WE just have to share this as one of the great tourist side-trips in Hong Kong.
Aqualuna, a stunning re-creation of a Chinese junk familiar to the millions who view the ``fragrant harbour'' between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon mainland every day, has been assigned to a new service, carrying visitors to and from that other not-to-be-missed Hong Kong side-trip, Stanley Markets.
Aqualuna takes its name from its aqua restaurant group owners but why in the name of anything but crass commercialism they did not stick with its far more romantic Cantonese name of Cheung Po Tsai, I will never know.
Cheung Po Tsai was a notorious pirate, you see, who terrorised this stretch of the South China Sea at the turn of the (20th) century from his base on neighbouring Cheung Chau Island (which, in turn is another fabulous side trip from Hong Kong).
A bit of fantasy comes easy to the little boy in all of us grown-up blokes as Cheung Po Tsai picks up the wind and ploughs the briny around to Stanley on the southern side of the island.
Sure, you can catch a bus, take an organised tour, drive, or hire a cab to get to Stanley. But the sea trip, provided the weather is favourable. must be THE way to go.
The junk makes the 90-minute journey each Saturday and Sunday from either Public Pier No.1 or No.9 in Hong Kong's Central District, departing at noon from the former and 15 minutes later from the latter.
It arrives at Stanley's Blake Pier at 1.45 allowing ample time for the Stanley Markets trawl and something to eat and drink in one of many side-street cafes, pubs and restaurants before leaving on the return trip at 3.30pm. You are back at Central.
And before all those other Old Hong Kong hands berate me for locating Blake Pier at Stanley, it was moved it from its original location in Central in July 2007!
(The pier was named for Sir Henry Arthur Blake, 12th governor of Hong Kong, an Irishman who, it is said, knocked back an administrative post in Queensland - can you imagine - to run Hong Kong from 1898-1904).
Enough of the Old Colonial getting carried away: Back to Cheung Po Tsai.
The junk already has a reputation for rather special evening harbour cruises but its new, additional role, cruising the south side of the island with its craggy coastline, is doubly special.
Aboard the red-sailed junk, guests can lounge on luxurious, sunken sofas and cushions on the upper open deck in the sun or take a pew on the main deck absorbing the passing scenery and, in turn, the awesome Hong Kong skyline from the best possible vantage point - afloat!
This has to be one of the best value-for-money tourist outings, anywhere!
A one-way trip Central-Stanley costs HK$190 or HK$290 - that's all of about $38 or $58 Ozbucks including a ``beverage'' on each trip).
The return trip gets you back in Central around 5pm - in time to sign up for the night time harbour cruise.
For reservations and enquiries please call Hong Kong +852 2116 8821 or email aqualuna@aqua.com.hk.
(For the ``junkies'' out there, the 28 metre Cheung Po Tsai was hand built over 18 months by a veteran shipbuilder using traditional building methods. The craft has 1500 square feet of indoor/outdoor entertaining space over two decks. | 
