Christmas Island is a paradise for the outdoors lover, and pretty much anyone who loves a getaway. Although the island is closer to Asia than Australia, it’s about 2600kms north of Perth, WA, and just as easy of a trip to make from Perth as Bali is. It’s exactly what you think of when you think of a gorgeous island adventure—white sand beaches and reefs to explore, with wildlife that’s hard to find anywhere else.
You can take a flight direct from Perth, or stop off at the Cocos Keeling Islands on your way there. A lot of tour packages group these two, which is definitely the way we’d go. The two are only a 95 minute flight apart. November to February is considered the busiest time, although it’s smack-bang in the middle of the wet season. Expect rain, but don’t miss your chance to witness the once-in-a-lifetime events the island has to offer during mid-November and December.
The most iconic Christmas Island attraction is the red crab migration taking place during those months, where 60 million red land crabs move to the sea to spawn. If you’re wanting to get right amongst the action, there are a few options for you. There are tours that specialise in showing off the migration, providing hire cars to visit the best lookout spots and an expert guide, or you can even snorkel and dive to catch whale sharks that feed off the spawned larvae.
After you see the crabs, two-thirds of the island is a national park to explore. The rainforest is full of walking trails, 4WD tracks, waterfalls and lookouts, but you can always hang on the scenic beaches. Dolly Beach has a natural rockpool to snorkel, but there are over 60 diving spots in waters that are some of the clearest on Earth. Fishing tours are popular, as well as guides for birdwatching, where you’ll see incredible rare species endemic to Christmas Island.