A Point From The Point Nepean National Park

Chingshang *

Well, lots of my folks and friends do ask me the motives behind writings about some strange land hardly people familiar about in Manipur. Instead they advised me to write about the beautiful places, people, culture, customs and traditions of Manipur, all things Manipur and the stuffs like that. They always asked me what is the use of writing something about Melbourne or Australia or whatever. Yes, it kind of makes me feel an idiot writing some time pass materials seeking unsolicited attentions. But it's really funny and sort of interesting to me that as much as I go about and see things here, my feel, love and belongingness to my motherland increases manifold at any given moment. Absolutely, I like the very idea of close association with everything you do and think with our motherland.

The Point Nepean National Park

In fact, sometimes or many times I wonder whether Tobler's Law "Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things" works perfectly in tune with the way I think or I do my things. Why do I remember more about Manipur when physically I am way close to everything spatial in Australia? I understand there are many underlying factors that may answer this very question. I am not going to delve and dwell on this matter at the moment. I am going haywire and must stop here now. Well, I am here to share some random thoughts that spurts from a recent visit to Point Nepean National Park, one of Australia's most beautiful natural landscapes. This little travelogue intends to provide a small insight on why tourism is still very successful when many other industries falter over time.

Point Nepean National Park is located at the very tip and most westerly point of the Mornington Peninsula commanding magnificent vistas of Bass Strait, the Rip and Port Phillip Bay. The place is layered with different periods of rich Australian history and their foot marks and imprints are on open display till today and they are significant attractions that draw tourists and visitors apart from its beautiful sceneries. One can see and feel the workings of many historic military forts and tunnels here. This place was named after the British politician and colonial administrator Sir Evan Nepean in 1802 by John Murray, the explorer who discovered Port Phillip Bay. All right, let the history things skip here at the moment as it will take years to understand sufficiently.

Let's get down to the business and find out how Parks Victoria have helped maintain those rich historical past and wonderful landscapes as a sustainable tourism draw today. It is about 90 kilometers away from Melbourne city. It can be easily accessible through public transport system which I did use during the visit. I board the regular Flinders Street to Frankston train and by bus from Frankston to Portsea, the suburb where Point Nepean National Park entrance lies. The park area covers 470 hectares and it was established in 2005. The park opens everyday and highly accessible by foot or bicycle throughout the year. They provide many ways to explore the park areas through Bus tours, Canoeing and kayaking, bushwalking, coastal walking and of course, bicycle tours. There are sufficient picnic areas near the entrance of the park.

There are few things that really pull my attention in the services provided in the park. Firstly, there are numerous dedicated walking tracks, heritage trails, roads and look out points providing comfortable access to all the parts of the park. They are purpose built in such a way that they provide maximum accessibility to all the beautiful spots in the park. In fact, I followed the Coles trek from Quarantine Station to Cheviot hill to reach Fort Nepean, almost 4.5 kilometers walk, which was quite an incredible experience. I could have also alternatively followed the tarred road to reach Fort Nepean which I did when I returned back on the way. The forests in the park areas are so thick and dense that I just could not think of penetrating and criss – crossing even if I wanted to do. Secondly, the park areas can be hired for public events and functions after taking appropriate permits on time. Point Nepean National Park provides facilities for a range of events including wedding ceremonies and receptions, private functions, exhibitions, conferences and seminars, meetings, launches, picnics, fun runs and festivals.

The Point Nepean National Park

I have seen the event guidelines and application forms for events pro forma. They are unique and binding to all the stakeholders in the park, public and park authorities giving chances for everyone to enjoy the benefits of an extremely beautiful park and making the park sustain itself with minimal intervention. Thirdly, I am very fascinated by the hop on - hop off shuttle bus service and bicycle hire program inside the park. Of course, they not free of cost but they provide a very convenient help to explore the park area in its entirety. A $10 bus ticket which can be purchased from the Visitor Information centre will allow the visitors to get on and off the bus all along the way, or stay on until the end and return back to the stop they boarded from. One also can hire bicycles for $ 24.60 per day to explore the park area. But there are many steep and down areas along the way which demands one to be adequately fit to ride the bicycles in the park.

