Life on Christmas Island

"The jungle is our playground, and the sea is our wonderland."

This is how Sook Yee Lai recalls her childhood on Christmas Island, an Australian territory located about a -hour flight northwest of Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

"We spend our time free diving, snorkeling, surfing, caving, and exploring the jungle to discover secluded beaches," Lai shares with Dinogo Travel.

A hidden treasure in the Indian Ocean, closer to Indonesia than the Australian mainland, Christmas Island's stunning landscapes have earned it the nickname the "Galapagos of Australia."

Though relatively small, spanning just 52 square miles (around 135 square kilometers), Christmas Island boasts dramatic cliffs, lush jungle, vibrant reefs, and over 250 endemic species.

"It’s a truly unique place," she says. "We have a lively, beautiful, and closely-knit community in such a small, remote location."

A melting pot of cultures

Lai moved to Perth in 1997 at the age of 15 to complete her high school education and then pursue university studies.

Though she now calls Perth home, Lai frequently returns to Christmas Island for work and to reconnect with family and old friends.

"Every time I return, the scent of the jungle greets me as we disembark from the plane. That’s the smell of home to me," says Lai, who also serves as the secretary for Christmas Island Stories, an organization dedicated to preserving the island’s multicultural heritage.

According to the 2021 census, about 22% of the island's approximately 1,700 residents have Chinese ancestry, 17% are Australian, 16.1% Malay, 12.5% English, and 3.8% Indonesian.

With such diverse roots, it’s common to hear a variety of languages spoken on the island – including English, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, Min Nan Chinese, and Tagalog from the Philippines.

"We’re encouraged to speak our languages from a young age and share them with others," says Lai, who is fluent in four languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Bahasa Melayu from Malaysia.

Living History

The rich diversity of Christmas Island, which became an official part of Australia in 1958, is rooted in the island’s colonial mining history and the impact of World War II.

The British East India Company first sighted Christmas Island on Christmas Day in 1643, and the holiday became the island’s namesake.

Following the discovery of valuable phosphate deposits, the British annexed the island in 1888.

Mining operations began shortly after, with the workforce primarily made up of Chinese, Malaysian, and Sikh indentured laborers who endured extremely difficult working conditions.

In 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces took control of Christmas Island. A year later, in 1943, half of the island’s population was deported to prison camps in Indonesia, according to the Australian Government.

After the war, many islanders returned from Indonesia with their spouses and children, adding to the island’s growing multicultural community.

Time for Recreation

Today, around 1,300 people, or 80% of the island’s population, reside in Flying Fish Cove, the bustling capital and main port, where much of the island’s activity takes place.

"The Cove is the heart of life on Christmas Island. It’s where people set off in boats or swim to explore the vibrant coral reefs and marine life – dolphins, turtles, and octopuses are common sights just a short distance away," says Lai.

For Lauren Taylor, 37, it was love at first sight when she arrived on the island.

The part-time school administrator relocated from Dunsborough, Western Australia, with her husband to take a position at the island's only school, Christmas Island District High School.

"My first impression was that I could see myself living here for the next 10 years," Taylor shares with Dinogo Travel.

At the time of moving to Christmas Island, she was three months pregnant with her first child. Now, her family has grown to include two children, aged 8 and 9, who have grown up in an environment free from technology and immersed in nature.

"There’s no internet unless we have Wi-Fi at home," Taylor explains. "Our kids spend their days climbing trees and playing outside."

Being part of such a close-knit community, residents feel safe and secure knowing that they are well cared for.

It’s common for people to leave their homes unlocked, and some don’t even bother taking the keys out of their cars, says Lai. "It’s just a very safe and free environment."

Nature right at your doorstep

Around 64% of the island is designated as protected national parkland, serving as a crucial habitat for a diverse range of species, from giant coconut crabs to vibrant Christmas imperial pigeons, graceful golden bosun birds, and the striking red-breasted Christmas Island frigatebird.

"There’s so much incredible wildlife here," says Taylor. "We were out on the boat when we spotted a turtle, jumped into the water to swim with it, and just as we did, a whale shark swam up behind us. At first, it was a bit scary, but once we calmed down, it was absolutely awe-inspiring."

Without a doubt, the world-famous red crab migration, which occurs when the wet season begins around November, is the island’s most popular tourist attraction.

During the migration, an estimated 40 to 50 million small red crabs journey across the island, crawling over roads, cars, and covering beaches in a vast sea of red.

While it’s a magnificent spectacle from a distance, it’s not always easy to live alongside.

"It’s like having millions of tiny spiders all around you. It’s unnerving, and I get itchy just thinking about it," says Lai. "There’s a lot of fascination with this natural event, but I remember as a child, I would go to bed with a blanket over my head to ensure nothing crawled into my ears."

To deal with the crabs, residents use rakes to gently sweep them off the roads, and they’ve even constructed crab crossings to help guide the little creatures across roads and into the jungle.

