Christmas Island as many would love to know is in the Indian Ocean which is basically closer to Indonesia than mainland Australia. Despite the difference in location, Christian Island is most celebrated in Australia since it is their territory-reachable.
To get there, within Australia, you would have to embark on a 3.5hr flight from Perth.
This amazing ground became a reality after the peak steep basalt volcanic seamount rose over three miles from the ocean floor. That was sixty million years ago – history reveals.
The name ‘Christian Island’ was given to the venue by one Captain William Mynors on Christmas Day in 1643. He was aboard an East India Company vessel at that time.
The beginning of the island’s diverse cultural mix started when Britain discovered a rich phosphate at the venue. That was how a Christmas Island Phosphate Company brought in Chinese indentured laborers, Sikh overseers, and a small number of Malays to the scene.
To date, the Christmas island which is approximated to be a 50-square-mile tropical island remains hygienic and undamaged by the numerous tourists that troop in. Tracks and trails get to dedicated locations within the island constantly yet, the island remains a tropical rainforest which has 2/3rd of it being a national park.
This amazing place is where you can swim with sharks ‘whales’, have fun under waterfalls, get a snorkel in the visible water, and get to see rare and unimaginable birds. You would also get the opportunity to see a lot of crabs.
1. Crabs Cross Here – The Sight Of A Lifetime:
People worldwide are amused at the sight of Christmas Island’s red crab migration, a moment that is soo pleasant to watch.
‘This experience is one of the most memorable of my life’s work’ – David Attenborough described.
Red crabs on the Christmas island amount to over 45 million. There are all fire truck red and has a wideness of around 4.5 inches.
They match like a red army from the jungle when it gets too late in October and November during the wet season. They for several days to mate on the beach.
Locals, who use the way keep rakes and brooms in their cars to aid them gently sweep them off their way as a means to protect them from getting extinct – isn’t that kind?
During that time, some roads are also closed to allow safe passage. Where they remain open, rangers place railings along the edges, funneling millions over the overpasses built specifically for them. They climb up and over like soldiers scaling obstacle courses. Not surprisingly, these bridges are a huge hit with tourists.
The female crabs do stay in their hideouts for some time, Then, they drop their eggs into the water where the larvae develop and multiply. During February each year, their eggs hatch thereby producing a million sets of crabs who crawl back towards the jungle.
If you visit these tourists sites, you would still see millions of such red crabs and you will definitely enjoy doing so. The species of crab on the Christian island are 20. Such species include Christmas Island blue (with its striking blue hues), and the Coconut crab which is the largest land-living arthropod the world has recorded. The Coconut crab is also known as robber crab.
You must be mindful when you have your camera around you at the island because the crabs love carrying off shiny surfaces or objects.
2. Enjoy Mother Nature’s Outdoor Spa:
When you are looking for a spa treatment which of course is very affordable, you need to look no further than Christmas Island. After having the below stated funs:
- forest boardwalk in a tropical dale
- immerse yourself under rainforest falls at Hughs Dale Waterfall
- Dip in the Grotto with a pure white sand base and crystal blue water
- The ocean swirls to meet a subterranean freshwater stream with you in the center
- Cool off at the Blowholes
- Waves crash at the base of a honeycomb of eroded cliffs
- loud whoosh and eruptions like a windpipe of volcanoes venting steam;
You can seek the service of a Spa to finally cool you off for the betterment. The ocean spa is close to Swell Lodge which is a new upmarket eco-lodge where guests who live there have their own chef and eat what they so desire.
3. For Glorious Deserted Beaches:
There is a lot of beaches at Christmas Island where you can choose to relax or have a bit of a swim. Statistics on the internet reveal that Dolly Beach was the seventh-best beach in Australia in 2016.
After a 1.2 mile boardwalk, you will come across a scene from Robinson Crusoe. Other nearer places where you will definitely enjoy a palm trees angle over pure white sands lapped by some turquoise water.
When swimming, don’t do so naked because a robber crab could just steal your light clothes with ease. Ethel Beach (a great place to view fossils) isn’t equally left out.
Along these stretch is the blowholes.
There is also Merrial Beach which is so tiny it disappears at high tide but photographers love it the most as they trek out to catch some amazing shots of the white sand and blue ocean which are framed by rock formations – you need to be here.
If you are a serious swimmer, the southern end of Flying Fish Cover is the best place for you as it offers a protected ocean setting.
4. To Explore An Underwater Paradise:
To spend some couple of bucks traveling long miles just to experience a coral, Flying Fish Cove has got you covered. They have the best snorkeling just a few distances from the shore.
