Nauru

Introduction

Phosphate mining propelled Nauru, the world's third smallest independent republic (only Monaco and the Vatican City are smaller), into seemingly boundless wealth for decades. But phosphate's running out and the Nauru leadership is making little effort to strike up other industries (other than refugee housing for the Australian government). Nauru is an extraordinarily grey island, whose natural beauty has been pretty much destroyed by the ecological nightmare of phosphate mining. Not surprisingly, tourism hasn't exactly taken off.

However, travellers around the Pacific may find themselves delayed in Nauru for a few days, due to Air Nauru's clever monopoly of the area. If golf isn't your thing, we recommend heading away from shore and trying out some of the island's better diving spots, where WWII wreckages make for a captivating dive.

Brief History

Before the Europeans arrived to Nauru, the island was inhabited by colonists from other parts of Oceania. The first European to set foot on Nauru was the English Whaler, John Fearn, but Nauru kept its independence until 1888, when it was annexed by Germany. in 1918 it became a member of the League of Nations, governed by Australia. In 1947 it made a deal with the United Nations that it would become independent in 1968. It became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and in 1999 it joined the United Nations. As mentioned in the introduction the winning of phoshpates made Nauru a wealthy country, but it also had a huge impact on nature. Two third of the island has a lunar surface like look. Alternatives for the ending supplies of phosphates have not been succesful. Tourism which is an option for many others islands is not (yet) a big contributor to the economy of the island.

Geography

Nauru is a 21 square kilometres oval-shaped island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, 42 kilometres south of the Equator. The island is surrounded by a coral reef, which is exposed at low tide and dotted with pinnacles. The presence of the reef has prevented the establishment of a seaport, although channels in the reef allow small boats access to the island. A fertile coastal strip 150 to 300 metres wide lies inland from the beach. Coral cliffs surround Nauru's central plateau. The highest point of the plateau, called the Command Ridge, is 71 metres above sea level. The only fertile areas on Nauru are on the narrow coastal belt, where coconut palms flourish. The land surrounding Buada Lagoon supports bananas, pineapples, vegetables, pandanus trees, and indigenous hardwoods such as the tomano tree. Nauru was one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean (the others were Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia). The phosphate reserves on Nauru are now almost entirely depleted. Phosphate mining in the central plateau has left a barren terrain of jagged limestone pinnacles up to 15 metres high. Mining has stripped and devastated about 80% of Nauru's land area, and has also affected the surrounding Exclusive Economic Zone; 40% of marine life is estimated to have been killed by silt and phosphate runoff.

Regions/Districts

• Aiwo
• Anabar
• Anetan
• Anibare
• Baiti
• Boe
• Buada
• Denigomodu
• Ewa
• Ijuw
• Meneng
• Nibok
• Uaboe
• Yaren

Cities/Towns

• Yaren is the capital of Nauru
• Denigomodu
• Aiwo
• Meneng

Sights and Activities

Anibare bay

Nauru is not the number one beach destination in the Pacific, to say the least. And the waters are pretty rough for diving and snorkelling as well. Going out for fishing sometimes is possible. Still, Anibare Bay is the best beach on Nauru. It is the ideal place to enjoy the sun, swim in the relative tranquil waters or just be lazy. Fishing is another option which is especially good off the coast of the island because of unusual deep waters compared to other Pacific islands.

Command Ridge

Command Ridge is the highest point of Nauru. This is the place where the Japanese kept watch in the 1940s and nowadays you can still find some rusted WWII guns, including two large rotating six-barrel weapons that once fired 40 kilograms of shells. Further, you will find a communications bunker which you can enter if you have a flashlight or lantern. If you look closely you will even see some Japanese writing.

Former President's House

The view from the ruins of the once-splendid former Presidents' House is just fantastic. Unfortunately, the house itself was burned down in 2001 by a local mob who were not happy with the mismanagement of fund by the government. urious at the government's mismanagement of funds.

Yaren

Being a very small capital, there is not much to do in town itself. Still, just off the coast of Yaren there is some excellent deepsea-diving (one of a few places possible on Nauru) where you can find canons and bunkers dating back to WWII.

