It might smell like a dead cane toad, but the blooming of what's affectionately known as the "corpse flower" is so momentous, people are prepared to fly several hours to witness it.
As staff at the Cairns Botanic Gardens last week monitored the progress of "Hannibal" – an Amorphophallus titanium, or titan arum, that had not opened since 2017 – one visitor booked flights from Brisbane to ensure they were there when it happened.
