Christmas Island

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Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

The Settlement

Government

Territory of Australia

Nationality

Christmas Islander

Population

1402 (Jul 2007 est.)

Languages

English, Chinese, Malay

Religions

Buddhism, Islam, Christianity

Currency

Australian Dollar (AUD)

Calling Code

+61

Time Zone

UTC+7

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Introduction

The very first thing to learn about Christmas Island is that it is not the same Christmas Island which exists in Kiribati and which search engines will probably conjure up information about when you run a search for the island. Christmas Island is located due west of Australia's northenmost protrusions, directly south of Jakarta. It is in fact a territory of Australia, a fact which has made it a popular destination among asylum seekers willing to dare the voyage over from Indonesia.

Other aspects of its situation have made it popular among more ordinary travelling types. It is dominated by national park where (predictably) flora, fauna and ecotourists flourish. The island is the sole habitat of the creatively named Red Crab, so make sure you don't step on them - it'll hurt your feet... Divers are drawn to the island's steep drop-off and abundant marine life, while the gambling spirit will find the new casino a suitable place to dispose of ready cash.

Brief History

Although Christmas Island was discovered in the 17th century on Christmas Day, giving the island its name, the first real exploration of the island did not happen till 1857. Even then the first exploration of the island was only limited to an attempt to summit the highest point, which failed because the cliff's were impassable.

In 1887 the HMS Flying Fish discovered an anchorage in a bay, which is the present day location of the largest town, and created an interesting collection of the local flora and fauna. In the following years different boats came by and did short term scientific exploration on the island. One of the explorers found phosphate of lime in some of the rock samples, which made the British Crown annex the island on the 6th of June 1888.

Soon after the annexation the first settlement was established in Flying Fish Cove. By the 1890s the phosphate was being mined out of the island by indentured workers mainly from Singapore, China and Malaysia. During World War II the island was occupied by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945. In 1957 the island was transferred to Australia and Australia had to pay compensation to Singapore for loss of phosphate profits.

Geography

Regions

Cities

• Flying Fish Cove, also known as The Settlement and as Kampong (village in Malay), is the main town on the island with half of its population.
• Silver City
• Poon Saan
• Drumsite

Sights and Activities

Diving

Christmas Island has some great diving. One of the main features is that the island is it rises drastically out of the Java Trench, which is the Indian Ocean's deepest point. This provides opportunities for some amazing drop off diving, with the majority of walls only being 20 metres from the shoreline. The island is also surrounded by a narrow tropical reef before it drops into the abyss. There are are many great reefs to explore, especially on the northern tip of the island. For more information on diving contact one of the following local dive operators:

• Wet'n'Dry Adventures

Bird Watching

With over 63% of the island being a national park there is plenty of room for the birds to nest. Christmas island is home to many birds species that don't exist any where else in the world or on a few other islands. These birds are part of unique rain forests ecology that makes up the island. There are several land birds natural to the island and most of the year round you can see many amazing bird species nesting.

Fishing

Fishing is becoming a more and more popular activity on Christmas Island. One of the big reasons why is that the Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo and other species of fish are much larger here then compared to other tropical locations. It is even possible to see fish in excess of 100 kg feeding on the surface. If looking for sailfish it is best to come in the pre-monsoon months.

Other Sights and Activities

• Golf - Hit a few balls at Christmas Islands golf course for only $10 per round.
• Nature Walks - Go for some hiking in this wonderful park that is over 63% of the island.
• Flying Fish Cove - Located at the base of the Settlement area is home to Kampong and a Mosque. This is a nice place for swimming and snorkeling but wear reef shoes at all times.
• The Grotto - Is a small cave with some brackish water in it and can make for a romantic location.
• Beaches - Explore and relax on many great beaches around the island.
• Blow Holes and Waterfalls - Go see blow holes on the coast and waterfalls inland on this island.

Events and Festivals

Weather

As The Settlement is located close to the equator, the weather on the island is tropical. There is little variation regarding the temperature. March and April average around 28 °C during the day, July to September around 26 °C. At night, temperatures hover around 22 °C in most of the year.

December to April is the wet season, with February being the wettest month. July to September sees much less rain, coinciding with the cooler and sunnier months. This obviously is one of the better times to visit, weatherwise.

Tropical storms and even cyclones can hit or pass The Settlement during the wet season.

Getting There

By Plane

Planes land at Christmas Island Airport (XCH), just southeast of The Settlement. National Jet Systems flies twice weekly in from Coco Islands and Perth.

There are also weekly flights from Singapore by Austasia Airlines (using SilkAir charter) and from Kuala Lumpur by Australian Indian Ocean Territories Airlines (using Malaysia Airlines charter).

By Boat

There are no regular passenger services to Christmas Island. Cruiseships occasionally go here and you can always try to get a place on a yacht.

Getting Around

Getting around Christmas Island is fairly straightforward and your options are limited. Apart from walking or renting a bike, you may want to rent a car or 4WD vehicle but is certainly not necessary as many sights are easily reached by bike. There are however some special 4WD tracks as well, less suitable for exploring by bike.

You can also get a lift from the locals as this is fairly common.

Red Tape

The same requirements as for Australia.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Christmas Island uses the Australian Dollar (AUD). Australian Dollar notes come in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 and coins come in 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1 and $2. Most places will accept credit cards and debit cards, though charge cards are less commonly accepted.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Christmas Island is: 681
To make an international call, the code is: 0011

Post

External Links

• Christmas Island Shire - Official government website
• Christmas Island Tourism Association - Official tourism website