Our First Hiking Story in English
In search of a hiking trail… exploring Diary Farm Nature Park
(By CSP)
Before joining Singapore Hiking for regular hiking activities, I was a “couch potato”, whose only exercise consisted of a series of swipes on the mobile phone screen. Starting end February 2019, going for an evening hike during the weekend is something I look forward to, after a week of hectic action at the work place.
Hiking is a low-impact exercise, which not only allows one to keep fit, but also ensures a good night sleep and a fully recharged morning after. The router planners of this hiking group have taken great effort to arrange scenic trails, to make each hike a memorable experience for those who take part. An added benefit of joining such hikes is getting to know interesting people, like Xiao Cheng, Zhang Qian, Ya Ge who were with me to explore Diary Farm Nature Park to work out a hiking route. By the way, I was not tasked to do this “exploratory hike” – I was just being “kay-poh”.
My greatest fear was going alone, as my sense of direction had been rather bad. So having the 3 ladies with me was a godsend. So were the many location maps strategically positioned in this nature park.
Depending on where you stay in Singapore, starting from Hillview MRT may or may not post a challenge. For me, I could reach the starting point after a short LRT + MRT ride. Oh yes, LRT ride! If you are seated at the front of the train, it can be as fun as a mild roller-coaster. That’s what my kids used to do when they were little.
OK, back to hiking… Near the Diary Farm Nature Park is Singapore Quarry. Along the way, you may be able to pick up some Buah Saga, the little red seeds that get poets to start penning their romantic stories.
Let’s focus on Diary Farm Nature Park. What have we discovered?
Firstly, there are many fallen trees, giant leaves and vines, for visitors to make their “Kodak moments”:
Secondly, many photographers and birdwatchers are there during the weekends to do what they love best. Look at this guy below, his lens probably costs more than all my gadgets combined!
Thirdly, there is no cow in this Diary Farm Nature Park, unless you count the following calf in the Wallace Education Centre as one. In 1929, Cold Storage acquired a 24 hectare plot of land north of Bukit Timah Hill and imported a herd of Friesian cattle to start a milk production project. This plot of land is now called Diary Farm Nature Park.
Fourthly, there is a 1-km jungle trail called Wallace Trail near Wallace Education Centre, for those who need to get away from modern civilisation. Cool, refreshing, and the only sound you can hear are sound of leaves rustling, your foot step and birds chirping.
Fifthly, Bukit Timah Hill, the tallest hill in Singapore, is within reach. However, the flight of stairs from the Wallace Education Centre to the summit can post a challenge to those who have not exercised regularly. Reaching the highest point in Singapore calls for another Kodak moment!
Last but not least, the hawker centre on top of Beauty World sells really yummy food, good for us to continue bonding after an exercise.
Being engineering-trained, I am no good at writing non-technical articles. But the purpose of this article is to encourage you to explore Diary Farm Nature Park + Singapore Quarry + Bukit Timah Hillarea, either with your friends or when there is a hike organised by Singapore Hiking.
See you in the nature park or up the hill!
值班编辑：Chief Lee
图片提供：新加坡徒步平台
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