You were right about the scorcher. But I'm hiking a lot these days, great cardio, burning loads of calories during these "Very Hot Weather" warnings. As usual, I went today without a brolly or even fluids, grabbing them along the way, as you're rarely far away on Lamma from a place to get some fluids.
No sunscreen either, just a Lamma Dragons baseball cap, avoiding any potential sunburns on the top of my head. I know I'm a carefree (or stupid) hiker, but no heat exhaustion or sunburn in many years now.

We walked all around the far end of the Quarry and then back via the Luk Chau gate, the Youth Hostel and the visitors-clogged Family Trail to YSW.

OK, after a cold shower I've got 240 photos to process from a stunning day in the Quarry.

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A few more photos from the YMCA Campsite Grand Opening yesterday:

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I especially like the yurts on their central "helipad", painted with "Mongolian" designs in- and outside. Sleeps 12, and one of them even has air conditioning, the First Aid one. It's very popular with the YMCA staff, I think...

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The private YMCA would love to keep their nice brand-new campsite for as long as possible, but the Govt. has only granted them a 3-year lease so far, running out next year. There'll be lots of large-scale camping and sports activities for youngsters from all over HK organised in there this summer:

http://www.ymcahk.org.hk/lamma/

Hopefully the YMCA lease will be extended for several more years while the Govt. makes up their mind what to do with the huge ex-Quarry area.
The 2nd phase of the "public consultation" will start later this year. It's expected that they'll be selling their plan for private (and a bit of "public") housing for 5,000, the middle option of the 3 housing options of the 1st phase consultation earlier this year.

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Apple Daily story and video:

南丫島綠化營　住蒙古包學環保

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Google translation from a recent Oriental Daily story about the ex-Lamma Quarry:
http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20130710/00176_017.html

Lamma Quarry variational residential tourist area

[Reporter] discontinued Tanmei Fang reported seventeen years of Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island Lamma Quarry, is expected to transform into a tourist and residential areas. Late last year the government launched Lamma Quarry land use studies, the last more than 500 public comments, the majority of public support for tourism and housing-based development, the authorities in the region to consider the provision of corrections to the HOS.

Quarry abandoned ten years, many local residents want new development. (Profile picture)


Lamma Quarry is located in the north shore of Sok Kwu Wan, an area of ​​twenty hectares, as early as 2095 has stopped mining, Civil Engineering and Development Programme and the beginning of research and development potential to put forward two development options for public consultation, which a program "Gulf UN tribunal" for housing development the main plot ratio from 0.6 to two times ranging from residential floor height from four to ten, the number of units from the 2000-2800 partnership ranging accommodate up to seven thousand people. Another program was "Waterfront", adding tourism elements, will be divided into three development areas quarry, located in the middle of the central area proposed to construct Water Sports Centre, East and West residential development near the location of the construction of the artificial lake resort Breakfast.

Planning Department spokesman said that the first phase of the public consultation showed general support for the development of Lamma Quarry and to "Travel and housing" for more support for the main program, the Department actively considering some of the land at the quarry to provide different types houses, in addition to low-density private mansion houses, also added for the general public to buy flats, home to meet the different needs of the public, all of the buildings to be taken to the seaside cascading design gradually decreasing to match waterfront views. Government to conduct a detailed technical assessment on the program, it will carry out the next stage of public consultation.

Islands District Council Chairman Zhou Yutang said District Council supports the early development of Lamma Quarry for tourism and housing purposes has long since abandoned the mine, not only wasted precious land, but also a waste of the region with a beautiful bay, he also in favor of a mixed development zone.

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From the YMCA's Lamma Camp website, a very informative and well-designed 12-page brochure with lots of fine photos:

LammaBrochure.pdf (2.5MB)

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From YMCA Lamma Island Outdoor Centre, inside the ex-Lamma Quarry:

There are still spaces available for our Lunar New Year Junior Camp for campers ages 8-11! Sign up today for 3 days of outdoor adventure including archery, disc golf, campfire, low ropes, hiking... and much more!

Camp date: Feb 5-6 (Wed-Fri)

Click here for our brochure: http://ow.ly/sMlA0

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HK Economic Times reported yesterday that the Government would launch a two-month consultation this month on the land use of the former Lamma quarry. The paper noted that the proposal would comprise the development of 2,000 small residential units for 5,000 people, a commercial and tourist centre near the pier and a hotel near an artificial lake to boost tourism ...

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Well, well, no surprise there, they're going for the middle of the three housing options proposed in the first round of consultations last year.
I've been waiting for this 2nd phase, but there's no info on this yet on their website:
http://www.ex-lammaquarry.hk/new.html

Enjoy the ex-quarry while it's still beautiful, unspoilt and only occupied by the occasional camps of the YMCA who make great use of the area inviting youngsters and parents all over HK:
http://www.ymcahk.org.hk/lamma/

Anybody got an idea what the ex-cement factory owners are up to these days? Quite a lot of sometimes noisy activity going on in there. They seem to be eagerly waiting for their huge private area to skyrocket as the commercial hub and main access route to the future ex-Lamma Quarry housing?

