Chek Jawa is a place name in Pulau Ubin. Previously it is just a wetland that is not accessible to public. In 7 July 2007 NParks make it into a visitor accessible park. This trip is specifically to visit Chek Jawa Wetland.
To access the island, you have to go to the Jetty. It is just further down the food center in Changi Village.
The access to the jetty is via a building (circled in the picture). You have to go downstairs to the basement. There are two areas. One for Ubin and the other one for Pengeleh Malaysia. The ubin access is on the right hand side. There is no passport needed for Ubin access.
If there are not many people, you will have to wait at the waiting area. Twelve persons are required for the bump boat to begin the trip. You can hire the whole boat if you want. The trip is $3 one way per person. I don't know the price increased already as I read from blogs that it is only $2.50. No discount for kids and seniors. The trip itself is about 15 minutes. Its school holiday so I just need 5 minutes wait before embarking the boat.
I have planned a very indirect way of going to Chek Jawa. First detour is to the Sensory Trail.
The first picture I took is not yet identified. Its bud or fruit looks red.
Turning into Sensory Trail, there is yet a vine that I cannot identify.
Here is a moth that it not identified even though I post it on web for ID. It is a day flying moth.
The first identifiable picture is just a common grasshopper.
The next one is a butterfly that hides below leaves. Its probably a Common Awl.
Further down, I saw a vine from the Bean family but can't identify it.
Common Sailor are seen quite often, this one stays for a shot.
The last picture from Sensory Trail is a creeper. The tiny bean family plant is a Desmonium. Its full common name is Greater Clover-Leaved Desmonium. Sure sounds big even when it is tiny.
Turning into Jalan Ubin which is a metalled road, I saw a very white fungus. Its over exposed. Should have use digital camera instead of handphone.
Its hard to capture this insect as it never stops for a shot. This is a Common Mormon.
According to OpenStreeMap, there is a trail just before the junction. I missed that. I choosed the next trail at Jalan Durian just after the junction. Turned into the trail and met with a dead end. But it is still fruitful. Saw a funny looking flower. Only found out later that it is dead one. A live one looks nicer. Not able to identify.
At the end of Jln Durian saw a cute climber. Its leaf end curls up. Again blank on ID.
Instead of going into the one way path to wetland, I choose a detour path. The first thing I noticed is a Coral Fungus. A rare sight.
A Knight rests peacefully for a focus shot. Slightly out of position due to zooming with free hand.
This common hairy plant is a Hairy Clidemia
Further down the path saw a web. That owner is a silk Orb Weaver spider.
This female Tailed Jay is quite faded but its characteristics are still visible and intact.
Ixora lobbi is very common around here. Took one picture of its blooming flower but it is blurred. Settle for buds instead.
A family of wild boar walked right behind me across the path. I could only stood still and took a number of pictures. Only this one is clear. Flash is required but I do not want to startle the wild animals. Read from Netizens that wild boars here are friendly. One of them is famous but is dead and buried. I don't want to hang around them as they are still wild.
A Malay Viscount came out and stay right in my path. I obliged to take a picture of it.
Going back into the main path, I reached Chek Jawa Wetland. The first thing that surprises me is a Shed with Cold drink dispenser. There is no electrical lines linking to the wetland. Later I found out that there is a generator further behind.
I went into the jetty through a hut. Did not bother to take a picture of the hut. There is nothing worthy of a click around here.
Walking back to the shed and proceed to the bridged walk. Its high tide and I could not see anything that is worth taking at all. From the bridge walk, there is another Mangrove bridged walk. Went into it and bring out my GPS map. It could not get the GPS location. It is here that I noticed that the GPS is not available since I visited the Jetty earlier. It is probably due to me switching to Panorama Camera app to take a parorama view of the main island. Switched off GPS and back on and every thing goes well except that Endomondo does not capture the trail from Jetty to the Mangrove Walk. WikiLoc is working fine as it is in another handphone.
Nothing much to take picture all the way to the shed. I took a rest at the shed and some students were giving out survey sheets. I am obliged to fill in one. The young girl was surprised that I indicate no change needed. Obviously right? I am a naturalist, there is no reason to change the natural environment to artificial one.
They are surprised that a senior citizen walked 6.5 KM all the way from the main jetty. They are even more surprised that I am going to walk another 5KM. I did share Osmand and WikiLoc app to them to show how I can walk around easily.
The sky looks grumpy and thunders heard. Sadly all the insects go into hiding from then on. The rest of the route was just walking.
The outward bound route is also a one way route. Not surprising that there are cyclists who go the wrong way. After reaching Jln San Heng, I proceed North as planned even though it drizzles slightly now.
At the end of Jln San Heng, there is a beach. It is supposed to be a camping site. Surprised to see some barrier on the sea. I though it is kelong pikes but on the map it showed that the barrier stretches for miles along the coast. Don't know what is that for.
The return trip is supposed to go via a trail. It was closed. No choice but to take another trail further down the road. It is like a kampong trail that passes through a few houses. Again nothing interesting here.
After reaching Jln Ubin, saw from the map that there is another trail that leads to another wetland. Ventured into it and is disappointed that it is a dead end with construction in progress. On the way in heard a buzzling sound. It is a large group of bees moving house. I walked right pass it only to realize it after that. Luckily nothing happens and no sting received as a gift.
Turned into Jalan Batu Ubin instead of continuing through Jln Ubin as planned. There is nothing here worth taking pictures either. Reached the village and realized that they only sell seafood. Time to go back to main island.
Walked to the jetty and found that they are short of just one person. No waiting time to embark on to the bump boat. One thing I don't like embarking here. We have to walk through a number of other bump boats. It is a reason why I hesitate to bring handicapped people to Ubin.
The trip ended with late lunch in the food court.
The picasa album is
here.
WikiLoc route map is
here.
