A world away from the snow and ice that is usually associated with its name, Christmas Island is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, located approximately 190 nautical miles south of western Indonesia and a staggering 840 miles north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland.
The territory derives its name from its discovery on Christmas Day 1643 by English Captain William Mynors.
With an area of 52 square miles, Christmas Island’s geographic location and history of minimal human disturbance have led to a high level of endemism (unique species) among its flora and fauna, making it a key site of interest to scientists and naturalists.
The first settlement dates back to the late 19th century, following the discovery of abundant phosphate deposits, which led Britain to annex it in 1888. Japan invaded it in 1942 to secure these deposits, and it was transferred from Singapore to Australia in 1958.
Christmas Island forms one of several Indian Ocean Territories, including the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands and the Coral Sea Islands. It is a non-self-governing external territory as of February 2020, administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
As of 2021, Christmas Island had a population of 1,692 residents, with the majority living in settlements on the northern edge of the island, including Flying Fish Cove. Historically, Asian Australians of Chinese, Malay, and Indian descent formed the majority of the population.
Today, around two-thirds of the island’s population is estimated to have Straits Chinese origin, with significant numbers of Malays and European Australians and smaller numbers of Straits Indians and Eurasians. Several languages are in use including English, Malay, and various Chinese dialects.
From the late 1980s, boats carrying asylum seekers, mainly departing from Indonesia, began landing on the island. In 2001, Christmas Island was the site of the Tampa controversy, in which the Australian government stopped a Norwegian ship, MV Tampa, from disembarking 438 rescued asylum seekers. The ensuing standoff was a major issue in the 2001 Australian federal election.
The majority of the island, 63 percent, is made up of Christmas Island National Park, which features several areas of primary monsoonal forest.
There are many rare species of animals and plants on the island, making it a nature walker’s dream. The forests are dominated by 25 species of tree, with 135 plant species of which 18 are endemic and the annual red crab mass migration to the sea to spawn has been called one of the wonders of the natural world.
Only small parts of the shoreline are easily accessible, with its perimeter dominated by sharp cliff faces. Some of the easily accessible beaches include Flying Fish Cove, Lily, Ethel and Isabel beaches, while the more difficult beaches to access include Greta, Dolly and Merrial beaches, which all require four-wheel drive vehicles and a difficult walk through dense rainforest.
Thanks to its location near the southern edge of the equatorial region, it has a tropical monsoon climate and temperatures vary little throughout the year. The highest temperature sits around 29C in March and April, while the lowest temperature is 23C and occurs in August.
The wet season is between November and June and includes monsoons, with downpours of rain battering the territory at random times of the day.
Virgin Australia provides two weekly flights to Cocos Island from Perth in Western Australia, with a stopover at Christmas Island Airport in both directions. A fortnightly freight flight provides fresh supplies to the island. Rental cars are available from the airport, however, road conditions across the island can vary.
