By: Katie Bradford-Crozier | Tuesday, April 17, 2012 6:12 AM

The sleeping giant of Indonesia has woken up with a roar. And New Zealand is doing what it can to jump into the lion's den.

It wasn't that long ago that Indonesia was a dictatorship, with corruption and human rights abuses rife.

And while there are still huge problems in those areas, John Key, on his trip to Jakarta this week, assures us the president is doing his best to fix those issues.

Terrorism is also always in the minds of Indonesians and visitors alike – security is very tight. Six police motorbikes accompany Key's motorcade and there are two armoured tanks outside his luxury hotel.

The president is known colloquially as S.B.Y, and John Key's using that nickname as often as possible to emphasise the closeness of our relationship with what is now the world's fourth most populous democracy.

But the contrasts in Jakarta are still clear. Wealthy woman in designer clothes stroll huge shopping malls, buying designer brands while European pop music blasts. Just outside the doors of the mall, people are sprawled on concrete stairs selling their wares, from phone covers to cheap batik looking jewellery.

Towering sparkling new apartments are springing up around Jakarta. But next to those are still the old slums – that won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Shopping malls, attempting to outdo each other in size, lighting and design, seem to be on nearly every corner.

But Indonesia's infrastructure hasn't been able to keep up with the economic pace.

The roads are chaotic – if you compare it to New Delhi and Mumbai, where John Key visited last year, getting around India is a dream compared to Jakarta.

The airport can't cope with the flights – so while a deal has been signed between Garuda Airlines and Auckland Airport to resume direct flights – abandoned in 2006 – that's contingent on market conditions, aircraft availability and the infrastructure being able to cope with a hoped influx of tourists.

Mobile phone and wireless coverage can be intermittent. The country basically has to work hard to keep up with itself.

“Undercooked” is how the PM describes our relationship with Indonesia. He's had a warm welcome on his state visit and if his in-jokes with the local trade minister about golf are anything to go by, he's clearly warmed up our relationship.

Image: Supplied