Leave Bali to the bogans, I’m going to this Aussie oasis
CROSS Bali off the list. This Australian tropical oasis has much more to offer, and the best part is, hardly anyone knows about it.
AS FAR from the typical tourist haunts as you could get, is an island with a strong history, better snorkelling than the Great Barrier Reef (in my opinion) and diverse wildlife that practically stops and strikes a pose for your camera.
Christmas Island — an idyllic creation of jagged volcanic peaks encircled by the navy blue water of the Indian Ocean — might well be the most unique and exceptional island in all of Australia.
It’s a place where children run free, house keys serve no purpose, road signs warn of “crabs on the road” and in one day you can dine on Malaysian roti for breakfast, Chinese chow mein for lunch and fresh wahoo for dinner.
And it’s dead easy to get to this “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean” — it’s just a three and a half-hour flight from Perth (Perth to Bali is four hours) and there’s no need to waste time comparing flight prices — Virgin Australia is the only carrier that flies to this tropical oasis.
And while flights can be pricey (you need to book ahead to get the best deal) once you’re here a lot of the activities you will do are free, such as snorkelling and hiking.
INTO THE BRIGHT BLUE YONDER
The Aussie flag flies high above the Christmas Island airport, but the terminal has a foreign, ‘I can’t possibly be in Australia’, feel.
I’m travelling alone on this week-long jaunt, but now that I’m on this Hawaii-esque island I wish I’d brought my husband and daughters with me.
Upon arrival I’m met by Lisa Preston, from tour company Indian Ocean Experiences, and on the short drive from the airport to a lookout for a welcome drink she explains that the island is home to tens of millions of endemic red crabs.
As we drive through the national park, which covers around two-thirds of the island, the dirt road is peppered with countless bright, blood-red crabs.
“That was definitely the crunch of a twig,” says Lisa as she zigzags the car in slow-motion on the road where several crabs crawl perilously close to the tyres.
“It’s not a nice sound if you do get them.”
It’s a relief to pull up at our destination having not killed any of the wildlife.
Lisa gestures for me to follow her. I pluck my camera out of my bag and follow her lead as we ascend to Margaret Knoll Lookout where the water below is so paint-pot glossy as to be unnatural.
The sun warms our backs and just when I think things can’t get any better, I spot a nest that’s home to a brown booby chick.
The adorable bird looks like a giant cotton wool ball with two plastic beady eyes stuck on.
How many places in the world can you drive five minutes from the airport and find yourself drinking wine while photographing a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in a David Attenborough documentary?
Over biscuits and cheese, Lisa tells me that the population of the former British colony, now an Australian territory, is about 1500 (the locals are a vibrant mix of Chinese, Malay and mainland Australians) and visitor numbers are estimated to be around 1200 a year.
“And there is little to fear on the island as there aren’t any dangerous snakes or spiders,” she says.
“There are a few mozzies but there’s no dengue or Ross River fever on the island.”
As the setting sun turns the sky a romantic mauve hue we dodge dozens of crustaceans as we drive to my temporary home for the next few days, The Sunset.
The accommodation is motel-style basic, but when I pull back the thick blue curtains that cover the sliding door I discover there’s nothing average about the 180 degree ocean view.
I let out a squeal of excitement, knowing I’ll be able to spend tonight drifting off to sleep listening to the lap of the ocean and the scurry of crabs.
Sitting on the balcony watching an Australian navy patrol boat slowly pass (the navy is always on the lookout off Christmas Island for suspected asylum-seeker boats), I read over my itinerary for the next few days.
Highlights include: turtle spotting at Greta Beach; an expedition to Dolly beach, where in the 1600s some Dutch sailors were shipwrecked and apparently loved it so much they didn’t want to be rescued; snorkelling; and a trip to the outdoor cinema.
The next morning, very uncharacteristically, I’m up before the dawn to take more photos boobies before I embark on a snorkelling adventure. I discover that these chicken-sized birds only break into a walk when you are about to accidentally step on them.
If you lived in paradise with hardly any predators and plenty of food would you bother with such unnecessary exertion?
Homo sapiens, like the wildlife on this handsome green island, have also adapted their behaviour to suit the unique environment. They wave at strangers, smile a lot and chat excitedly as if intoxicated by this wildlife mecca.
NO TIME TO READ BY THE POOL
I’m ashamed to admit that before I embarked on this trip I thought I might get bored so I packed two books.
But it turns out there’s no time for reading when you’ve developed a new obsession: snorkelling on Christmas Island with Japanese dive instructor Teruki Hamanaka (Hama for short).
In Hama’s boat we potter about under a polished blue sky and jump into the gin-clear water to look at giant trevally, clownfish, angelfish, dolphins and reef sharks.
I manage to squeeze in a snorkel every morning that I’m on Christmas Island. Instead of taking a boat you can simply pop on flippers and walk backwards into the water at Flying Fish cove, the location of the main settlement of the island.
Even on my last morning before I check in for my lunchtime flight back to Perth I manage to fit in a last minute snorkel.
As I board the plane I think to myself, “could that holiday have been any better”?
And then an announcement comes over the PA system.
“Sorry everyone, but we have a problem with the engine and everyone will have to disembark.
“We will have to bring another plane over from Brisbane, so I’m afraid you all will be staying here the night.”
Wonderful news, I think to myself.
TRIP NOTES
MORE INFORMATION
STAYING THERE
Rooms at The Sunset start at $165 a night.
TOURING THERE
Indian Ocean Experiences offers a range of tours and packages and Australian Geographic photographer and adventurer Chris Bray offers photography tours of Christmas Island.
* The writer was a guest of Christmas Island Tourism Association.
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