Nauru Travel

Mining of Nauru's phosphate deposits, which occupied about 90% of the island, began in the early 20th century under a German-British consortium. During World War I, the island was occupied by Australian forces and became a dependent territory. Nauru achieved independence in 1968. In the 1980s, phosphate exports briefly gave Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World. As of 2008, most of Nauru's revenue comes from the export of phosphate to Australia, South Korea and New Zealand as well as other countries. The industry is controlled by the Nauru Phosphate Corporation (NPC). It is anticipated that the phosphate reserves will be completely exhausted before 2050. The sale of fishing licences is the other major revenue raiser. Countries such as Australia and Taiwan provide substantial development cooperation funding. Despite this, the unemployment rate currently stands at 90%, which is the highest in the world. That is not the only problem on the island, as over 95% of the population is obese and over 40% suffers from diabetes.
In 2001 the container ship Tampa rescued several hundred asylum seekers from a sinking Indonesian vessel and attempted to deliver them to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, which is an Australian Federal Territory. In what was labelled The Pacific Solution, the Australian Government established an Off Shore Processing Centre (OPC) on Nauru where these people were housed, pending assessment of their claims to be refugees. The OPC was closed in early 2008.

Climate

The climate is tropical, with some rain occurring between November and February.

Terrain

There are a few "sandy" beaches but most of the shallow area around the island is coral reefs. Most of the interior of the island is worked-out mining land, which is to be rehabilitated. There is a lagoon on the island, the only body of water there.

Get in

Map of Nauru

All foreign visitors require a valid passport, a 30 day tourist visa and proof of hotel booking or local sponsor in order to enter Nauru. Your visa must be obtained from your local Nauruan embassy before departure. There have been rumours on the Internet that you can get in for up to three days without getting a visa, but that is not accurate.

By plane

As of January 2014, Nauru's national carrier Our Airline flies to Nauru International Airport from Brisbane (Australia), Tarawa (Kiribati) and Majuro (Marshall Islands). Schedules change throughout the year; further details are available from the Our Airline website.

Get around

Nauru is so small that it takes less than one hour to drive right around it. The airport runway cuts across three of the twenty kilometres of road. The only traffic lights on the island are used to stop the traffic and allow the plane to cross the road to the terminal! This is a favourite souvenir snapshot taken by visitors.
Traffic drives on the left. The 19km Island Ring Road circles the island. Drivers should be on increased lookout for animals and pedestrians while driving on the beltway. There is a community bus which travels around the island every hour or so during the day. Cars or bicycles can sometimes be rented from Capelle and Partners, the largest local supermarket.

Talk

The official language is Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language. Some locals speak Tuvaluan or Gilbertese which are quite common around the island since these two ethnic groups have historically worked in the Nauru mining industry. English is widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes.

See

• Anibare Bay where there are tropical beaches
• Anibare Harbour, a 2000 project, was largely financed by the Japanese government
• The Parliament House and other Government buildings in Yaren, the unofficial capital of Nauru
• The Buada Lagoon a tropical body of water, and the only body of water on the island is a very picturesque spot in the lower middle of the island. It's a freshwater lagoon surrounded on all sides by dense palm trees and other vegetation. However the water is dirty and not suitable for swimming in. Still, a nice photo opportunity, and you can walk all the way around the lagoon as the sealed road circles it. To get there, take the road opposite the Od-N-Aiwo hotel, follow it until it branches, then go left. The road will lead you straight there.

Do

• Walk round the islands interior. Do the circuit - A sealed road goes all the way around the island so you can drive, ride or walk around an entire country! A drive takes about 25 minutes non-stop. I guess a pushbike ride would take 2-3 hours and a walk maybe 6 hours. There is lots of nice scenery if not much to do and, going from either hotel, Chappelle & Partner department store right at the top of the island in Ewa district makes for a welcome break at halfway around.
• Explore World war relics In Yaren. Spot the remains of Japanese guns, bunkers and pillboxes left over from WWII.
• Climb Command Ridge, Nauru's highest point.
• Watch the local teams battle it out at an Australian rules football match. The national game is played all through Saturday at the Linkbelt Oval sports field.
• Fish: Head out to sea and try your luck at game fishing
• Shop at Capelle & Partner, the only department store and largest business on Nauru island.
• Swim in Anibore Harbour, which is the best bet for swimming, as most beaches are too shallow and rocky.