Day 30: Kiribati, Tuvalu and Kirimati

Feature Down Under 30th October.
The three island groups (33 islands in total) of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Kirimati were formerly known as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands and Christmas Island. They are scattered over millions of square kilometers of the central Pacific Ocean, with a total land area of about 736 square kilometers.

Christmas Island

Kirimati accounts for about 48 percent of this land area. Banaba is a raised limestone island, but the other islands are all coral atolls,  rising less than four metres above sea level, raising concerns over rising sea levels as a result of global warming. Most of the coral atolls have lagoons.The thin alkaline soils are extremely infertile, and there is no fresh surface water. The average daily temperature varies only slightly around 28 degrees Celsius.

History
In Pacific Island legend,  the Turtle and Spider  were land gods who gods originally created the universe. Other myth says they taken over by the Eel and Stingray gods, who then created the universe.

Traditional legend say the spirits moved from Samoa to the Gilbert Islands and became half human and half spirit. Much later they changed into human beings, and many Kiribati believe their ancestors to be spirits, some from Samoa, and some from the Gilberts. Kiribati are known indigenously as “Tungaru”.
By the way, eatingTurtles is forbidden.

Some evidence now points to migration from Southeast Asia/Indonesia area into the Pacific around 3000 years ago, rather than between 200 and 500AD when Micronesians arrived.

In more recent history, whalers, slave traders and merchant vessels began arriving in the 16th century, and good old Captain Cook turned up to find and name Christmas Island in December 1777. I wonder if he ever went home! 
In 1892, Kiribati became a British Protectorate, then in 1916 the Ellice Islands were combined with the Gilbert Islands to form the Gilbert & Ellice Islands Colony, which also included Fanning and Washington islands. 

Robert Louis Stevenson sailing to Kiribati

Another person who got about the Pacific was Robert Louis Stevenson, and in 1889, after spending time in Hawaii and Tahiti, he stopped off for another holiday on the Kiribati atolls of Abemama and Butaritari, part of the Gilbert group before heading to Samoa in 1890. Read our Day 25 blog on Samoa for more of R L Stevenson.

Japanese gun emplacements

Japan seized some of the islands to form part of their defenses during World War II resulting in a series of  bloody battles on the Gilbert Islands between the American and Japanese forces. Tarawa, on the islet of Betio,  suffered the most. Other islands and atolls also experienced heavy engagements between Japanese and Americans Marines. World War II artefacts can still found today on Tarawa, Butaritari and Abemama. Kiribati had further military involvement in the 1950's and 1960's, and sadly, Christmas Island served as a base for early nuclear testing.  Read The World at War (available on Amazon) for more information.
Did you know:

Kiribati Parliament

Prior to 1995, western Kiribati was 22 hours ahead of eastern Kiribati, which must have been a bit of a nuisance sometimes, but then, if you were having a birthday you could get two celebrations in! anyway, Kiribati moved the International Date Line, so that the entire country could be on the same day at the same time (maybe to stop the double birthday thing!), and so on 1 January 2000, Kiribati was the first nation to see the new millennium. Until I researched the Gilbert and Ellice Islands for this blog, I had always thought NZ was the first to see the sun rise on the millennium. Bit disappointing really, we Kiwis love being first at something...

The native pronunciation of Gilberts is Kiribati  - kee-ree-bus, and Christmas Island, Kirimati is kee-ree-mus

How to get there


Sea: Supply ships occasionally go to Tuvalu. Contact the operations manager at Kiribati Shipping Services for prices and information about any planned departures. I'm not sure how comfortable they are.

Tarawa, Christmas and Fanning Islands are currently the only islands in Kiribati with formal harbour dues and all are ports of entry for yachts; island councils elsewhere may charge a fee. Tarawa, Fanning and some of the outer Gilberts have good channels and harbour facilities.

Air: Only Tarawa and Christmas Island are serviced by international flights.
to get to Kiritimati (Christmas) Island - fly from Nadi, Fiji:
Nadi to Kiritimati (Christmas) Island departsTuesdays at 11.59pm and arrives at Kiritimati at 6.35am on Wednesday, giving you a full day of fishing.
Flights return to Nadi the following Wednesday, departing Kiritimati at 4pm and arriving Nadi at 6.40pm the same day.

The flight schedule from Honolulu:
Departs from Honolulu at 11.59am on Tuesdays, arriving on Kiritimati at 3pm on Wednesday.
The return flight departs at 7.35am on Wednesday and arrives back in Honolulu at 10.35 on Tuesday.

Tarawa is serviced twice out of Fiji by Air Pacific. Flights depart from Nadi on Mondays and Thursdays and take 3 hours. Air Pacific codes shares with Qantas and Cathay Pacific with connection availabe from Australia, New Zealand, United States and now from Europe through Hong Kong. For more information on flights and scheduling contact Air Pacific.

Remember to note the date line changes when you are booking!
What to do on the Islands:
 Kiribati tourism is a great site to read. Lonely Planet has a guide, of course, as do several other blogs and websites, so I won't repeat the same information.

You can rent cars, motorbikes and scooters to get around the islands, and there are float planes, and boats to go between islands.

Christmas Island endangered Booby

Fishing, birdwatching, surfing, exploring WWII remnants, tours, scuba/ free diving, snorkelling and swimming, cultural experiences and outdoor adventures.

You can even dive in the lagoon on Betio to explore underwater wreckage of WWII Battle of Tarawa.

Accommodation

George Hotel

Check out: Booking.com  and Trip Advisor for Christmas Island and Gilbert and Ellice Islands accommodation.

Accommodation rates generally range between $30 - $120 per person, with discounts being offered for stays longer than one week.

Christmas Island Owl

Tour packages are available on Kiribati Tourism,  Transpacific Holidays   and other online sites.

Currency: Use Australian dollars.