Showboat to China

By GLYN MAY*

We never did quite make it to the End of the Earth, which probably explains why we're still here and not drifting around for eternity, a mere speck in the junkyard of space.

But not so many centuries ago, legions of less prudent travellers, curious sceptics no doubt, simply stepped off the edge and vanished without trace.

Anyway, that's the gospel according to Mr Peng, a tour guide possessed of boundless enthusiasm and a slippery grip on Chinese mythology.

This, he proclaimed, is "the most best place in the world", conveniently forgetting that only 20km away (according to folklore) stood the open door to timeless infinity.

Mr Peng's patch of turf is the quiet little seaport of Sanya that clings precariously, in geographical terms, to the lower tip of Hainan Island, China's most southerly piece of real estate.

Legend has it that Sanya or more precisely, its nearby headland of Tianya-Haijiao (literally, edge of the sky, rim of the sea) marked the limit of civilisation and came to be known as the End of the Earth.

The first human settlement on Hainan Island took place 6000 years ago and it became part of China in 200 BC. During the Tang Dynasty, rebel officers were banished to Sanya, although, having arrived, many must have wondered at their good fortune.

These days, this droplet in the South China Sea, with a history as ancient and fascinating as mainland China, revels in its rediscovery by the splendid cruise ship SuperStar Leo of the Star Cruises line out of Hong Kong,

Located on the same latitude as Hawaii, Sanya enjoys spring-like weather most of the year with temperatures averaging 25C in July and 28C in January, and an average seven hours of sunshine a day.

No wonder that throughout the province, quite contrary to the way of the industrious Chinese, life meanders along at a pace commensurate with a tropical paradise.

A highlight of any visit to Sanya is Yalong Bay, a resort 30km west of the port on Hainan. Our bus excursion took us to a 7000m-long crescent-shaped beach, where we could dive in crystal-clear waters, try a nearby 36-hole golf course, go rock climbing and hiking.

Other tourist spots within striking distance for cruise-ship daytrippers include a pearl culture centre and the Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone which features three theme parks.

On the day of our visit to Sanya, with the temperature hovering around 30C, our culturally bereft little group, having escaped from Mr Peng's clutches and his five-hour End of the Earth tour, strolled Sanya's white-sand city beach and tree-lined sidewalks where restaurants specialise in traditional Hainan dishes such as Hele crab, Wencheng chicken, Jiaji duck and Dongshan mutton, washed down with coconut juice or a bewildering variety of Chinese teas.

After a day ashore, the lure of SuperStar Leo's elegant, five-star hotel ambience beckons.

At 76,800 gross tonnes, the 13-deck mega-liner offers freestyle cruising (sit where you like at meal times and no regimentation) a choice of 14 restaurants and bars, some of which are open 24 hours, a casino, private karaoke rooms, disco, swimming pool, library, cinema, the list of pleasurable amenities is almost endless.

Youngsters are catered for with their own pool, video games, disco, cinema and computer centre.

For locals, the SuperStar Leo cruises provide an ideal escape from the frenzy of Hong Kong and, for tourists, an excellent add-on to any tour package.

Hong Kong has undergone tremendous changes since this writer's first visit more than 30 years ago during its rollicking post-war heyday as a British colony.Today, the sprawling, super-efficient new international airport built off northern Lantau island and the stunning Tsing Ma Bridge are only two of the plethora of eye-boggling monuments to Chinese and international commercial enterprise that define 21st century Hong Kong.

Sadly, in my absence, some landmarks have gone - in particular the Boomerang Bar, a literary watering hole in Kowloon operated by the outrageous Hot Pants Molly Malone whose business card - with its dire warning "no calls after 3am" - became a collector's item.

In its place as an ex-pat hangout, is a brash Aussie-themed restaurant, Ned Kelly's Last Stand, offering Bondi Barbecue, Murrumbidgee Mixed Grill and Townsville Tuna Treat.

More appropriate to Hong Kong's affluence is the groovy Pit Stop bar and restaurant close to the elegant, superbly-located Harbour Plaza Hotel on Kowloon harbourside.

Magical Hong Kong harbour endures as one of the world's most awesome sights especially from the top deck of SuperStar Leo at nightfall, gliding past a fairyland of lights, twinkling skyscraper apartment and office blocks stacked shoulder to shoulder like giant sentinels. Tangible proof that, at least in this burgeoning corner of the world, the end of the earth is nowhere in sight.

Case notes

SuperStar Leo operates five- and three-night cruises from Hong Kong year-round with routes changing every six months. Until March 31 next year it will visit Halong Bay and Sanya on three-night voyages, plus Haikou for the five-night cruise.

* What it costs

Prices start at $1159 a person for three nights, cruise-only. Most travel agents sell the Star Cruises products.

Cathay Pacific flies from Auckland to Hong Kong twice daily. Expect to pay around $2100 for an economy class (high season) return to Hong Kong from Auckland. Ph (09) 379 0861.

* Advisory

New Zealand passport holders do not require a visa to visit Hong Kong or to make shore tours at various ports of call in China, Vietnam and other countries in the region. Passports must be valid for three months.

* Glyn May was a guest of Cruise Spirit International on the SuperStar Leo and the Harbour Plaza Hotel, Kowloon.

Star Cruises