Moqua Well

The Moqua Well, a small underground lake is situated in Yaren. The name of the well 'Moqua' (sometimes referred to as 'Makwa') is derived from the former name by which Yaren was known. During World War II, Moqua Well was the primary source of drinking water for inhabitants of Nauru. It is for this reason that the body of water is referred to as a well instead of a lake. In 2001, Nauruan authorities decided to put up a fence to prevent accidents, after an alcohol-related drowning in the same year. Nearby are the Moqua Caves, a series of underground caves below Yaren.

Events and Festivals

Independence Day

Each January 31, the people of Nauru celebrate the anniversary of the day the island officially became the tiniest independent republic on Earth by hoisting flags, singing the national anthem and speeches made by local politicians. The holiday begins with a fishing competition followed by wrestling matches, tug of war and other lively sporting events. A clean-up competition also takes place among the island’s districts.

Constitution Day

Less than four months after Nauru became an independent country, they signed their first constitution on May 17, 1968. Sports competitions take place throughout the island to mark this important event in its history, and the day begins with a colorful team parade. The last day is the national track and field championships, where athletes run on a crushed coral track that coincides with Constitution Day. The national track and field champions go on to compete against other athletes from across the South Pacific.

National Youth Day

Although September 25 is Nauru’s official Youth Day, the island’s young people host island-wide activities throughout the week. This emphasis is on healthy living and active pursuits on the island infamous for having the world’s largest percentage of obesity. Volleyball, tug of war and a relay race around the Nauru International Airport airstrip are just some of the competitions held during this vibrant festival.

Angam Day

While many other countries worry about overpopulation, Nauru must maintain a number of at least 1,500 residents in order for its people to survive for generations to come. The island’s population plummeted to barely over 1,000 people following dysentery and influenza epidemics during the first two decades of the 20th century. The baby who pushed the island’s population back up to 1,500 entered the world on October 26, 1932, and her birthday has been a national holiday ever since. After the original Angam baby became one of approximately 500 Nauruans who perished during a WWII evacuation to the island of Chuuk, a second Angam baby was born in 1949. The word angam translates roughly to "celebration" or "homecoming" in English.

Weather

Nauru has a tropical climate with humid and warm conditions year-round. The average maximum temperatures are around 30 °C to 32 °C degrees Celcius, while temperatures during the night are still a balmy 24 °C or 25 °C degrees during most night. The wet season lasts from November to February, but duing the last years the wet season has varied a lot and sometimes there was even a draught period. Generally, from April to October things are drier and sunnier and the easterly trade winds cool things off a bit.

Getting there

Note: The Australian offshore detention centre operating on the island means that there will be a lot of Australian government staff staying at the island's two small hotels and filling seats on the flights to and from Nauru (especially the direct flight to and from Brisbane). This, in combination with the visa requirement, means that you probably should plan and book your trip a few months ahead.

Plane

The international airport is in Yaren and the national airline is called Our Airline, also known as Air Nauru. Currently, there is only one aircraft serving the route from Brisbane to Nauru via Honiara (Solomon Islands) and from Nauru on to Tarawa (Kiribati) and Majuro (Marshall Islands) twice weekly.

By Boat

There is absolutely no way of getting here by boat, there are even no yacht facilities so if you make it here, you will only see the island from a distance!

Getting Around

By Car

There is an 18-kilometre-long sealed road circumnavigating the island. 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. As there is no public transport on Nauru, you will need to negotiate car or bike hire with a local or perhaps pay a local to take you where you need to go.
Cars or bicycles can sometimes be rented from Capelle and Partners, the largest local supermarket. Otherwise you can ask at your hotel or even a local. Foreigners need an international drivers license to drive on Nauru. Also, be aware that fuel shortages are not unheard of! If you want to head inland, there are a few roads that lead towards the Buda District, the lagoon and the mining areas.
Traffic drives on the left and drivers should be on increased lookout for animals and pedestrians while driving on the beltway.

Red Tape

The Australian offshore detention centre operating on the island means that there are always a lot of Australian government staff staying at the island's two small hotels and filling seats on the flights to and from Nauru (especially the direct flight to and from Brisbane). This, in combination with the visa requirement, means that you probably should plan and book your trip a few months ahead.

All foreign visitors require a valid passport and proof of hotel booking or local sponsor in order to enter Nauru. A free visa on arrival is available to citizens of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Citizens of other countries require an advance visa. You can apply for a visa from:

• Nauruan visitors office, ☎ +674 5573133.
• The Nauruan Press Office at the United Nations, ☎ +1 212 937 0074.

