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BRIZO - Monday 23 Sept 2012



We arrived at Christmas Island Saturday afternoon after a very fast passage from Bali. Unfortunately we arrived at the same time that the Australian authorities had towed in a refugee craft with 70 illegal immigrants. Customs and immigration was busy for several hours processing these guests (as they call them) and couldn't process our entry until the next morning. Seeing 70 souls depart from a small, derelict fishing boat was quite an experience for all of us, especially the girls who wondered about the whole issue of illegal immigration and what would happen with these people. When we were expecting to have our own legal entry processed the next morning (Sunday) we were again postponed because the authorities were processing another 160 illegal immigrants who were rescued at sea by a large cargo ship which had responded to their distress call as their vessel was sinking. The topic of illegal aliens was the hot topic of discussion on Christmas Island. Just in the last couple of weeks the Australian government had implemented a new policy of taking these people to a third country for processing instead of letting them enter Australia. The island has benefited from a huge amount of government spending on this matter so there were definitely two perspectives as to whether being on the forefront of illegal immigration was a burden or a bonanza.

Although illegal immigration is currently the largest source of income for the island, there is also a large phosphate mine and processing plant and a small but budding tourism industry. Approx 65% of the island is a national park which is especially famous for protecting the breeding migration of a vast number of red crabs. Seeing a few of the red crabs, along with very large robber crabs and blue crabs, was great for the girls and learning of their migratory patterns was interesting for all of us. We had a half-day tour of the island and the national park and if you are ever looking for an eco-tourism holiday we would certainly recommend Christmas Island (named according to the day the island was first discovered by Westerners).

We stayed for two nights at the small craft anchorage and are expecting to leave mid-morning for Cocos-Keeling. These are another group of islands 525 miles to the west, also Australian territory but apparently without the same illegal immigration problems. We have been reintroduced to the Australian pricing levels while here on Christmas Island, with meals ashore being astonishingly expensive!


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