Oh, What A Shame!

Brighton Beach, also known as Tanjung Lobang Beach, is probably the most popular beach in Miri and it forms part of Taman Selera, Miri’s oldest recreational park. Since my retirement at the end of May this year, I have been to this beach several times. I find it a great place to have a stroll and to just relax and enjoy nature.

With over an hour before I was due to pick up my son from work, I again dropped by Taman Selera today. The weather was bright and sunny; the beach looked lovely and the sea was rather calm. A truly beautiful combination!

Strolling slowly along the beach, I was on the watch-out for anything that may be interesting. As usual, little crabs scurried along the beach, darting quickly into their hideouts in the sand as soon as I got too near them. I am always fascinated by the trails left in the sand by these tiny crabs.

I chanced upon two sea shells on the beach but I just took photos of them, not wanting to take them though I was tempted to. Let others enjoy the joy of seeing such sea shells.

Patterns formed in the sand by the waves, sea water  and wind can be interesting to photograph as the texture can be pretty.  They are nature’s art pieces!

A couple of teenagers were playing in the shallow water on the beach.  One of them was flying a kite. It was a picture of peace and relaxation.

I saw a few anglers on the rocks at the end of a jetty-cum-pier. There are two such piers extending out to the sea and they offer great views of the coastline and the Bay Resort Condominiums. I made my way to the pier where the anglers were. From where I was on the beach, I need to climb up rocks to reach the pathway to the pier.

Once I was on the jetty, a shocking sight awaited me. The jetty was in terrible condition, with a lot of missing planks and railings. A lot of the corroded railings lay on the rocks beside and under the jetty. You really need to tread carefully to go out to the end of the pier. The last section of the pier was completely without any planks. I had to walk on the concrete supports of the pier to reach the place where the anglers were.

I did not have time to visit the other pier but from the photos that I took of it using my zoom lens, I could see that it is also missing some railings though its condition is probably not as bad as the one I visited.

The piers are victims of the forces of nature. The strong winds and waves must have tormented them over the years. And the sea wind and waves, being salty, have corroded the railings. Don’t lean against any of the railings as you may have a nasty fall if the corroded rails collapse. I would strongly advise against parents bringing their kids to these jetties as it can be dangerous.

I wish the relevant authorities would do something about the piers. It is such a crying shame to see the two beautiful piers in such a dilapidated condition. And please take action before any mishaps happen at these piers!