 Christmas Island : Profile
Christmas Island is an Australian territory lying in the Indian Ocean 260 miles south of the Sunda Strait between Sumatra and Java. The island is the tip of an extinct volcano, about 985 ft (300 m) above sea level, and the cliffs are almost continuous around its coast. Christmas Island is a favourite port of call for yachts on passage to the Cocos Keeling Islands, another Australian dependency in the Indian Ocean. The mining of the phosphate reserves dominates the island's economy, although reserves of the best quality phosphate are running out. Since the opening of the Christmas Island resort in 1993, the island has become a popular destination. The abundance of bird and marine life, and the fact that most of the island and surrounding reefs are now a National Park, is very popular with eco-tourists, birdwatchers and divers. Because of the mining operations, facilities are relatively good.
The best time to visit the island is during the SE trade wind season, from April to November, as the weather is more pleasant. There is no safe anchorage during the remaining months from December to March, which is the period of the NW monsoon. During this time the weather is wet, March being the wettest month.
Flying Fish Cove
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*Indicates a port of entry.
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