Exploring Australia’s island territories

AUSTRALIA’S official dominion sprinkles out into the sea a lot more than an armchair geographer might expect. So if you’re keen to travel a bit further afield, remote Aussie territories can take “domestic” tourism to a whole new level.

Secret little paradises seem to be peppered throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans. But Australia’s territorial hideaways offer us a unique opportunity to discover exotic locals without the hubbub of international travel. As the red tape of visas, papers and passports can stifle even the most stalwart adventurer, having a few overseas places to call home is like a traveller’s time machine to a less bureaucratic age.

Everything decelerates in places like these. Australia’s island territories provide much more than just an escape from the noise of modern civilisation – they offer a fresh perspective on our world. They are lands where we and all the wildlife are merely guests of the presiding coconut palms, history rusts more slowly and thousands of visible stars reaffirm our position in space.

From its heroic settlement by Polynesian navigators to the immortal tale of the mutiny on the Bounty, Norfolk Island is by far the most historically exciting of Australia’s territorial satellites. Many islands in this part of the world bear the scars of World War II but with its World Heritage-listed sites and convict era housing, Norfolk has earned an exceptional reputation as the most storied speck in the boundless South Pacific.

Australians can get there without a passport, just one of those identity cards from the post office will do. You can catch flights from Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney and Melbourne on a variety of reputable airlines but you will be required to pre-book your accommodation before arriving. If you’re in good hiking shape, don’t miss out on neighbouring Phillip Island, an uninhabited “Uluru of the South Pacific” and part of Norfolk Island National Park.

The drama surrounding refugee and immigrant detention on Christmas Island has unfortunately transformed an inconspicuous retreat into a hotbed of political and humanitarian controversy. For this reason alone, tourism here suffers from a burdensome gravitas at stark odds with tropical pleasure – but Christmas Island is a land of many faces.

The territory’s most extraordinary spectacle by far is the seasonal crab migration. Every year at about Christmastime (of course), some 120 million bright red crabs cross an island of only 135 square kilometres in a seaward spawning effort. Christmas Island resides a few hundred kilometres south of Indonesia and is most often accessed from Perth. Check out the Christmas Island National Park to peek at the alien ecosystem of this “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”.

Cocos Keeling Islands

Almost 1000km southwest of isolated Christmas Island, the Cocos Keeling Islands represent the very fringes of Australia’s inhabited sovereignty. With a permanent population of only about 600, spending time in the Cocos is definitely an escapist adventure. But this scattered collection of low-lying atolls may be more accommodating than its rugged remoteness suggests.

Inviting holiday houses dot the main islands and despite limited resources, a substantial tourism infrastructure provides a range of creature comforts and services. Take a look at the link above for hired homesteads or the Cocos One Stop Tourist Shop for everything from wedding packages to motorised canoe safaris. Three flights a week leave Perth for the converted World War II airstrip on West Island. A ferry service is coordinated with local buses to facilitate inter-island transportation.

The Ashmore and Cartier Islands are an uninhabited system of marine wildlife preserves 840km west of Darwin. Except for a special dispensation for traditional Indonesian fishermen, public access is not allowed without a permit from the Australian government. Even then, only the West Island’s lagoon and eastern beach are open to visitors. See the marine reserve’s website for more information on visiting and obtaining a permit.  

The Coral Sea Islands are a smattering of corals and cays in the Great Barrier Reef area off the Queensland coast. Only tiny Willis Island (500 metres at its longest) with its scientific weather station is inhabited. Cruises are the norm in this neck of the woods but in the spirit of trailblazing distant territories, we recommend checking with Tourism Queensland to track down independent ferry services and guides. There are no airports, harbours or public accommodation in the Coral Sea Islands.

These islands are inarguably the most middle-of-nowhere rocks in Australia. The Heard Island and McDonald Islands lie more than 4000km west of Perth, lost somewhere between Antarctica and Madagascar. The government concedes that it’s technically possible to visit the home of Australia’s only active volcanoes, but the logistical difficulties are discouraging. Basically, you’d have to hitch a ride from the Australian Antarctic Division. To learn more, try the government’s Heard Island information site.