Alternatively you can send to e-mail: [email protected] or e-mail: [email protected]. It may take a long time for the visa application to be processed, so you should send your application well ahead of your intended trip. A tourist visa reportedly costs $100 (all prices in Australian dollars. If you are a journalist and intend to work on Nauru you will need a journalist visa, costing $200, although if you are going to report about the Australian detention centre on the island you might need to fork out $8,000. Applications for journalist visas should be directed to: Joanna Olsson, Director of Government Information Office: [email protected].

You will be sent a card that you need to fill in and return together with a copy of your passport. The visa fee is paid upon arrival in Nauru. At this time you will have to hand in your passport to the officials to be registered. The passport will be returned to you the next day.

If you're transiting through the American territories (e.g. Guam) on your journey to Nauru, you might need a transit visa or an ESTA, depending on your nationality.

Money

See also Money Matters

Nauru uses the Australian Dollar (AUD). Australian Dollar notes come in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 and coins come in 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1 and $2.

Language

The official language is Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language. English is widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes.

Eat

Most food is imported from Australia and arrives by ship or air, usually once every six to eight weeks. You can find western and Asian (primarily Chinese) food. Because of the tropical climate dishes might not be as heavy and hearty as the original versions. As not all ingredients may be available, dishes are often rather simple.

Since Nauru is an island nation, seafood is very popular in its restaurants. Cooked and smoked hams are also very popular, as meat is one of their main dishes.

Sleep

There are two hotels, the more expensive Menen on the east of the island and the budget Od'n Aiwo to the west. In addition to these, the supermarket has guest rooms in the north of the island.

• Od'n Aiwo Hotel, PO Box 299, Aiwo District, Republic of Nauru (On the coastal belt road, to the west side of the island, directly opposite the road inland to Buada), tel (+674) 444 3701. US$40-80. The less expensive of the two hotels on Nauru.
• Menen Hotel, PO Box 298, Anibare District, Republic of Nauru (On the coastal belt road, to the east side of the island and south of Anibare Bay.), tel (+674) 444 3300. US$80. The Menen is Nauru's largest hotel, boasting 119 rooms and conference facilities for up to 200. It possesses two restaurants and the island's only bar.
• Capelle & Partner Ewa Lodge (Capelle & Partner), ☎ +674 557 1000, e-mail: [email protected]. In Ewa, northwestern Nauru. The supermarket complex offers accommodation seven self-catering apartments and five rooms. AUD 95.

Drink

The Reef Bar (at the Menen Hotel) is the only public bar in Nauru. If you're staying at the other hotel on the island, Od-N-Aiwo, it's rather inconveniently located as it's about 5.5 km away along the ring road. It serves Australian beers and international spirits. The barroom has a couple of pool tables, satellite TV and recorded music. It's lively at the weekends, as Nauruans are paid on Fridays, and quiet on weeknights.

Other than that, restaurants and shops offer soft drinks and some also have alcoholic beverages.

Health

See also Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Nauru. There is one exception though. You need a yellow fever vaccination if you have travelled to a country (7 days or less before entering Nauru) where that disease is widely prevalent.

It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to Nauru. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended and when travelling longer than 2 weeks also typhoid. Vaccination against hepatitis B is also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Nauru is a peaceful island and all kinds of crime is very rare. In emergency situations you can call either emergency number (117 or 118) or go to the police station which is near the airport.

Like many other Pacific Islands, Nauru is surrounded by a shallow reef with cut-outs through the reef providing access for boats and harbours, and there can be strong currents across the shallow water, moving boats in the harbours, and dangerous marine animals on the reef floor. Ask for advice before venturing into the water.

Keep Connected

Internet

CenpacNet inc. is the only Internet provider, and it also owns the national domain .nr. Moreover it operates the only Internet café on Nauru:
Cenpac's internet café, Civic Centre, Aiwo district (along the Ring Road). Other than that, hotels offer computers to get online, though you should inform yourself about the rates beforehand!

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

There are public phones and a mobile phone network. Be aware that you may need to buy a SIM card from the local operator Digicel if your home operator doesn't have a roaming contract with Nauru.

Post

There are a couple of post offices on the island from where you can send mail.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website