NORTH HALMAHERA, LONG ROAD TO GLORY
(15-01-2010)  Administrator

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North Halmahera wants to show the world its marine riches-and it certainly has what it takes in natural splendor. But to archieve its aims, there is some work to be done, writes Fransiska Anggraini.

I first visited North Halmahera a couple of years ago on an invitation by the local regent of the newly established regency. He invited underwater photographers, videographers and travel writers from all over the globe o dive North Halmahera's waters on a live-aboard, so they could spread the word that this part of the famed Spice Islands has world-class dive spots.

As we traveled through the islands by phinisi schooner, the message was clear: North Halmahera holds great ambitions of being one of the world's great tourist destinations by 2010.

It was a place that drew visitors in the past. As the largest island in Maluku, the area was sole temptation for foreign traders to rule Indonesia for several hundred years. Consisting of 115 islands, 19 of which still remain nameless, Halmahera was first famed for its spices, and then for a bloody chapter of World War II. The American and Japanese navies sought out North Halmahera to establish base camps and the area became a major battle site, especially when General Douglas MacArthur prepared an attack on the Philippines by building a camp in Morotai, a not-so-small island in the northeast of Halmahera.

For those of us on that trip, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship; the group left North Halmahera with loads of great pictures and wonderful tales to tell. The work of one videographer was exclusively aired at the prestigious 2008 DEMA Show, the international trade-only event for the diving, action water sports and travel industries in Las Vegas, USA.

From my firsthand experience of the waters around North Halmahera, I can attest that the area has a lot to offer. There was no such thing as a bad dive here. Even dive spots close to the busy port of the capital Tobelo had intact walls covered in colorul coral.

It was raining all day when we visited Doi (meaning "money" in local Tobelorese), an island off northwest Halmahera. Not letting weather get in the way, we decided to take the plunge. Although the bad weather lowered our expectations, what we saw underwater were amazing rock formations that created rows upon rows of narrow aisles and connecting caverns. It reminded me of a maze, if not a miniscule underwater Grand Canyon.

The sheer variety of marine life had implications for photographers. One unfortunate photographer always seems to bring the wrong lens, there were only small creatures such as frog fish, hairy crab, harlequin shrimps, seahorsea and nudibranchs. Next, when he brought a macro lens, there were eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse and a squadron of barracuda, as well as scholing rainbow runners.

Daruba, the main port of Morotai, once served as MacArthur's temporary headquarters. When the war was over, the old wrecks from heavy fighting remained in its harbour. In fact, the waters around Morotai consist not only of beautiful coral, but also sea gardens adorned with wrecks. In Lapangan Pante, seceral different wrecks covered in soft coral offer a spectacular dive spot.

We didn't spend all our time in the water, but were also treated to a land excursion. After breakfast one day, the crew took us by rubber dinghy to Dodola, a lush uninhabited island boasting pristine white-sand beaches. As it is connected to a neighboring tiny island called Dodola Kecil, during low tide we could stroll back and forth between the two islands (because of their proximity to Morotai, MacArthur and his forces would isit for weekend getaway during the war).

After swimming in warm, cerulean waters and working on our tans, one crew member asked if we wanted to drink from fresh coconuts. Equipped with a dagger, he climbed a coconut tree with impresive speed and agility. We savored the divine taste as the cool coconut water quenched our thirst on a hot day. It was easy to lose our sense of time in beautiful Dodola.

But it's clear that tourist attractions are still in need of development here. Talaga Biru is one of them. Located by the roadside in Mamuya village in Galela, about an hour's drive from Tobelo, it is a small natural lagoon with crystal-clear water. Legend has it that nymphs used to descend from the heavens just to bathe here.

Other than the picnic on the beach at Dodola, the experience I remember the most was a visit to Wangongira village, located deep in a forest in West Tobelo. After an hour's ride from Tobelo, the car entered a narrow, muddy path snaking through luscious hills. After quite a bumpy ride, we were told to get out and continue the journey on foot, because the road was almost impassable for vehicles.

Wangongira's special claim to fame is its rice paddy growing in a swiftly flowing river. The locals call it Molulu, which literally means "she slipped" in Tobelorese. According to legend, an old woman, on her way home from the field carrying a basket of rice, slipped in the river and the rapids swept her away. On the spot where she dropped the rice, paddy miraculously grew.

The harvest is enough to feed entire village. After every harvest, the villagers give offering to the god of the river and then hold a feast on the riverbank accompanied by festive music and dances.

In this part of Indonesia where singing and dancing is a way of life, the experince of grooving to local songs is one of a kind. Even if you are a terrible dancer, once the music plays and the entire village takes to the dance floor it is time to let go of those inhibition and go along with the fun.

If one day there is proper access to the village from the main road, other visitors will be able to enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of Wangongira.

Sad Update
Not so long ago, I was catching up by phone with the dive guide who led the expedition. I was taken aback when he told me the schooner we cruised on was no longer operating. Islands around North Halmahera are best explored by ship, and we had high hopes for the cruise company that pioneered the service in the area. And although the local government build a dive center on one of the islands, it is still not running due to lack of equipment.

I felt like gnashing my teeth in anger and frustration. It's like getting calls - 15 times a day - from your favorite bakery telling that your favorite cake has just been taken out of the oven and that if you want, you should get it while it's hot. Battling the traffic, when you get there the whole cake has just been sold to someoneonly five minutes before you arrive.

After I finished speaking with my dive guide friend, I tried to think positively, imagining years from now when I would hear someone say somewhere along the line, "I've been waiting for two years now to get into one of the dive resorts or live-aboards in North Halmahera but to no avail! They'ra always fully booked!".

Yes, with all its potential, it really could live up to its ambitions to be world's next famous tourist destination. If only it were in good hands.


*) This article is written by Fransiska Anggraini and published in Weekend magazine by The Jakarta Post on December 2009.