A reserve that should have been preserved

When I caught a train to Tamsui, my eyes followed a trail running parallel to the tracks that continued all the way to the last MRT station. On the journey I spotted so many pieces of garbage it seemed like someone had tipped a box of never-ending litter along the route.

UBC’s Botanical Gardens’ North Gardens

A group of university students rushed ahead of me leaving the Asian gardens. They turned into the tunnel that went under South West Marine Drive to the North Garden.

Fresh water turtle hike

Within Turtle Swamp Wetlands, there was a wide trail amongst Australia’s best vegetation. If I’d visited in the spring, the ground would have been covered in wildflowers. But when I arrived on Russell Island, it was winter, or at least that’s what the locals thought a twenty-three degree day was.

Turtle Swamp Wetlands

While trees were being bulldozed to build more houses, Russell Island’s Turtle Swamp Wetland was preserved. This was a place to soak up the beautiful squiggly bark gum trees, grass trees and paper barks.

Drifting across the straight

While I wandered through Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the north side of Singapore Island, I kept seeing highrise buildings and hearing droning traffic in the distance.

Sungei Buloh Wetlands’ Coastal Trail

There were silver fish cutting up the water in the tidal ponds, but it was hard to discover what kind they were. Along the Coastal Trail when I peered into the water past Kingfisher Pond, a whole other world opened up. A variety of creatures intertwined and swam in a maze like world.

Creatures of Sungei Buloh Wetlands

I may have been on edge about crocodiles while I walked through Singapore’s northern wetlands, but the sight of a huge lizard didn’t make me relax either.

Buloh Tidal Ponds

On the Migratory Bird Trail of Sungei Buloh Wetlands, I soon discovered the warnings posted about crocodiles.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Mangrove Boardwalk

There was something artistic about the large leaved mangrove of the wetland reserve located on the north side of Singapore Island. The roots curved over like bent backs grasping the muddy swamp beneath.

Carmanville Wetlands

Musgrave Harbour turned out to be a nice surprise. Not only did I stay in a cute two-bedroom cabin where I had a washing machine, but there was a great beach with lots to explore and a good restaurant right against the sea.