Lemon Myrtle: Australia’s Native Citrus Treasure

Lemon myrtle is one of Australia’s most distinctive and aromatic native plants, celebrated for its intense citrus fragrance and versatility in both the kitchen and natural health. Scientifically known as Backhousia citriodora, this subtropical rainforest tree is native to coastal regions of Queensland, where it has been used for thousands of years by Indigenous Australians.

Tropical Moon - the Voyage

The year is 1979. The place: Montevideo, Uruguay. To be more precise - the port of Montevideo.

The Tropical Moon is a gleaming white reefer ship, new, and German built. Her mission is to move bananas from Ecuador to Uruguay, a transit that involves navigating half the coastline of South America and taking a route through the iceberg-laden waters of the Chilean fiords, swing up via. the Straits of Magellan to Uruguay.

In order to go back to Ecuador to load up again with bananas it makes good economic sense to ship a cargo of prime Uruguayan beef to Ecuador. It’s a win-win.

Enter the protagonist. A young traveller from New Zealand. This young man has already ventured down the Andean spine of South America on a 7 months’ long travel adventure. Having crossed the Andes and made his way to Uruguay via Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, Lindsey is now checking out the port of Montevideo.

He spies a gleaming white ship tied up on the wharf. Lindsey has always dreamed of travelling by sea, possibly on a cargo vessel, so he climbs the gangplank to the Tropical Moon and asks the crew directions to the captain.

Captain Hans Meeg is receptive to a chat with this young traveller. Lindsey asks where the ship is next sailing to. It so happens that the cargo vessel will leave the next day for Ecuador. This destination happens to fit perfectly with where Lindsey wishes to travel to next. Asking Hans directly whether it’s possible for the ship to carry him to Ecuador, to Lindsey’s surprise, captain Hans says yes.

Lindsey’s travel adventure now shifts to a new level. Formalities taken care of, courtesy of Hans, Lindsey is now enroute to Ecuador. It’s his dream come true.

Officially Lindsey is classified as O.S. - Ordinary Seaman. Of course, he’s never been a sailor or seaman in his life. Lindsey is a 23-year-old-Kiwi with a work history as a science technician and as a costing clerk. The arrangement is for this young traveller to work his passage on the ship so the journey will in fact be gratis.

Hans offers Lindsey a private cabin, one which would normally be used by one of the ship’s engineers but is vacant at the time.

With a pot of paint and paint brush in hands Lindsey’s job is to paint around some of the ship’s window frames. Ships need a lot a painting to keep them trim and proper.

We travel south to the Magellan Strait. The tip of South of America is on the right-hand side and on the left is the icy land of Tierra de Fuego (Land of Fire). The Tropical Moon heads across the strait bracing snow and sleet. Lindsey by this stage has ditched the painting job in order to witness the ship’s navigation from the bridge. He’s transitioned from ordinary season to a VIP tourist on board.

The Tropical Moon swings north to navigate the fiords of Chile enroute to the port of Valparaiso. A Chilean pilot came on board at the entrance to el Estrecho de Magallanes. He takes responsibility for safely navigating the ship through the fiords. All on board keep a keen eye out for icebergs that tend to carve off from the glaciers lining the fiords. Icebergs in the channel are a hidden danger because most of their bulk is hiding underwater and if you are lucky just the tip of the iceberg is visible. Ships pass in the opposite direction. Night falls. Day breaks.

Valparaiso is a safe harbour. The Tropical Moon anchors in the bay and a little boat comes out to pick up the pilot. Meanwhile the crew take advantage of an exchange - bananas in exchange for a crate of Chilean wine. It’s a good deal.

Shipboard meals are punctual. Lunch is at 12 on the dot and similarly dinner is at 6 - again, on the dot. The ship’s crew comprise the Norwegian captain, German officers and the deck hands are from the Philippines. A chef prepares the meals which are served to the table. Hans invites the young traveller to dine at the Captain’s table, in the company of the officers. There is a daily printed menu from which to choose one’s lunch or dinner.

Like clockwork evening time - at precisely 8 pm - is the time for relaxing with a few drinks and a game of cards. We play gin rummy every night. The rummy rules are those of Uruguay, which makes sense, in a way.

Heading north up the western coast of South America, each morning reveals that the days are getting warmer. From the icy realms of the Magellan Strait we are now steaming ahead to the tropics.

Lindsey is living the dream. Hans made it possible. It almost feels that an impossibly has converted into a reality. Prior to the voyage this traveller had literally put out to the Universe his desire to travel by sea. It didn’t really matter about the destination. It was simply a longing. It was an idea - a fantasy even. Something that even in 1979 was almost unobtainable. The traveller discovered that shipping companies espoused a variety of reasons why it was not possible to work a passage.

For example, in Asuncion, Paraguay there was the possibility of working a passage on board a ship that was soon to depart for New York. However, it turned out that in Paraguay vessels could only take on Paraguayan nationals. So, that idea didn’t word out.

The traveller had previously tried to travel by sea from ports in Mexico and Ecuador - and Lyttelton in New Zealand - but all to no avail. So, in his mind, Lindsey had finally resolved to let go of this idea. What happened in Montevideo was entirely unexpected. Just when the traveller had let go of this desire - and only because the Tropical Moon looked gleaming and enticing, did he decide to give it one last try. Such is fate.

From Ecuador Lindsey flies to Miami. It culminates 8 months exploring Mexico, Central and South America. It was a dream journey; one with adventures, excitement and learning. Lindsey met fellow travellers on the road. He would share hotel rooms with them to share in the accommodation costs. He ventured into the Ecuadorian selva - the cold part of the Amazonas. On that adventure the destination was to know of the Auca tribe, who lived in a traditional way in the jungle. They hunted monkeys and parrots using long and heavy blowpipes.

The Galapagos Islands beckoned. An otherworldly domain teeming in blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, iguana, sea lions and sharks.

Peru saw the traveller ascend Machu Picchu, the Peruvian Lost City of the Incas. Lake Titicaca drew the traveller as if this was a place of mystery and spiritually. Lindsey called his travel diary “Pilgrimage to Lake Titicaca”.