Follow the heady scent of nutmeg and cloves north of Australia and west of New Guinea to explore the exotic Maluku Islands of Indonesia.
WE’RE ON A forest trail climbing Gamalama, a 1715m-high volcano in eastern Indonesia. Our goal is Afo, which, at more than 400 years old, is said to be the world’s oldest clove tree. The mossy path edges past a mountain stream where orchids greet us with wand-like spikes of creamy yellow flowers.
Higher up, beneath the forest canopy, there are cooling breezes, a hubbub of birdsong, and lacewing butterflies flitting between plants. We make it only as far as Afo’s younger sibling, Cengkeh, a 200-year-old, mostly bare-limbed relic. But no matter – just being here, deep in the ancestral forest of the spices that changed the world is inspiration aplenty.
This outing is a chance to shift tempo. Since sunrise, when our ship, Coral Discoverer, had eased into the passage between the volcanic peaks of Ternate and Tidore islands, my 39 fellow passengers and I have been on the go.
Once ashore in Ternate city, we were ushered through the hectic downtown to Fort Tolukko. Built by the Portuguese during the 16th century, the fort’s stone parapets reveal a sprawling vista of iron rooftops, shops and mosque spires.
At our next stop, the nearby sultan’s palace, we were treated to an official welcome with a joko kaha ceremony and dances while we sipped pungent, ginger-infused coffee. Then it was off to the markets and hills, our mini-bus drivers hustling through narrow backstreets abuzz with trucks and scooters. All the while, mighty Gamalama towered over everything, its summit wrapped in smoke whorls and steaming cloud.
Such is the upbeat mix of history, nature and humanity that makes Indonesia’s Spice Islands so engaging.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May - June 2019 من Australian Geographic Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May - June 2019 من Australian Geographic Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Loveday Internment Camp, SA A
DURING WORLD WAR II, civilians n Australia deemed \"enemy aliens\" - mostly those of German, Italian and Japanese descent were housed in internment camps.
THE STORYTELLERS OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
More than 100 dedicated Master Reef Guides are sharing the GBR's most important stories with visitors in a bid to inspire its greater protection.
A BEAUTIFUL DISASTER
Does last summer's mass coral bleaching event sound a death knell for Australia's beloved Great Barrier Reef? \"Not on my watch!\" is the message coming from he army of heartbroken, but resolute, marine scientists who've responded to the crisis by doubling down on their research.
AROUND AUSTRALIA IN 44 DAYS
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first aerial circumnavigation of Australia. Aviator Michael Smith retraces the flight in his unique amphibious flying boat, Southern Sun, starting and finishing at RAAF Base Point Cook, on Melbourne's Port Phillip, taking in 15,000km of vast, diverse and stunning coastline in between.
CLEAR-CUTTING KOALA COUNTRY
More than 3000sq.km of forests on NSW's Mid North Coast have been earmarked for the Great Koala National Park. But there's still work to be done before this proposed reserve becomes the safe haven koalas desperately need.
MORE THAN QUOKKAS
Sure, you can't avoid those cute little marsupials that made Rottnest Island world-famous, but there's so much more to life on this ocean-ringed jewel off the Western Australian coast.
A WILD POLO TUSSLE
It's an event reminiscent of a Banjo Paterson poem. For 35 years, in the High Country 200km east of Melbourne, city polo players have gathered annually at Cobungra, Victoria's largest cattle station, to vie with a rural team for the Dinner Plain Polo Cup.
Ancient know-how meets a modern challenge
Contemporary marine park management is infused with traditional knowledge to tackle new threats on the Great Barrier Reef.
LOOKING FOR TJAKURA
The search is on across Australia's deserts for a culturally important vulnerable lizard.
RESCUING THE CHUDITCH
After intensive planning, recovery for this endangered marsupial species is being stepped up to secure its future.