The view of rugged Christmas Island from Margaret Knoll lookout. Photo by Serena Renner.
The global spotlight has been beaming on the Australian territory of Christmas Island, and not just for its incredible red crab migration – what David Attenborough called “one of the most amazing migrations on the planet”– which could paint the island crimson whenever the moon and rain cycles align over the next month or two. Instead, the North West Point detention center has stolen the show, most notably when a riot broke out following the mysterious death of a detainee who escaped the controversial facility. As a result, you might not put Christmas Island at the top of your travel list. But here’s why you should.
The outstanding natural values that have long made Christmas Island a dream destination for naturalists remain. The Discovery Channel landscape has been hiding beneath a cloud of politics, but those who look beyond the headlines will discover another side of the story. The real Christmas Island is a land of pristine beaches, turquoise rock pools, brimming coral reefs, mystical waterfalls and spewing blowholes, not to mention so many endemic species the island’s nickname is the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean. So what’s the place really like? Here are 13 things an adventurous traveler will discover about Christmas Island.
1. Christmas Island defies political boundaries
More than 60 percent of Christmas Island is national park. Photo by Serena Renner.
The 52-square-mile island, shaped like a Scottish terrier, is closer to Indonesia (224 miles south of Jakarta) than mainland Australia (957 miles from the west coast). As such, Christmas Island is a political enigma: It’s governed by Western Australian law, votes during Northern Territory elections, and is administered (as a shire) by the Commonwealth – except for the 60-plus percent of the island that’s national park and thus managed by Parks Australia. If that’s not confusing enough, travelers fly here from Perth and have to pass through customs on arrival, though they don’t need a passport … The plus side? There are no state taxes, and vodka costs $12 a bottle.
2. The local culture is fascinating
Lion dancing accompanies traditional festivals and community events. Photo by Serena Renner.
The island’s remote location has fostered a unique resident population, the majority of which is Chinese (45 percent of islanders speak a Chinese dialect versus 38 percent who speak English). A number of Chinese temples dot the scenery, along with a few churches and mosques which broadcast calls to prayer. The food and cultural scene skews Chinese and Malaysian – which means pillowy roti from the Halal Kitchen and authentic Chinese at Lucky Ho’s and the Chinese Literacy Association (which hawks noodles instead of books). A number of festivals are held throughout the year, including the Muslim events of Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji, as well as Chinese New Year, the Hungry Ghost Festival (planned to appease hungry ghosts?) and the Mooncake Festival, held the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar when the moon is brightest. Many events feature lion dancing and Kampung drumming.
3. But the main residents are crabs
The Christmas Island red crab is a keystone species that determines the ecosystem. Photo: Serena Renner.
The famous Christmas Island red crab is a keystone species, determining much of the island’s ecosystems. Every year, usually in November or December, tens of millions of them leave the comfort of their mountaintop burrows for a three-mile trek to spawn at the shoreline. A few weeks later, baby crabs, which look like tiny six-legged aliens, surge back in with the tide and instinctively know where to crawl home.
4. And red crabs rule island life
Red crabs have the run of the island.
During the great crab migration, island roads are closed to traffic, giving way to a slow-motion river of red. There are carpeted bridges, underpasses and funnel systems, all designed to help the critters make it to the beach in time for the birthing party. No matter the time of year, however, red crabs are your hourly companions on Christmas Island, whether you’re dodging them on island roads or leaping over them during a scenic hike. One of the best places to appreciate crabs and their leaf-eating role in the ecosystem (they’re great soil tillers) is on a walk through Tahitian chestnut trees to the Dales waterfall with Lisa Preston from Indian Ocean Experiences.
5. The only thing that trumps the Christmas Island red crab is the yellow crazy ant
Super colonies of yellow crazy ants are hurting the red crab population. Photo by John Tann/Flickr.
This invasive species sprays formic acid into the unsuspecting crustacean’s eyes, burning them blind so they die of starvation. Crazy ants go nuts for a “honey” produced by a certain scale insect, creating super colonies that have hurt the red crab population. Luckily, the national park has a solution: a two-millimeter-long micro-wasp imported from the depths of the Borneo jungle. Researchers believe the wasp will target the scale insect that produces the orgasmic nectar without having negative side effects on other plants and animals.
