Labrador Nature Reserve @ Keppel
Another weekend and another park cum nature reserve. Today it was the turn of Labrador. This is much much smaller than previous adventures but quite unique. We started in the jungle at the top of the cliff looking at WWII 6″ gun placements and tunnels for ammunition. We then migrated down to the beach and park area, including wild chickens all over the place. Then a quick walk around the park including machine gun nests, playgrounds and dragon’s teeth, before finishing with a boardwalk and ending up in Keppel Marina overlooking multi-billionaire’s investments in floating things.
An absolutely cracking day. Well worth a read with some very interesting Daddy-Pedia facts about our little Red Dot…
Here comes;
Labrador Nature Reserve @ Keppel
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EXPLORERS ARRIVAL
As I said above, it is tiny in comparison to others. MacRitchie Reservoir Nature Reserve, for example, has a 10.8Km boardwalk around it. This is a few Km max. But it is good fun, nonetheless, with a couple of playgrounds, a huge pier, a mini Siloso with guns and tunnels, and the boardwalk. It really is worth a visit. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the chickens. Gangs of chicken…
The kids are doing what Wifey and I normally have to do every day of the week with these two about… My Grandad was in WWII in Artillery and we still have his service medals for the campaigns he fought for us in Europe and Africa. He never got to Asia, but these would be the very same sort of guns he was stationed on, just mobile versions, and I took great pride talking about him to his great-grandkids today. Lest we forget you, Joe. Much love, always!
Daddy-Pedia time with regards to the artillery here; It used to be known as Pasir Panjang Beach, which translated from Malay, means Long Beach. The area used to have a long strip of coastal land at high tide and a rocky beach at low tide. Clearly why it was a potentially Singapore Island invasion point from the sea and the beaches, hence having a lot of battery placements and the machine gun nests. Also, and more so evident today, why PSA has constructed the monster port terminal there = safe port haven.
We got a taxi to drop us off by this rather amazing Thai restaurant (one to try next time) called Tamarind Hill. There used to be a British military base/fort here, known as Fort Pasir Panjang, right on top of the sea-facing cliff, which is unique to Singapore. Apparently first constructed around the 1890s. The cliff’s high vantage-point led the British government to identify it as a strategic defence site to protect the entrance to Keppel Harbour and it became one of nine locations on Red Dot where the Brits set up gun batteries as part of the Singaporean British defence system.
In the 1930s there was worry about of friends the Japanese developing a mighty naval force, and the British military strove to make the beach an element of a so-called “impenetrable fortress” as part of their strategy to turn Singapore into a powerful military base akin to “Gibraltar of the East”. How about that? There is a myth that because the Japanese actually attacked from Malaysia crossing the Straits to the North that the British were caught with their pants down and could not even turn the guns round that faced into the sea only. Yes, the Brits were caught out it seems, but the myth re the guns not having a 360-degree turning circle are incorrect. Those bad boys could fire a shell 10Km in pretty much any direction.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SOME VIDEO ADVENTURES
I spotted this massive Box Jellyfish. I surely won’t be swimming in there any time soon…
One of the many pill-boxes, AKA machine-gun nests, dotted along the beach-front. These were tiny and I can only imagine how hot and uncomfortable they were. Clearly not so uncomfortable as those trying to land at any beach that their line-of-fire covered though…
I reckon we might come back with some fishing gear next time we come… Have not fished off a piece since forever. In Singapore, I have only fished off boats so far. This pier is crying out for Jude Jude and I.
Some beautiful wild cranes have flown in on their migratory path to settle at the nature reserve and outlying Pasir Pajang. Elegant things they are silhouetted in the every-greying skies over the sea.
Look how lush this is here. And because it is the only place in Singapore with natural sea-cliffs the jungle goes up and up and up. It’s quite incredible to see the different layers of different trees and plant-life. Plus you want to see the stunning butterflies, dragon-flies, humming-birds, cicadas, and yes bloody chickens everywhere…
Kids getting some lovely fresh air and exercise in this super-green reserve. So very bloody hot today, and very humid too. We’re off to the Dragon’s Teeth rocks, which are the renowned pirate marker for the safe entrance to Keppel Harbour. “Arrrrrrghhhhhh Matey…”
Some more Daddy-Pedia now about our mate Keppel, Dragon’s Teeth & Pirates; Keppel Harbour or the Keppel Channel, is a stretch of water between our main island and outlying islands of Pulau Brani & Sentosa. With natural shelter and deep waters, it was the perfect place for our mates the British colonists to kick off a new maritime location for Far East trading, and that is how Singapore eventually became a successful independent state.
Back in August 1819, a chap named William Farquhar found it and reported back his discovery to Sir Stamford Raffles. He mentioned a new harbour that was inhabited by sea Gypsies, loving known as Orang Laut. In the 1830s this was also a haven for pirates, come on you’ve all seen Pirates of the Caribbean when they actually sail into Singapore and meet the Japanese actor playing a Chinese pirate??? By 1832 it was a very busy Government centre for Britain, busier than Penang & Malacca in fact. Around this time a due called Captain Henry Keppel (ah ha…) was sent over on a jolly to clear Singapore of the pirates, and whilst he was here he found the deep-water harbour and consequently had his name applied to it. You have to love a bit of Daddy-Pedia right? The harbour was finished in 1886.
We now leave Labrador Nature Reserve on one of the stunning boardwalks, heading our way to find some refreshments at the very same Keppel Marina mentioned above. Another habitat being explored now. That of the ‘those who can afford to love in 10k plus a month condos in Singapore-land’.
See what I mean…? So these two super-yachts are owned by the very same man. Singapore’s richest man in fact. Valued at some $20Bn USD that is a self-earnt fortune from manufacturing paint. I kid you not. Earnt in one-lifetime, and hey you can’t take it with you so why not. Both called White Rabbit too. The combined cost is circa $180m USD. Designed by Sam Sorgiovanni, Mr Goh’s latest trimaran, is the largest tri-hull and largest aluminium superyacht in the world at 84m. She is also the largest superyacht to be built in Australia. The big one has a constant live onboard crew of 36. OMG!!! I would love to do a ChillaxBBQ on that bad boy, sorry girl… ships are shes.
One of Singapore’s most stunning condo blocks is Keppel Reflections. It’s uber-cool all over from this to its pools, even to the bloody designer clubhouses. But with $$$ price-tickets to reflect. Hey, we’re from Siglap. We have beaches, boardwalks, restaurants and the like – hey we even have an airport & McDonalds – stick that up your fancy-schmancy looking condo design…
That was a long hot walk. So it is time to sit and chill and have a refreshing smoothy and some salty fries to build up the lost salts. A little playground for the Jude Jude and Wifi for Strawberry Blonde. Cool. Breezy. Yachty. A little Crazy Rich Asians going on, but hey little do they know who I am and that I am from Margate… One day, one day haha…
