up to the top of Port Island before descending to North Bay. It is rare for people to reach the south of Port Island along the hills. The cell phone signal here is very weak. We will need to alert the boatman with our aerial camera that we are on our way if we are unable to arrive in time. There seems always to be little glitches. I guess this is life! Unfortunately, I had a relapse of an old foot wound, and every step I took felt like piercing needles. It took less than 45 minutes but a lot of pain to get there. When I finally got on the boat, I looked back at Port Island. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I couldn't help but felt proud that my sweat had merged with this crimson land. It is wonderful to be part of something so magical!

我們嘗些打給船家，要求轉在赤漠迷城接我們，但因為太⼤浪被拒絕了。還有半⼩時船家就到了， 我和同伴唯有硬著頭⽪，⽤最快腳步依⼭路回程。因為很少⼈經⼭路到赤洲的南邊，所以我們要爆林先攀上132⽶的赤洲頂，再下⾏到北灣。這裡的⼿機信號很差，我們計劃如果趕不及到，就放航拍提示船家我們正趕來，每次遊歷拍攝總會出現⼩意外，這就是⼈⽣吧！腳有舊患的我在緊急下⼭情況下⼜復發了，每⼀步都像被針卡般，忍著疼痛⽤了不45分鐘終於到了，上船後回望赤洲這⽚鮮紅⼤地，淚⽔在眼眶內打滾，但不禁⾃豪，從今⽇後我的⾎汗已成為這裡的紅，能被⼤⾃然融納，成為⼀部分很奇妙。