6. But these guys are way more terrifying
Robber (aka coconut) crabs can grow to the size of basketballs and live to 80 years. Photo by Serena Renner.
There are also coconut “robber” crabs, bigger than basketballs, which steal shoes, coconuts and anything else they can get their pesky pincers on (rumor has it one may have once walked away with a government rifle). They live 70 or 80 years, and there are more than 100 million of them. They’re harmless aside from their klepto antics, but imagine one crawling into your shower … The island is serious about protecting its side-stepping friends; killing a robber crab lands you a $5,000 fine.
7. Whale sharks migrate here between November and April
Whale sharks migrate to Christmas Island between November and April.
They come during the same moon and monsoon conditions that call the crabs to march down from their burrows, and they feast on crab larvae. Wet ‘n’ Dry Adventures runs seasonal whale shark dives and swims in addition to its usual operations.
8. Snorkeling and diving are fantastic here, even outside whale shark season
Christmas Island is home to 88 coral species and more than 650 types of fish. Photo by Serena Renner.
Bommies of brain-, fan-, feather- and cabbage-shaped corals support a psychedelic world of more than 650 reef fish such as surgeonfish and Moorish idols as well as giant trevallies, rays, sharks, nudibranchs and sea turtles. Divers can scuba the “Drop Off” right out from Flying Fish Cove, explore undersea caves or venture to the wreck site of a Norwegian phosphate ship, which ran aground trying to collect the island’s main export. Christmas Island has gone back and forth about a dive resort for years, but it’s one idea currently on the table to help improve the island’s fledgling economy. Wet ‘n’ Dry Adventures leads a variety of snorkeling, diving and nature-focused trips.
9. There are gorgeous coves like Dolly Beach
A one-mile trail takes you to this slice of paradise. Photo by Serena Renner.
Where it’s said a group of Dutch sailors got shipwrecked and never left. A mile-long trail, mostly on a boardwalk, takes visitors through coastal forest to a picturesque beach complete with tidepools, a fringe reef and a freshwater stream. Robber crabs are common along the track and sea turtles nest here year-round.
10. And then trash heaps like Greta (AKA “thong”) Beach
Located south of Indonesia, plastic often washes up on Christmas Island. Photo by epSos .de/Flickr.
Which demonstrate the bummer of being down current from Asia, where the global plastic problem really hits home.
11. If you want, you can stay in an old morgue…
Captain’s Last Resort is a self-catering cottage in the island’s main settlement area. Photo by Serena Renner.
… at Captain’s Last Resort, a sunny self-catering cottage tucked into palm trees adjacent to the island’s main accommodation: the Sunset. Just beware of ghosts.
12. Or hang out in a grotto
Local custom says you can only enter Merrial Beach if no one is already parked there. Photo by Serena Renner.
The island is like a sea sponge pocked with caverns. Many, such as Merrial Beach and the Grotto, enforce a privacy rule where people must turn away if they see another car already parked at a trail entrance. The Grotto is famous for a Chinese legend of a 19th-century dragon that gets stuck in the cave, now roaring with each incoming high tide. There’s also a cave containing one of the world’s largest piles of bat guano. Is that the definition of bat-shit crazy?
13. Dragons also seethe and vent in other areas of the island
The Blowholes are a collection of limestone cliffs that erupt when big waves roll in. Photo by Serena Renner.
Most notably at the Blowholes, a landscape of razor-sharp cliffs – thankfully covered by a boardwalk – which spouts like Old Faithful. The walkway between Lily and Ethel beaches is another rugged moonscape where brown boobies nest. Red-footed boobies can be found in nearby trees, and streamer-tailed tropicbirds circle the cliffs.
One thing is for certain: Christmas Island has its controversies but also loads of culture and stunning natural beauty that would be a shame to overlook because of politics. There are countless reasons to visit, not the least of which is to feel like you’re one of the island’s first explorers.
– Contributed by Serena Renner