Hexagonal columns in High Island Reservoir are rare geological
treasures.
Millions years ago erupted volcanic materials were deposited in a
caldera. When the materials were cooling down, they moved towards
the center. As a result, contraction centers were closely packed
and distributed evenly on the surface of the rock. Besides Hong
Kong, there are just a few other places in the world where
hexagonal columns can be found, such as Northern Ireland's Giant's
Causeway and California's Devil's Postpile National Monument.
Devil's Postpile is close to Mono Lake and Yosemite National Park.
I visited Devil's Postpile a few years ago, but I found that it has fewer
Hexagonal columns than its Asian counterpart.
In the past Hong Kong people were not aware of the artistic and
scientific values of these hexagonal columns. Promoting
geo-tourism is a very recent phenomenon. Hong Kong National
Geopark system, which was inaugurated on November 3, 2009, covers
eight sites, including High Island Reservoir. This fairly new
geopark is still under-developed. No shuttle route from the city to
the park has been established yet, and thus usually hikers take a taxicab to
get there. Further, the under-used trails are concealed by plants,
and fortunately this time my friend who is an experienced hiker
was my guide.
