The much-anticipated day finally arrived on 12 September 2008, when the new Pengarah officially reported for duty at the Keningau Teachers Training Institute (IPG Keningau). I volunteered - half proudly, half playfully - to be her driver and escort for the journey.
Instead of taking the familiar Kota Kinabalu–Penampang-Tambunan-Keningau highway, we opted for the then-newly opened Kota Kinabalu–Papar–Kimanis–Keningau route. This highway had already attracted controversy because of its steep slopes. In some sections, the gradient reaches an astonishing 18%, well above the recommended 12%. At first, I was skeptical. But after driving through it, I realized there was little choice - after all, the road must cut across the rugged Crocker Range. Perhaps tunneling, extensive hill cutting, or even elevated highway structures could have made it more driver-friendly, but such options would have driven the cost sky-high. Understandably, economic considerations prevailed.
That said, the drive itself was nothing short of spectacular. The sweeping views alone made the journey memorable. On the return trip to Kota Kinabalu, the sight of Kimanis Bay shimmering in the distance was simply breathtaking. At certain stretches, I felt transported elsewhere - the winding descents evoked memories of the Sydney-Newcastle drive, some coastal views brought back the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, while other landscapes reminded me of my journeys to Augusta in Southwestern Australia.
For all its design flaws, the road left me with a sense of wonder, both for its daring engineering and for the memories it stirred.
No comments:
Post a Comment