Our Sunday morning walk today is at Coney Island Park. The last time we visited Coney Island was ten years ago. How time flies! You may read that
blog here.
There are two entrances to Coney Island Park. We entered via the East gate the last time so this time, we decided to enter from the West gate.
A bit of history here. Formerly known as Pulau Serangoon (English: Serangoon Island), the island was once owned by entrepreneur siblings Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par when they bought it on 7 Oct 1936. An Indian businessman, Ghulam Mahmood, took over the island on 4 Apr 1950 with the intention of turning the island into a resort modelled after the amusement area at Coney Island, New York. However, the path was never realised. On 21 Nov 1972, Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) purchased the island to develop for recreation purposes.
Managed by the National Parks Board, the 81 hectares nature park is home to a wide variety of habitats, including coastal forests, grasslands and mangroves.
Below is one of the island’s bird-watching hides to observe birds and wildlife up close without alarming them. More than 80 species of resident and migratory birds have been spotted at Coney Island Park thanks to its different habitats.
From the centre of the island, we turned out to the Coney Island Park Connector along the Serangoon Reservoir.
We had a great view of Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) campus from across the reservoir.
Other than hikers, we saw many visitors cycling in the park. The park’s rustic terrain makes cycling bumpy at times, but it’s still a breezy and enjoyable experience that won’t take up too much time. Cycle along the 2.5km Coney Island Park Connector, with the occasional pretty promenade view of Serangoon Reservoir.
From the park entrance, we had a clear view of Johor Port.
There is no car park on Coney Island. As such, we parked our car at Punggol Point, next to Punggol Settlement. There is a small man-made pond where pigeons and terrapins live in harmony.
