_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Submitted by The Island Bar:


What a Great Way to spend Sunday!

Come along and join the fun by making up a team for the 15th Annual Island Bar TREASURE HUNT!

The Treasure Hunt is held in each year in support of Operation Santa Claus, which, as most of us know, is a charity event held jointly by SCMP and RTHK with support from companies and individuals throughout Hong Kong. The contributions raised go to help needy people and organisations in Hong Kong.

THE TREASURE HUNT

Notably, that this will be the FIFTEENTH YEAR that The Island Bar has organised the Treasure Hunt and it therefore goes without saying that IT MUST BE FUN!

Witty clues to follow, silly questions to answer, bring your dogs, bring your children (OK, not necessarily in that order) and be prepared to enjoy a great trek around parts of Lamma you have probably never seen before.

AND the scurvy crew of Organisers has improved over the years, actually, to the point where they are just a smidgen off competent and professional enough to give us pirates a bad name.

WHO's IT FOR?
All of us FUN lovers!
WHAT IS IT?

Teams of four, made up of friends, families or just a few individuals who would like to get together, following a trail that might, just might, bring them treasure! The trail takes between 2-3 hours (depending upon your effort and cluelessness). It's all in good fun and all for a good cause!

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Simply register at The Island Bar in Yung Shue Wan (straight off the ferry, first bar on the left) and pay your HK$400 team registration (which you can personally put straight into the Operation Santa Box).
2. Receive your instructions (very brief) and a trail pack (with clues, often very funny), relax for a few minutes while you think up a really intriguing name for your team (you win points for the best name) and then set off following your clues.
3. Follow the clues, answer the questions in the booklet you will be given (IT HELPS IF YOU BRING A PEN) and find your way back to The Island Bar tired, happy and extremely ready for a FREE tot of ale or soft drink which you will enjoy whilst we mark your papers.
4. Listen to the team results and enjoy receiving your prize!

YES, it's that simple.
PRIZES are given for the team to finish the trail fastest, with the most correct answers, the best dressed team, most creative moniker, etc, etcet al. Loads and loads of fun things to win, from coupons for local restaurants, to fine wines and more.

PLEASE COME AND SUPPORT THIS GREAT FUNCTION FOR A GREAT CAUSE!

For more information and helpful suggestions:
Sharon Chandler 2982 2800
Daniel Clarke 9122 2849

For complaints:
Please complete by hand and submit in triplicate (3 originals in block printing) using the fourteen-page Official Whining Form, which can be obtained for an exorbitant fee from Somewhere Else and deposited Anywhere You Choose. You will probably receive a banal and soulless autoresponse within 7 to 10 weeks and, if you’re lucky, a painfully poorly ritten repose with in sevn 2 Ten aeons. (In other words, me hearties, this a FUN event and whingers will be harshly dealt with. Aaarrrgh!)

For more info:
Lamma Treasure Hunt group on Facebook;
Lamma Treasure Hunt Website.

Submitted by The Island Bar, a yearly tradition, illustration by Harry Harrison:

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

This Year, Santa, the reindeer(s) & his Lamma Elves even got their own Facebook Event page:
Sunday, Dec 8, 4:30pm at the Island Bar and throughout Main and Back Street:

Elves through the Village

Kelly the Elder Elfin Elf writes:
"It's on again. The Operation Santa Treasure Hunt approaches and we'll be escorting Santa through the village for charity. Any takers, elf old girls and boys?"

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Mrs. Santa Claus writes:

"Celebrating Big Success for 15th Annual Treasure Hunt on Lamma Island

Santa Claus Visited Too!

Sunday was a busy day for many Lamma residents. Far from relaxing quietly at home, it was the day families and friends chose to enter into the 15thAnnual Treasure Hunt in support of Operation Santa Claus. With clues both hard and just occasionally relatively easy, but mostly clever and nearly always fun, teams of four or so raced off to complete the quickest route, work out the meaning behind the clues and chased each other up hill and dale.

Returning to the Island Bar and final resting place of the true answers, Treasure Hunters revived themselves with a bevvy as their clue sheets were assessed by those truly in the know. Meanwhile, Santa Claus was making his way merrily through the streets of Yung Shue Wan, ably supported by a team of elves and reindeer, to the delight of everyone in the village, distributing sweeties to those who had been good.

Following tradition, Santa entered his 'grotto' for a photo shoot with any children wishing to sit on his knee.
Prizes were eagerly snapped up and a thank you extended to the local businesses which had generously donated to the cause.

The day over, the collection boxes looked welcomingly full, children were happy, adults were just plain tired, and, safe to say for another year, a good time was had by all."

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Becky: "Shiver Me timbers, we've been stuck on this island for many a year and this treasure hunting ain't getting any easier...."

