The Morrison Government reopened the Christmas Island detention centre in August 2020. The Australia Border Force at the time, directly responding to human rights organisations, stated that no refugees are being transferred to Christmas Island.
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Other facilities
a bank (Westpac) and ATMs. Most shops and restaurants also accept credit and debit cards.
a pharmacy.
a small hospital, which includes GP and dental services.
There are numerous holiday homes available for short-term stays on Christmas Island. They are a great option for families and larger groups, and having your own kitchen means you can make your holiday budget go further by not eating out.
That means you can score a great deal on popular duty-free items such as fragrances, leather goods, electronics, jewellery, watches and sunglasses. It also means Christmas Island has some of the cheapest alcohol in Australia – perfect for treating yourself to a beer or a gin and tonic as the sun goes down.
The cuisine of Christmas Island can best be described as an eclectic combination of traditional Australian cuisine and Asian cuisine, particularly meals from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Working at Christmas Island is a challenging but immensely rewarding experience for anyone who wants to make a difference in a unique and highly fragile wilderness environment. Our current job vacancies are advertised on the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website.
Therefore maintaining good nutrition is essential but almost impossible to do for many residents because of the inflated cost of food. Conversely because of the GST free status on Christmas Island the price of alcohol and cigarettes is extremely affordable.
The importation of dogs and cats into Christmas Island is prohibited by the Importation of Dogs and Cats Ordinance 1973, due to concerns about environmental, social, cultural, animal health and welfare issues.
Christmas Island may not be high on the tourist radar, its expensive to get to, accommodation is also expensive but its unique in its own right. Randomly placed in the Indian ocean, not too far from Indonesia, its a great spot over for yachties.
Christmas Island receives the standard digital television channels from Western Australia. Radio 6RCI is the local radio station, transmitting on 105.3FM from Rocky Point and 102.1FM from Drumsite. Transmissions are in English, Malay and Chinese.
Use common sense when swimming or wading at any beach – they can be subject to large waves and swell, strong rips and undertows. None of the beaches on the island are patrolled by lifesavers. Swimming at beaches is only recommended at Flying Fish Cove under calm sea conditions.
Island life: While Christmas Island is a pleasant place to live most of the time, residents say it has its challenges. For example, flights to the island from mainland Australia are expensive.