A limited edge of reef surrounds the island and is home to 88 distinct types of coral and 600 beautiful types of exotic fish. It was a magical world for a lot of people who have already experienced it.
The view comes with a magical world of sea urchins, clams, and darting arrows of fish with chances to see turtles, manta rays, lionfish, spinner dolphins, giant trevally, etc.
From the edge of the Java Trench which is the Indian Ocean’s deepest point, the island rises beautifully.
Serious and experienced divers 20 yards out enjoy an amazing wall of dives and the larger fishes at sight between October and January. The fishes include whale sharks, the world’s largest fish.
The question many people ask is; is it safe to swim with whale sharks? – Yes, it is because the whale sharks feed on plankton, so it’s safe to swim with them.
They surface during their season to feed on billions of larvae which was earlier released by the numerous red crabs – Do you remember?
One thing that makes Christmas Island enjoyable also is that they have more than 60 dive sites. These dive sites include places like; Wet n Dry Adventures, Extra Divers, etc.
The Wet n Dry Adventures to shade more lights on it, is a family business that has been in existence since 1994. Extra Divers on the other hand is a global brand specializing in offering the best diving experience.
Christmas Island is also a perfect location for all our fishing activities. They offer everything from dropping a line to sea game fishing. The lucky you could catch giant trevally, yellowfin, wahoo, dogtooth tuna, and some other sweet species – give it a try and you won’t regret it.
5. For A Twitching Good Time:
When you visit Christmas Island, you would enjoy nothing but the best bird-watching view. At that season, everyone becomes a bird watcher.
The tropical rainforest holds in its ‘arms’ seabird rookery, with around 80,000 seabirds nesting here each year.
When you dive shortly through plateau forest leads to the boardwalk at Margaret Knoll Lookout where many of Christmas Island’s varied bird species soar past at eye level showing off their aerial acrobatics.
You would come across a lot of beautiful birds to your uttermost surprise. You will come across birds like golden bosuns with yellow plumage and dive-bombing frigatebirds. You have the chance to see a rare Abbott’s booby; they nest nowhere else on Earth.
Abbott’s booby is an endangered seabird of the sulid family, which includes gannets and boobies. It is a large booby, smaller than other ones, and is placed within its own monotypic genus. It was first identified from a specimen collected by William Louis Abbott, who discovered it on Assumption Island in 1892 – Wikipedia.
When they see humans, they get closer to them and take some amazing shots together since they have no fear for them.
At the National Park Birth Feeding venue which is also part of Christmas Island, you would see watch volunteers feed rescued Christmas Island birds.
Tourists who enjoy watching birds troop in their numbers occasionally to have a view.
6. For Melting Pot Flavors And Cultures:
With the blend of cultures at the Christian Island, you would meet Religion members of Buddhist, Christian, Taoist, and Muslim who are mostly residents. Some are also Australians from among the 2,000 populace on the Island.
Expect Taoist temples and shrines overlooking the ocean, and a shining mosque in Kampong, the island’s traditionally Malay neighborhood.
The ethnic diversity would mean a chance to come across surprising foods since each of them has most of their foods being uncommon.
At Malay Club, you are guaranteed to have a memorable breakfast of noodles, laksa, or Hainanese chicken rice washed down with teh tarik tea with condensed milk.
Lucky Ho serves Sichuan works of art and dragonfruit slushies. The Chinese Literary Association brighten up existence with Asian toll.
Rumah Tinggi Bar and Grill is home to fantastic tapas and sundowner drinks with a clifftop see. Brilliant Bosun Tavern offers great bar grub. It is likewise the spot to talk with local people over brew and nightfall views.
Seafood at Christmas Island is a lot. The only thing protected and off the menu is crab. Getting a menu at Christmas Island, to be honest, is a bit expensive because the soil there doesn’t allow for cultivation, and restaurant owners would have to travel long distances to get foodstuffs for tourists.
Alcohol however is the cheapest there because the zone is a tax-free one.
7. History Buffs Won’t Be Disappointed:
Christmas Island has a very sad cultural history. As earlier stated, the Island has a lot of phosphates so the mineworkers were treated cruelly and died in the hundreds.
During World War II, history has it that islanders were shipped to Japanese prisoner of war camps in Indonesia after they sabotaged the mine. That gave birth to the formation of a strong Union of Christmas Island Workers. Which became necessary in order to improve living and working conditions on the island.
Such histories could be found on the Island at Tai Jin House, where a historical exhibition tells the full story or even by talking to long-staying locals.
NB: Christmas Island is very safe and one shouldn’t have any fear of experiencing a disaster once it isn’t ‘rapture’ which Christians believe in.
Here is how to surprise your parents this Christmas.