"During one crab migration, baby crabs crawled through our house," says Taylor. "There were millions of them. They would drop out of the exhaust fan in the ceiling above the bathroom, and we’d have to put a bucket on our heads to catch them."

Tourism on the rise

For some, the island presents opportunities for new business ventures.

The island's primary industries include low-grade phosphate mining, exports, government services, a controversial immigration detention center, and tourism.

As mining resources begin to dwindle, the government is turning its attention to sustainable tourism as a key economic driver for the future.

The tourism industry has been expanding, growing from approximately 1,160 visitors in 2017 to about 3,000 in 2021, as reported by the Christmas Island Tourism Association’s 2020-2021 annual report.

"We experienced a significant increase in tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic because people in Western Australia could travel freely within the state, but not to other parts of the country," says Lai.

"Many visitors come for the nature, birdwatching, and diving opportunities... There are only a few accessible sandy beaches, but we have a vibrant reef filled with marine life and warm waters year-round."

After spending two years traveling the globe competing in free-diving competitions, Australian David Mulheron sought a permanent home where he could continue to live and train.

"My sister and her husband had just moved to Christmas Island," says Mulheron, a national record holder who represented Australia in the 2019 free-diving world championships.

He relocated in late 2019 and launched the appropriately named Freedive Christmas Island in 2020.

"The reef here is among the best I've ever explored," he says. "I've had the incredible opportunity to swim with whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, and dolphins, alongside hundreds of species of vibrant tropical fish that call the reef home."

Logistical challenges

Although Christmas Island is generally a wonderful place to live, residents acknowledge there are some challenges.

"The biggest issue is the high cost of travel. It's really difficult for residents to fly to the mainland," says Amanda Clarke, speaking with Dinogo Travel.

Clarke, who owns Paradise Pizza and Takeaway as well as a snack kiosk at the outdoor cinema, relocated to Christmas Island in 2019 with her husband, the airport's operations manager.

Virgin Australia operates only two flights per week between Perth and Christmas Island.

Shopping for necessities like clothes, diapers, and food can present challenges.

"For special events like birthdays and Christmas, you have to plan months in advance to ensure gifts arrive on time. When the kids were younger, we'd always order diapers a size up to account for the shipping delay," explains Taylor.

When it comes to fresh food, the island relies heavily on imports.

"The main supply of food comes by ship every six to eight weeks, but when the seas are rough, the boat can’t dock," says Taylor. "There's a bi-weekly freighter, but it's much more expensive."

As a result, supermarkets often run out of fresh produce during the swell season, which lasts from December to April.

However, many long-term residents have established their own vegetable gardens and know where to find fresh fruits and vegetables on the island.

"The indentured workers planted seeds throughout the jungle, which is why we now have wild chilies, bananas, pumpkins, cassava, bitter gourd, limes, pomelo..." says Lai.

"When my friends talk about going to the 'supermarket,' they’re actually referring to the jungle. There are also plenty of wild chickens around. You could definitely survive here," she adds.

The island’s tropical climate is perfect for growing bananas, mangoes, and according to Clarke, "the best avocados".

Christmas celebrations on the island are highlighted by the annual Rock Riders Lolly Run.

With its name, it’s only natural to be curious about what Christmas is like on Christmas Island.

By the end of December, the weather fluctuates between sunny perfection and heavy downpours, while the famous crab migration is often underway.

This year, the community brightened up the central roundabout near the cove with Christmas lights and reindeer decorations.

The Rock Riders Lolly Run is another festive highlight, where people dress as Santa and cruise around on "Postie" bikes (red Honda motorcycles traditionally used by mail carriers in Australia and New Zealand), handing out goodie bags to kids.

While many people head overseas to reunite with family during the holidays, those who stay behind appreciate the season's peaceful atmosphere.

"We'll be spending the holidays on our boat, swimming with whale sharks that come to feast on the baby crabs," says Taylor.

She also looks forward to Christmas Day on the beach with her family, followed by the island's Orphans’ Christmas – a community gathering at Flying Fish Cove for a festive lunch.

Community festivities

A true cultural melting pot, Christmas Island is home to a blend of Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity, with Christmas being just one of the many secular and religious holidays celebrated by its diverse community.

"Islam and Buddhism are deeply rooted on Christmas Island, with temples scattered across the island," says Lai. "We also have both Catholic and Protestant churches. People are free to worship as they wish and join in the celebrations."

Due to its significant Chinese heritage, Christmas Island observes traditional celebrations like Lunar New Year, the Moon Festival, and the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Remarkably, Christmas Island is the only place in Australia where Lunar New Year is a recognized public holiday.

"When I moved to the mainland, I was shocked to find that Lunar New Year wasn’t a public holiday," recalls Lai.

According to Clarke, the island's most precious quality is its deeply supportive and inclusive community spirit.

"We live together in harmony, sharing in each other’s cultural milestones, from weddings to birthdays. When someone is unwell, the whole island comes together to offer help," Clarke explains. "A loss is felt by everyone, and when a family leaves, it feels like losing a part of ourselves."