As I mentioned above, as much as I ventured out here, immediately my thoughts are transported back to Manipur and questions me lot more things which I have lot and lots of frustrated answers. Are we lagging behind from any other beautiful spots of the world? Are the titles "Switzerland of India” or "Jewel of India” just other sick jokes? How many of us really know about Manipur? Don't we have many breathtaking sceneries and tourists spots in Manipur? Are they accessible enough to pull visitors? Do we have all season roads to reach these tourists areas? Why don't the Government plan to shift or move those army barracks away from the tourists places? Are infrastructures the only bottlenecks to tourism development in Manipur or insurgency versus counter insurgency blame games more dangerous to tourism industry?

It's funny and really sad that people in Manipur could no longer enjoy their freedom in their own habitat. How many people are visiting Keibul Lamjao National Park, Siroy Lily, Dzuko Valley, Moreh, Zailad Falls, Kangkhui Caves, forget about Kangla at the heart of Imphal, and many other places without fear and intidimation? I doubt many might have the chances to witness stunning views of Imphal valley from Ngariyan hills, Nonmaiching and Laimatol range during the growing and ripening season of paddy fields. Words will always fail to describe how beautiful they are. So are views of Kabaw valley from various areas in Tengnoupal. I still remember the views of gleaming Loktak Lake from Lamdan Adventure Sports Complex and our trek from Lamdan to Thangjing range and from there to Moirang INA complex. Of late, many people are talking and visiting about Kakching Uyok ching. It is definitely a very good sign indicating the significance of public involvement in managing our own natural lands.

The Point Nepean National Park

In fact all the hill ranges encircling Imphal valley are potential walking trails that can be developed with or without government funding and infrastructure. We just need community understanding and coordination as all the different communities are significant stakeholders. This gains immense significance as many communities in Manipur today are volatile in the way they think and act as a result of many sectarian politics played by various vested interests groups. It's really a crazy feeling today that many people finds it Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and many other places are more beautiful and important than what we have in Manipur. This may be due to many reasons, most prominent being the feeling of inconvenience and lack of security in one's own place to explore and enjoy fully. I just cannot write highly of beauty of Manipur as they are no way second to any known and beautiful spots of the world. I agree, we do not possess the necessary allied accessories and infrastructures to supplement the naturally endowed beautiful landscapes of Manipur. But the reality is that ‘we don't have' attitude is more dominating and overpowering than ‘we can do it's feeling in our society today. Deforestation and environmental degradation in all the hills and dales of Manipur is taking its toll in many potential tourism areas.

What I have had observed from visiting Point Nepean National Park was that tourism is not all about building huge five star hotels, architectural marvels and big road projects. It's rather more about minimal or no intervention to existing natural settings with basic accessibility road networks. Providing safe walking trails in the park areas make a lot of sense especially when everyone in the tourism industry today is trying to switch on to eco mode. Tourism does not make any point when our own people could not participate, share and enjoy in our natural beauty. This is very significant for a state like Manipur when a lot people could not afford to go out of the state just to enjoy as a tourist or visitor to other parts of India for many reasons. First thing first, enable our tourists' spots to capture all our domestic visitors and allow them to sustain themselves. I don't know much about the Government's policies and programs of tourism development in the state as most of them took place behind closed doors in their drawing rooms. Only noticeable activity is the much fanfare Sangai Festival even though I have my own reservations despite its little tourism like activity.

It is for sure, tourism is one industry in Manipur that can stand the test of time provided if we start repairing our natural surroundings immediately and respond to their sensitivity accordingly. Tourism industry suffers a natural death when we destroyed our surroundings which are taking place rampantly in Manipur unchecked. It's high time we all understand that tourism department or whosoever will not be able to save our environment while promoting tourism as a viable industry for the people of Manipur. Tourism equates sustainable environmental protection at Point Nepean National Park. Can Keibul Lamjao National Parks be far behind?

Here are some cool links about Point Nepean National Park:s:
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/point-nepean-national-park ,
http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Mornington-Peninsula/Activities-and-attractions/Nature-and-wildlife/National-parks-and-reserves/Point-Nepean-National-Park.aspx