Janusz Wegrzyn, SP9FIH will be active as VK9/SP9FIH from Christmas Island, IOTA OC - 002, 19 September - 3 October 2025.
He will operate on 30 - 10m, SSB, FT8.
Recent DX Spots VK9/SP9FIH
VK9/SP9FIH Log search QSL via home call, ClubLog OQRS.
Christmas Island: history, culture, and 5 things to do on Christmas Island
Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean. It is interesting for its flora and fauna. It is here that you can observe the migration of red crabs and see many interesting and unusual birds.
On the sandy beaches, you will see traces of the turtles that live here.
Christmas Island is similar to the Galapagos Islands. It is interesting not only for its nature, but also for its history and culture. This combination makes it very interesting for tourists and scientific researchers.
Christmas Island. Author - Maciek Gornisiewicz.
Brief description of the island
The island itself belongs to Australia. It is home to about two thousand people, who are of Australian origin with Chinese or Malaysian roots. They live mainly in the northern part of the island. The island attracts attention because its flora and fauna have retained their uniqueness over many years. This is due to the fact that the island is isolated from other inhabited areas, which means that human interference is minimal.
History of the island
The island was discovered by Europeans on Christmas Day in 1643. However, they did not land on the island. It was only 40 years later that William Dampier, a navigator from England, studied the island in detail and gave a thorough description of it.
Christmas Island. Author - David Stanley.
Geography and climate of the island
The total length of the island's coastline is 139 km. It is 19 km long and 14.5 km wide. The island is part of a mountain with a flat surface. The entire height of the mountain varies between 4.5 km. However, only a small part of it, 300 meters long, is located above sea level. The mountain itself was a volcano in the past. This can be seen from the abundance of basalt rocks located on the island. There are also many limestone rocks on the island, which were formed by coral growth.
The island has a comfortable climate. The lowest temperature here is in August, and it is around 23°C. The warmest months are March and April. The temperature at this time of year is around 29°C. The driest period is from July to November, and the rainy season is from November to May. It is during this period that the island experiences monsoons and cyclones.
What to do first on Christmas Island
- Watch the red crab migration. Every year, you can witness a unique phenomenon here: the migration of crabs. This phenomenon has made the island famous all over the world. Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world take all possible measures in advance to see this grand and rare spectacle in October or November. A huge number of crabs emerge from the forest and make their way to the shore to continue their species. The total number of crabs in most cases exceeds fifty million, thanks to which the entire island turns into a red sea of crabs for a week. Local residents are calm about such magical phenomena of the environment. During the migration period, the island's authorities close off traffic to protect and preserve the crab population.
- Swim and sunbathe on Dolly Beach. Dolly Beach is the most isolated beach in the area. The beautiful scenery makes it a popular location for filming movies about sinking ships near uninhabited islands. Palm groves and high cliffs completely isolate the beach from the mainland, and exotic turtles bask on it. Large turtles are less common than newly hatched individuals, most of which run from the shore to swim in the ocean waves. You can observe this mesmerizing beauty for about a month. If you visit Dolly Beach, it is worth checking out the numerous caves and grottoes, which vary greatly in shape, as well as seeing unique and magnificent exotic birds. Sources of clean fresh water will allow you to drink water that is not salty.
- Visit the village of South Point. In this village, you can see “old country” style landscapes, a large number of different types of exotic fruit trees typical of the tropics, and many temples that carry the mystery of Buddhist culture and faith. A good start to your trip would be to visit these buildings, which were built several centuries ago by immigrants from Malaysia and China. The design of the buildings, which is characteristic of that time and is clearly expressed in the stepped elements of the structure, entwined with vines, is not much different from similar buildings in Vietnam or Taiwan. Most tourists visit these places and temples not to spend time in prayer or watch the monks during services, but to take stunning photos from one of the high points of the temple. From such heights, a mesmerizing view of the endless ocean opens up, along with coral reefs and the canopy of tropical trees.
- Visit an abandoned spaceport. For lovers of all kinds of mysteries and secrets of this world, a trip to the spaceport will remain in their memory for a long time. Construction began in 2003, but after just a couple of years, it was abandoned. The entire structure stands in stark contrast to the surrounding nature. The pristine natural landscapes are dotted with huge cranes, concrete slabs, and mountains of rubble covered with moss.
- Visit the caves. Coming to the island and not visiting the caves is like going to Paris without visiting the Louvre. Visitors of all ages and physical abilities will be pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the Daniel Roa Cave, which has spacious rooms and a river flowing through the middle. The stalactite fields in various caves look even more magical. The environment has created a whole bouquet of diverse and distinctive “stone flowers” of fantastic geometry and color.
Christmas Island. Author - Peter McKiernan.
Island culture
Christmas Island is home to many different nationalities. People from European, Chinese, and Indian cultures live here. This makes the island very interesting in terms of studying its cultural diversity. On Christmas Island, you must take off your shoes before entering a house. In addition, it is not recommended to touch someone else's head. The main languages spoken on the island are Chinese and English. Christianity and Buddhism are the predominant religions on the island. However, there are other faiths as well.
For example, Taoism, Confucianism, and Islam. Despite the diversity of religions, there is no animosity between the island's inhabitants. On the contrary, they treat each other with great respect and tolerance. There is a mosque on the island. Due to the diversity of religions on the island, there are many holidays.
