Welcome to the quintessential Hong Kong experience: The Star Ferry!!
Named by National Geographic as one of the "Fifty Places of a Lifetime", crossing Victoria Harbour on a Star Ferry is undoubtedly one of the "must-do" activities when visiting Hong Kong.
Hop aboard this piece of history and enjoy unrivalled sights of Hong Kong's unforgettable skyline!
In order to claim this cache, you will have to get on board one of the famous star ferries and cross Victoria Harbour. While on board, you will have to hunt around for various pieces of information and answer the following questions:
(You only have to answer ONE set of questions, depending on which deck you are on!)
UPPER DECK
1. What is the name of the ferry you are on?
2. What is the unique number of your ferry printed on every lifebuoy?
3. Find the copper plaque on the ferry's central column.
In what yard number was your ferry constructed?
4. Find the printed diagram of the ship.
How many passengers can be loaded in First Class?
5. Somewhere on the upper deck is a small door that leads to the lower deck.
Are you allowed to use this door?
6. OK, find a seat to sit down and enjoy the view.
On your seat is a star. How many holes are the star made of?
7. Please feel free to attach some photos of your adventure on the ferry - EXTRA POINTS if you can get a selfie with some of the ferry crew!!
LOWER DECK
1. What is the name of the ferry you are on?
2. What is the unique number of your ferry printed on every lifebuoy?
3. Somewhere in the engine room is a copper plaque (you cannot enter the engine room, but you can look inside)
What is the Engine Number of the ferry?
4. How many cylinders does the engine have?
5. Find the bridge.
How many spokes are on the Ship's Wheel?
6. How many anchors are on the ferry? (hint: it's more than two!)
7. Please feel free to attach some photos of your adventure on the ferry - EXTRA POINTS if you can get a selfie with some of the ferry crew!!
Please send your answers via e-mail or messaging system within four weeks of logging the cache.
Usefull information:
1. This is a VIRTUAL CACHE - there is no physical container and no log book. To prove that you visited the GZ you have to send the answers to ONE set of the above questions to the CO within 4 weeks of logging your find.
2. You will have to pay to use the Star Ferry. Don't worry, it's still the cheapest ticket to cross a harbour anywhere in the world!!
The price is between HKD2.20 and HKD3.70 depending on day of week and deck used.
You can pay cash (before boarding) or use an Octopus card.
3. The Central - TST ferry runs from 06:30 to 23:30 at intervals not exceeding 12 minutes.
The Wan Chai - TST ferry runs from 07:30 to 22:50 at intervals not exceeding 20 minutes.
Complete details here: Star Ferry Website
4. You can board the ferry at 3 locations: TST (Tsim Sha Tsui) Star Ferry Pier; Central Star Ferry Pier; Wan Chai Star Ferry Pier.
See "traihead waypoints" for exact locations.
5. Before entering the ferry pier building, you can choose to enter the Upper or Lower deck of the ferry.
The lower deck is much more interesting as it contains views of the engine room and bridge!
The upper deck has two air conditioned compartments.
6. Every night at 8PM Victoria harbour lights up in a multimedia frenzy of lights, lasers and LED screens called The Symphony of Light. This is an extra special time to cross the harbour on a Star Ferry!
7. Not all the ferries are exactly the same. If you cannot answer a specific question, don't worry, just answer as many as you can.
8. The Shining Star is used for daily harbour sightseeing trips. Prices and schedule available here: Star Ferry Harbour Tour
History of The Star Ferry
The Star Ferry is an active passenger ferry service and huge tourist attraction in Hong Kong.
The service operates across Victoria Harbour and has been run by the Star Ferry Company since 1888.
The first ferry to cross the harbour in 1870 was a steam-driven, twin-screw wooden-hulled boat and was called "Morning Star". The trip took up to one hour!
By 1898, the fleet was up to four and each boat averaged 150 crossings per day.
In 1941 the six active ferries were confiscated and used by the Japanese for military purposes. Two ferries were used to transport POWs from Sham Shui Po to Kai Tak airport.
In 1943 the Golden Star and Electric Star was bombed and sunk by the Americans. Both ferries was recovered after the war and returned to service.
In 1966 a fare increase of 5 cents (25%) caused a 27-year-old student to go on hunger strike in protest at the Edinburgh Place terminal. His arrest sparked the 1966 Hong Kong Riots.
Since the opening of the Cross Harbour Tunnel in 1972, passenger numbers have declined steadily over the years. The Star Ferry Company currently runs at a loss every year, but are subsidised for it's historical and tourism value. To increase revenue, the Shining Star is used for daily Harbour Tours and some ferries can be chartered for private tours or functions.
Today there are 9 "4th generation" diesel powered ferries left in the fleet and they ferry 55 000 passengers per day between TST, Central and Wan Chai - still providing the cheapest option to cross the harbour.
They were all built between 1958 and 1965 and their names are:
Meridian Star
Solar Star
Northern Star
Night Star
Day Star
Shining Star
Twinkling Star
Morning Star
Silver Star
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.