The north-westerly wind, which lends its name to the cliff-top nature park between Golden and Anchor Bay, is deceptively refreshing, yet the fierce sun grills the back of unprotected necks.
The month of March was already seeing temperatures hitting the 20s. So it was with a sense of apprehension that I set off to walk the length of Malta’s only nature park. On a clear day, packing a hat, water and sunscreen is top of the list when preparing for a hike at Majjistral Park.
Anyone who reacts with a horror on hearing Malta divided into “the North” and “the South” may not have been impressed by the constitutional adoption of the regions as Malta Majjistral and Malta Xlokk. That was by an act of the local councils that lasted 16 years and was abolished in 2009. We are now back to Northern and Southern with the Central region in between. The alluring name Majjistral is not lost and has been adopted by Malta’s optimistically named “first natural national park”.
Venture onto the garigue on a weekday and you may experience the solace of not seeing another person for hours. That is, unless a guided tour organised by the park’s office is in progress.
A posse of horseback riders does a daily sunset tour from the nearby riding school, hooves gently clip-clopping over the trails.
Peace at Majjistral Park is disturbed, especially at weekends, when a voice blaring on a microphone carries across the open expanse from Popeye Village, which holds children’s parties and weddings.
According to park ranger Darren Saliba, sometimes fireworks are let off at night from this venue. This is startling for nesting birds, in particular the Yelkouan shearwater colony that breeds on the nearby cliff face.
On a Sunday at the park’s north end you can hear the thud of gunshot from a shooting range across Mellieħa Bay. Your best bet is a weekday for better quality rambling.
More volunteers are needed, even if they can only give a few hours of their time
Weekends bring the crowds, and sadly the litter. It occupies park staff and volunteers on three early morning forays covering different sections of the park. They remove plastic bottles and other rubbish left behind by visitors who have not yet learnt to take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints.
Although there is another entrance to the park, past Manikata church, weekday visitors who choose the southern entrance, past abandoned WWII buildings, will find that one of these barracks has been converted into an information centre. Here they can pick up maps and brochures and learn more about what to see.
Families, and flash mobs with landrovers, tend to commandeer the barracks area on weekends. But once through the crush, the park is all yours to enjoy, with dizzying views over Rdum id-Delli. This translates as “shadowy cliff” – which is only true until the afternoon sun comes around, so it’s best to make sure you have enough water.
Enforcement officers from the Lands Authority are trying to contact the person who attempted to build around and demolish a historic gunpost in Majjistral Park.This more strenuous walk is probably best avoided in very hot weather, even if the breeze feels pleasant enough at the clifftop.
Riddled with too many random pathways, the park has in the last few years seen closure of paths not needed but is obliged to keep a path open if it leads to an area under lease within the park. The aim is to regenerate the garigue’s biodiversity and limit trampling in the hope that visitors will obey the rules and stick to the path.
Nature’s capability to repair itself can be surprising and the park management makes sure to plant unnecessary pathways with species that promote biodiversity and attract bees. Clearing of paths from stones is another job requiring input of volunteers although the park does get some help on this from the horse riding school as it benefits the horses too.
There is conflict with some quad bike companies as these are among the vehicles not permitted to enter the park area. Despite being cautioned, this activity continues. Park rangers work Monday to Friday, so if you are at the park on the weekend and see off-roaders, send photos to info@majjistral.org so that the offenders may be identified.
Light pollution from Popeye Village and the hotel at Golden Bay are an issue, although the hotel did co-operate when the turtles were hatching, and switched off much of the outdoor lighting. Fireworks let off from Popeye Village at night is a disturbance to birds in the park area. Despite being against park regulations, campfires are lit on weekends and a 2015 change in legislation led to extended hunting hours.
Rangers are restricted to reporting misdemeanours but depend on the authorities to book offenders for illegal hunting, off-roading, and so forth. Despite the Administrative Law Enforcement reportedly having more equipment than the regular police force, the response time is “very lame”. Sometimes the rangers wait hour upon hour, and by time the enforcement do show up the miscreant is long gone.
More volunteers are needed at the park, even if they can only give a few hours of their time. A call has been put out to fill a job vacancy for a part-time co-ordinator of walking events and media to join the team.
This is Anne Zammit’s last regular column for the paper.
Described on some maps as a “cave”, this covered observation post offers a spectacular view over the boulder scree and seascape below.