Tag Archives: ian burnet

A Journey Across Flores

Beyond Bali, much of Indonesia is unknown to many Australians. But in many respects, Indonesia is Australia’s most important overall relationship.  Yet the historical and cultural differences of our nearest neighbour are vast, possibly among the widest of any pair … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Durian – The King of Fruits

The durian is known as the ‘King of the Fruits’ a label that can be attributed to its huge size (up to 7kg for some varieties), formidable look, and (for some)  an overpowering odour. With this size and this crazy … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

A Little Flight Reading

Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia Ian Burnet, Rosenberg Press, $39.95 An article from ‘The Australian’ – January 16, Travel Section – Graham Erbacher Is your body back at work but head and heart still on holidays? Time for a good … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spicing things Up! – with Spice Art

  Jameel Prize 3 Laurent Mareschal was born Paris, where he is still based. Much of his work is underpinned by a preoccupation with incommunicability, and therefore invites audience involvement. Mareschal lived in Israel for several years, and his work … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The (almost) Forgotten Founder of Singapore

I posted the following blog about William Farquhar and Singapore a year ago. I have always been surprised by the lack of recognition in Singapore for its co-founder William Farquhar. Please correct me if I am wrong but I cannot … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Giant nutmegs found in Singapore!

Long before it became a temple to the gods of conspicuous consumption, Orchard Road in Singapore was named after the orchards and nutmeg plantations that were developed there in the early 1800’s. Nutmegs only grew in the Spice Islands of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Tropical Spice Garden and Clove Hall- Penang

It is lovely to visit Penang Island again and explore the historic streets of multicultural Georgetown, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Row after row of the historic shophouses are being converted into boutiques, restaurants, museums, coffee shops, and whatever … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Franklin Naik Pinisi

Franklin is a loveable tortoise character who gets involved in various adventures and in the process gives young Indonesian children access to reading as an early learning experience. There are both a yellow and green series for different age groups, … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Whale Hunters of Lamalera

In eastern Indonesia the village of Lamalera on the south coast of Lembata Island and facing the Savu Sea, has carried out whaling for centuries. This is one of the few places in the world where people are still allowed … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Beautiful Banda Islands

The ‘East Indies Spice Exploration’ voyage on the Ombak Putih went well, sailing from Flores to Solor, Lembata, Alor, Wetar, Romang, Demar and some smaller islands before reaching the Banda Islands. The only problem was that we encountered some unseasonable … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments