YBDXC yb land dx club: OC-273 Gorong and Watubela Islands

http://www.yf1ar.com/2014/01/oc-273-gorong-and-watubela-islands-new.html

OC-273 Gorong and Watubela Islands

YF1AR/8 and YB0AI/8
OC-273 Gorom aka Gorong aka Goram aka Goran Island - NEW IOTA

January 25-31 extended February 2,2014

131'24" E 3'58"S PI56qa CQ28 ITU51

Variant forms of spelling for Kepulauan Gorom (Goran) or in other languages: Gorong Islands, Pulau-pulau Gorong, Goram-Eilanden, Goram Group, Gorong-eilanden, Goram Group, Goram-Eilanden, Gorong Islands, Gorong-eilanden, Pulau-pulau Gorong.

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:01 AM, Roger Balister <> wrote:

Dear Budi

Many thanks for sending me the logs of your OC-273 operation and the link to the validation material on your website. I have now had time to look at everything. It is all fine and I can confirm the issue of OC-273 to the Gorong and Watubela Islands IOTA group on the basis of your operations with the calls YF1AR/8 and YB0AI/8. Congratulations on the 2,500 contacts, that’s a big score.

It was a great pleasure to have contacts with both of you. You had good signals at the time. Thank you on behalf of the IOTA community for putting these remote islands on the air.

Best regards

Roger
Roger Balister, G3KMA
RSGB IOTA Manager

On Friday, January 3, 2014 7:53 PM, Roger Balister < >;; wrote:

Hello Budi

That’s great news. I am sure the IOTA Community will be very excited at another new one in Indonesia. The Spice Islands sound a very remote and beautiful area of your country.

Many thanks for the scans of the tickets. You are aware of our requirements (minimum number of QSOs etc), so I do not need to repeat them, hi!

I hope everything goes well with good radio conditions and also weather.

Take care and a safe journey and return.

Roger, G3KMA

Maluku: The Spice Islands of the East

Scattered between Sulawesi, Timor and Papua, and long known in the West as the "Spice Islands", whose once unique cloves and nutmeg drew visitors from all over the world for centuries, Maluku is made up by over a thousand beautiful tropical islands with lush vegetation and unique fauna, stunning beaches and marine life, and very friendly, hospitable people. Overshadowed by more famous and accessible Indonesian islands like Bali, Java or Sumatra, remote Maluku receives very few visitors nowadays. On my trips around the archipelago, I never met more than half dozen foreigners in a month, and sometimes not a single one in a 2 months long trip. More than any other region in Indonesia, this is the ultimate destination for those who like island-hopping well off the beaten track!

Maluku today is divided into 2 provinces. "North Maluku" province with its majority Muslim population and its capital Ternate stretches from Halmahera and Morotai to the Sulas and Obi. Confusingly named, majority Christian "Maluku" province encompasses the central and southern regions of Maluku from Buru and Seram to the Arus and Wetar, with its capital being Ambon. Both provinces are equally beautiful and share similar history, culture and attractions.

Seram: The Mother Island of Central Maluku

Seram is the largest island in southern Maluku Province, and according to local beliefs it is the "Nusa Ina" or Mother Island where all the people of Central Maluku once came from.
The island is very mountainous and includes 3027m Gunung Binaya, the highest mountain in all Maluku.
Needless to say, it offers excellent (but hard) trekking opportunities, the best known of which is a long trek right across the island through Manusela National Park.
An added bonus is the island's unique birdlife which includes several endemic species, though is not always easy to spot.
For the less energetic, Seram's main attraction is beautiful Sawai village on the northern coast, with its gorgeous setting at the foot of towering cliffs, nice accommodation, good snorkelling and interesting off-shore islands.

East of Seram: From Geser to Teur

A scattering of tiny, mainly Muslim islands stretching from the eastern tip of Seram towards the Keis form Central Maluku's most remote and least accessible corner. None of these islands has played a significant role in history, none have any outstanding attractions, and they offer almost no facilities to visitors whatsoever. To tour them you will need lots of time, a knowledge of Indonesian, and a high tolerance of filthy, overcrowded Perintis ships.

Geser
Geser is a tiny atoll island at the eastern tip of Seram. It is nevertheless an important, historic trade centre of the region. It is a very quaint place with an old-fashioned feel to the town, and decent beaches right on the atoll, however it is best used as a base for exploring the neighbouring Seram Laut islands and eastern Seram itself.

Seram Laut Islands
The Seram Laut Islands just east of Geser are a bit larger and hillier than the atoll with which they share the same language and culture. They are also inhabited, but less crowded, and have some very beautiful beaches.

Gorom Islands
Southeast of Geser and Seram Laut, the three main islands of the Gorom archipelago share the same language and culture with them - all Muslims here, too. This is another area to find fine beaches well off the beaten track. The main island, at least around its main settlement, was somewhat underwhelming though, so you must be prepared to go a bit further than that. Its only attraction was an unusual army monument, and a surprisingly good selection of shops for these remote parts.

Watubela Islands
On the border of Central and Southeast Maluku, the remote Watubelas, consisting of inhabited Kesui, Teur and Watubela islands and a few smaller uninhabited ones, hit the world headlines during the years of the conflict. Today they are as peaceful and quiet as any in Maluku.

Red Lory.

The Red Lory aka Moluccan Lory (Eos bornea bornea aka Eos rubra bornea) is endemic to the Ambon, Saparua, Buru, Seram, Goram, Seramlaut, Indonesia, Watubela and the Kai Islands (also known as Kei Islands) - found in the south-eastern part of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia.
The Black-winged or the Blue-streaked Lories are also sometimes referred to as Red Lory.

This monument to commemorate the event along with the departure of 53 members of the Pioneer 9 volunteers from the village Kataloka, Gorom Island by Anton Soedjarwo KP II, Detachment Commander Pioneers on August 8, 1962 at 17:00. The troops landed safely in Cape Fatagor, West Irian safely, after a voyage across the sea as far as 100 miles deep and fierce. OPERATION TRIKORA: Indonesia Giant Military in 1960s and Liberation of W. Papua