Plus a quote from the 2014 WINNERS (First Equal Points), specially for the Lamma-zine:

Marcus: "Fearless Lamma Pirates: "Aarrgh"

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Wrapping up all the Operation Santa Claus fundraisers of the Island Bar, a major party with live music has been happening last night. I heard about it much too late to stop by, so if anybody has got some photos, please?

New Year's Day morning, time for an early start to get up to Mt. Stenhouse, at least 10 of us, the long hike from Pak Kok Village and climb up from the Lo So Shing side has been dubbed Resolution Walk...

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Straight from this forum into the SCMP today, 4 of my photos on the City-2 page, featuring the Island Bar's Treasure Hunt.
Great and well-deserved exposure for the Island Bar and the fantastic Treasure Hunt team and all the participants.

By sheer coincidence, I hiked to the top of Mt. Stenhouse yesterday with the winning family pictured...

I'm just a bit miffed that the SCMP credited their own photographers, even though I asked them to be credited when I gave permission to use my photos for free...

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Latest news & updates:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lammatreasurehunt

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Plus the traditional Christmas Quiz Night the evening before the Treasure Hunt, with Quizmeister Dave, Sat, Dec 6!

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Poster submitted by Harry Harrison:
Plus a picture by Frazer of the (very first?) Treasure Hunt in 2000:

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

My best shot from yesterday afternoon, outside The Island Bar:

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

1st Place: Saved By Bacon

2nd Place: Mental Marys

3rd Place: The Yella Umbrella Fella

Best Costume: Santaz Army

Fastest Time: And The Winners Are

Best Team Name: Independent Secular Island State

Most Excited Player: Tracey Duggan


Here are 3 of the best photos taken by the teams themselves:

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Plus all the team photos. Thank you, Daniel Clarke!

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

More Treasure Hunt photos as the SCMP has asked again to publish some of mine...

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

More photos...

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Some of my photos above have been published on the Operation Santa Claus website run by the SCMP.

http://osc.scmp.com/public_upload/album

After not giving me any credit at all for last year's 4 Treasure Hunt photos published in their print edition (see above), despite the Island Bar's request when submitting them, they got it *almost* right this time:

"Lamma treasure hunt-Gung of Lamma.com.hk"
24 December 2014"

Only 3 mistakes in their caption this time:
Island Bar Treasure Hunt
Lamma-Gung instead of Gung
Date should be 7 December.

Makes you wonder about the accuracy and fact-checking in the SCMP's editorial content...

Maybe, perhaps some of these photos will make it into their print edition tomorrow, Dec 27.

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

See SCMP today, Dec 27, 2014, page A5:

Treasure Hunt boosts Operation Santa Claus charity (SCMP)

From the Island Bar press release, used for part of the SCMP story:

"The city's year-end fundraiser has inspired many charitable minds to turn the campaign into a new edition of "Hong Kong's Got Talent".

Take the Lamma Island Treasure Hunt as an example. Masterminded by The Island Bar, the cross-island quest on December7 spurred the local community and their associates, including dogs, to look for hidden prizes through a set of funny clues.

"The clues take them to parts of Lamma that even locals may never have explored, and require an agile mind and a sense of humour," the organisers said of the treasure hunt's 16th year with Operation Santa Claus.

With that, Lamma residents set off their own series of charity activities designed to help Operation Santa Claus, the fundraising campaign organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK.

Activities that challenged the mind included the Christmas Music Quiz and a 2014 In Review Quiz. Thanks to the geniuses who came up with tough - if not unanswerable - questions, donation boxes were filled to the brim.

For a test in physical fitness, the annual Santa Sprint on January 4 will see brave souls race in dragon boats on wintery waters. All proceeds from entry fees and food sales go to Operation Santa."

They used a photo by Daniel Clarke that I submitted among my own shots via Dan Peterson of The Island Bar, giving Daniel credit, of course. The credits got lost in the email chain, it seems, and they credited me instead. Well, it almost makes up for not crediting me at all for my 4 Treasure Hunt photos they published last year. The story is printed and out there, too late to change, so let me give credit to Daniel once again for .

And the SCMP got one much more important fact wrong, the Yella Umbrella Fellas were third overall, not first! They won last last year, but were disappointed last year. The honour went to Saved by Beacon, No. 1!
Here are the rankings once again.

1st Place: Saved By Bacon
2nd Place: Mental Marys
3rd Place: The Yella Umbrella Fella

Best Costume: Santaz Army
Fastest Time: And The Winners Are
Best Team Name: Independent Secular Island State
Most Excited Player: Tracey Duggan

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

This Saturday in The Island Bar:

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.