Discovering Anduki Park

Hafiizah Maideen
BELAIT
Sunday, January 3, 2016

TUCKED away in the corner between Seria town and Lumut, is a recreational park known to the locals as Anduki Recreational Park.

Built sometime in 1992, the park is located on the roadside of the old road connecting Lumut-Seria and Kuala Belait. It was constructed to commemorate the silver jubilee of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. The project was developed by Brunei Shell Petroleum.

Originally, the park is a series of abandoned natural sand pit – formed due to its location near the coast. These flooded sand pits were transformed into a 53-hectare landscaped leisure area, whereby the former deep sandpits have been converted into a broad lake in the middle of the recreational area.

Back then, the lake serves as the focal point for a range of recreational activities including fishing, boating and windsurfing. Recently, it became popular for radio-controlled (RC) boats race. The rising popularity of the race has led to a newly constructed RC boat station – two-storeys in height, where racers can easily watch over their game.

Due to this facility, the park has often became the site of RC Boats championship in Belait district. Local RC boat racer Abdul Musa said that interest in the activity in Belait has risen since the RC boat station was built.

“It helps a lot of the racers, rather than playing the game on the same ground level as the lake,” Abdul Musa said. “The new waterfront is also helpful for viewers, and the fixed facilities – prayer hall and washrooms – have made the park more visitor-friendly.”

Various renovations has given the park its beautiful surroundings and facilities that are enjoyed by the public today.

In addition to the newly constructed RC boat station, a 3.2-kilometre jogging track has been constructed – one of the tracks goes around the lake. These tracks are also suitable for cyclists and leisure walkers.

Picnic spots have been renovated and equipped with shelters to provide shade and seating, along with designated barbecue pits.

Speaking to one of the joggers in the area, Mohd Izam Aswandi said that while the place is popular because of the RC race, the recent renovations has made the park come alive with families during Friday to Sunday afternoons.

According to Mohd Izam, parts of the jogging track which surrounds the lake was disconnected for some time in 2014.

“It was fixed recently, and a lot of people have taken the opportunity for a leisure walk surrounding the lake,” said the Seria resident, who frequents the park after working hours.

The site is also landscaped with attractive plants and shrubs, with tall trees found in coastal areas providing a nice natural shade for the joggers. The playground area has also been enlarged; other new additions include a waterfront and refurbished washrooms and praying hall.

However, certain sightings of crocodiles have made visitors more aware when having picnics or activities in the area; warning signs have also been put up near the lake. Its location near to Belait’s only airfield – Anduki airfield – also means that the sound of helicopters would be inevitable throughout certain times of the day.

The Brunei Times