‘Feel like home’: Indonesian navy tall ship gets warm welcome at Cairns port

The Indonesian Navy’s training tall ship, KRI Bima Suci, acts as a “floating ambassador” and drew crowds to its open day in the Far North. Read what ties the ship has to Cairns.

The Indonesian Navy’s training tall ship, KRI Bima Suci, has docked in Cairns for the first time with a warm welcome from the local community.

The ship voyaged to Australia on a diplomatic and training mission, the 100-odd cadets on board getting the opportunity to learn the ropes of manning a warship at sea.

Dina Jones moved to Cairns from Indonesia, and said seeing the crew arrive at the city’s port was a reminder of her homeland.

“It’s exciting, it’s like you can see our distant relatives, and then it’s a sort of proud feeling. You feel like home,” Ms Jones said.

“It’s nice because we don’t usually get this kind of attention. I’m very happy the government’s paying attention to Indonesians.”

Members of the Australian Indonesia Association Demi Wright, Nita Simatupang, Dina Jones and Laeli Markey, who performed a traditional dance in front of the KRI Bima Suci as part of the open day festivities, were honoured to see the distinctive ship dock in their new home city of Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

Ms Jones is a member of the Cairns Indonesian-Australian Association and the group well and truly welcomed the cadets to the city – touring the Esplanade, enjoying a picnic, dinner, and performing traditional dances for the ship’s crew.

“This is the first time they’ve come to Cairns, so it’s a great opportunity to say hello to our defence force,” Ms Jones said.

The Bima Suci acts as a “floating ambassador” for Indonesia, paying courtesy visits to ports and events around the world.

During Friday’s open day dozens of visitors explored the decks of the vessel and features including a ballroom and old-fashioned equipment that teaches the cadets how to navigate using the stars.

The Indonesian Navy's high mast training ship, the KRI Bima Suci, has visited Cairns for the first time, with the sailors holding an open day on Friday. Picture: Brendan Radke

The KRI Bima Suci was built in 2017 and is one of the biggest operating sailboats in the world at 111 metres long, 53 metres high, and boasting 26 sails.

The ship will set sail at 10am Saturday and spectators will see the cadets “dressing the yards”; a tradition for tall ships leaving and entering a port for the first time where crew position themselves across the mast from the bottom to the very top.

Originally published as ‘Feel like home’: Indonesian navy tall ship gets warm welcome at Cairns port