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I'm so sick of "consultations".

They just present the plan, let you comment, nod and smile, then proceed to do exactly what they planned long before it became public, saying they have "consulted with al the stakeholders".

The only good thing to come out of this development is that the DAB will get voted out if they really do get another 5000 people, though more likely they will be mostly empty, with absentee owners who bought for investment.

Google translation of the story:

Lamma Quarry housing development partners tourism involving 2,000 residences. Private yacht marina will be canceled.

Exclusive Economic Daily reported that the government accelerate the development of vacant land, discontinued 17 years ago. Lamma quarry in its final stages of development consulting. This month commence, track plans for housing and tourism development, involving about 2,000 gang unit supply, but the proposed private yacht club will be canceled.

Among the comments received in the consultation period, many local residents believe in meeting the housing needs, we also want to strengthen tourism development in order to spur the economy and create jobs in the region.
But there are also many foreign residents opposed to the development of tourism, fear will destroy the existing living environment. The final stage of consultation will start this month consultation period of two months.

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Typical racist slant. They're spinning it as "local vs foreigners".
I bet this came from the government briefing, they like to use that to discount any opposing views.
At the consultations in Sok Kwu Wan and YSW last year there were many more "locals" than foreigners and many of them opposed the plans.

Basically it's people with an interest in real estate development who want this. Who are mostly locals. But "locals" who just live here aren't invested in concreting the island.

And now its about "tourism" and "hotels". Really? The same bullshit they said about Disco Bay, where there is now not one hotel and no one in their right mind visits there for tourism.

The notion of "developing" tourism is ridiculous - surely better to a place in its original condition. Develop it and it loses it's original appeal. In any case, thousands of tourists already arrive on Lamma every day - we already have a developed tourist industry!

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Alan: "Disco Bay, where there is now not one hotel"

Syntactically a bit ambiguous, but I think this means there is no hotel on DBay. For a year or so now there has been the Auberge: http://www.aubergediscoverybay.com/

Ambiguous? How else can it be parsed?

Anyway, obviously I didn't know about that new hotel. But DB is hardly a tourist hotspot.

Though with the latest government plans for a huge reclamation between Lantau and Lamma to site shopping malls for mainlanders to buy milk powder and Rolexes, maybe it will come into its own.

It could be parsed as implying there is more than one - something like, "There is now not one hotel but three." Of course it's pretty clear from the context you thought there is no hotel.

The question of DB and tourism, it seems to me, is rather like that of HK in general. People always mention things like the peak tram, ding-ding trams in general (they're considered so exotic you can hire them for events), and the Star Ferry. I wouldn't myself fork over a lot of money just to see those. Then there are people who like to come to Lamma as tourists, and I suspect that mystifies a few of us.

The Auberge website claims that it's only 25 minutes from both Central and the international airport, so I guess they're pitching it as a good in between place for international travelers, as well as a place to escape the HK urban jungle.


What Lamma will probably get at the ex-quarry is a replica of a famous boat, so the island can compete with HMS Bounty at Disco Bay and Noah's Ark at Park Island. That should pull in the crowds.

If I was drafting legislation I might take that as a valid loophole, but here it's obviously just you looking to stick it to me over my failure to defer to you years ago.


I assume you're being ironic.

Alan,

First point, no. I had and have no intention of sticking something to you. I bear you no ill will; I think you're a fine moderator, and I've pretty much forgotten what happened years ago, although I think I enjoyed it.

Second point, correct. But irony shading into sarcasm. The traditional definition of irony is saying one thing and meaning another. Not sure that applies to my joke about the boats.

My point about how how your phrasing struck me as ambiguous is probably very subjective, but it struck me as a bit odd when I first read it, probably because I'm aware of the Auberge.

I only visit DB occasionally and don't live there, but I have the impression that the pubs and restaurants there do a roaring trade when the weather is OK. Not sure if that counts as tourism. Of course, the place is so unrelentingly up-market, I'm sure that years ago few Lammaites would have had the taste for it, but not sure if that applies these days. That last sentence contains two instances of outright sarcasm.

Just respond to the topic. You don't have to find a way to score a point.
Grammatically, there was no "ambiguity". I made a factual error, which correction I welcome.



The problem is the government isn't being ironic, they're just lying, using this tourism bullshit to pave the way for paving over Lamma.
Once they decide to go ahead with a project, they just put al the current buzzwords in the brochure and refuse to engage on the real issues.




Mostly DB residents, surely.
There are 18000 people in that beehive.
That's not tourism.