Whilst like many of you, I enjoy visiting and photographing new and exciting places, some of my favourite shots have in fact been captured right on my own door step. For many, the city of Hong Kong conjures up images of glass and concrete-laden skyscrapers with endless shopping and culinary experiences. It would therefore be difficult to imagine that over forty percent of its land area is protected countryside. There are not many cities in the world where one is able to enjoy a walk in the countryside within 15 minutes of the central business district. Only a little further afield are two of my favourite photographic locations - Mai Po wetlands and Hong Kong Geopark.

Situated in the New Territories in the north western part of Hong Kong, Mai Po and the Inner Deep Bay area lie at the heart of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which extends 13,000 km from the Arctic Circle through Southeast Asia to Australia and New Zealand. In recent years, over 60,000 water birds have wintered in and around the area, including endangered species such as Saunders's Gull and a quarter of the world's population of the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill. More than 380 bird species, both migratory and resident, have been recorded in the wetlands.

The north east coastal fringes of Hong Kong are an area of outstanding natural beauty and encompass Hong Kong Geopark. With the support of UNESCO, each designated national geopark serves to conserve and protect the unique landforms and landscapes in the area. Among Hong Kong’s geopark atrractions are High Island, Sharp Island, Tolo Channel, Double Haven, Tung Ping Chau and the Ung Kong and Ninepin groups of islands.