Timor Leste Journal

1460, 1942, 1975, 2002? These are all important dates that have created a tortured history for a small nation (the second youngest on earth in fact) caught between Australian and Indonesia. These dates represent A time when Timor Leste (also commonly known as East Timor) had its fate dictated by another country. That's right, except for 2002 ( when it finally gained independence) these dates are when Timor Leste was invaded ; 1460 by the Portuguese, 1942 by Australia and Japan, and 1975 by Indonesia.

Strangely, Timor Leste's geography seems as tortured as its history. A high rugged mountain range has been squashed between the north and south coasts, running from the east of the country all the way to the west bordering West Timor. This range has contributed to the myth that the island was created out of a giant crocodile, its scaly back forming the ranges.

And in these ranges live a secluded people unlike any in all of S.E Asia. The landscape is open grassland and on the side of these steep ranges graze the famous Timor Pony ( even mentioned in Banjo Paterson's "The Man From Snow River". Atop these hardy beasts is the Timor Cowboy with pincered leather hat, large machete and a Stalinesque mustache with a characteristic bravado to match.

The people live in large conical roofed homes, thatched with local grass. You can hardly see the walls of the hut as the roof reaches within feet of the ground. Cool nits afford the need for a fire. Absent a chimney, the smoke simply squeezes out through the thatch at the top like a dowsed torch.

The people speak a swath of languages reflecting their colourful past. Portuguese, Indonesian and English. But in time, Timor style, they all proudly speak Tetum.

It is through this landscape that a group of 9 of us have walked from the nations Capitol, Dili, on the north coast, to the southern coast at Betano. Our initial motivation was to see and understand what the 2/2nd Commandos from the Australian AIF had to endure during WWII against the Japanese.

The stpry goes that the 2/2nd "invaded" East Timor in early 1942 to position itself between Singapore and Australia. It is considered an invasion because Portugal was a neutral state during the Second World War.

Our trek has taken us from the Comoro river west of Dili directly into the heart of Timor Leste. Although we have walked where the 2/2nd walked and fought, we have also crossed through battlefields of the Indonesia and Fretelin post 1975 era. We have camped by pristine rivers, on sides of mountains and near villages.

On the 4th day we trekked into the Hata Balico valley to the base of Mt Ramelau. This is the same area the 2/2md were forced back to in the August 1042 push by the Japanese to rid the island of rebels. It didn't work but events after that turned Japanese against Timorese, Australian against Timorese and Timorese against Timorese. The war just got a whole lot bloodier and primitive.

From the valley we trekked to Timor Leste's highest peak, Ramelau which is a shade short of 3000m a.s.l. Vistas to West Timor and down to the Timor Sea (south) were amazing. A white statue of Mother Mary watching over the nation at all times calls the summit home. Timor Leste is majority Catholic and their religion is important to them. All our porters stood at Mary's feet and sent her a prayer. We acknowledged her and then turned our backs to watch nature send the sun to bed.

The following morning we watched the sun rise from camp and then headed down and around the valley. The scenery was spectacular. Just as we thought it couldn't get any better we turned a bend to see an enormous rocky massif before us and the Timor Sea behind. We stopped on the narrow path and sat there to take it all in. It reminded me of the Dolomites but this time with a glistening sea behind. It was truly breathtaking.

And now we are at Betano by the sea right where the "Darwin Ferry" would drop supplies off to Australian forces in 1942. This has been an amazing expedition that easily rivals if not surpasses the Kokoda Track. In years to come the significance of this track, the place Sparrow Force fought, this country and its history and people, will come to light and people will visit it in hoards. In the meantime, I am glad I have been here from the genesis of trekking tourism in Timor Leste.

Click here to read about our Sparrow Force expedition to Timor Leste.