Nauru - the Country with the mostest, and the leastest

Nauru is a nation of superlatives. It’s the world’s least visited country. Once it was the world’s wealthiest country per capita. It has the highest proportion of smokers. There is no tax. How the country exists is a miracle. A limestone island in the middle of the Pacific, it has no fresh water. No crops grow on Nauru. However, there are plenty of fish. The name Nauru means ‘I go to the beach’. Perhaps it was the word uttered when a hapless boatman came ashore and asked the question ‘What is the name of this island?’ Nauru!

At first sighting this tiny island appears almost mythical. A speck in the Pacific Ocean, atop it a fluffy white cloud. Nauru, once known as Pleasant Island, is the world’s third smallest country. It has an area of 21 sqkm. Few people make the journey here. There are only 200 tourists per year. Our group of 24 supplying a generous component. Nauru has a population of 12,000.

The facilities are limited. The well-located Menen Hotel is the island’s main stay. However, it’s closed for renovations. Justin & Morgan, our tour leaders, have to scamper about to find alternative accommodation. They have their work cut out. There are no buses available either. We are billeted across the island, and ferried about in a fleet of hire cars. Somehow Justin & Morgan pull a few rabbits out of hats, and it all works out.

For us it merely adds to the sense of adventure. I’m billeted with the fun-loving Mina. We’re staying in a tiny house, it’s crisp and clean, and located on land owned by the family of our guide. We’re blessed having Cyndrae as our local guide. She shares with us the many quirks of island life. And there are many!

In 1968 Nauru was the world’s wealthiest country per capita. It was all due to phosphate, droppings of marine birds reacting with the coral limestone. Ros Freeman discovers the fascinating history of this Pacific micronation.

For decades phosphate mining fueled the economy, at its peak earning Nauru an estimated $100-120 million annually. Much of the revenue was squandered; hotels in Fiji and the Marshall Islands, shopping trips to Singapore and Fiji, expensive cars. Despite there being only 19km of paved road, one Nauruan indulged himself with a custom-built Lamborghini, bright yellow with bat-wing doors. When the car arrived, the gentleman, of considerable girth, was unable to fit into it. The government invested in ‘Leonardo the musical’, a fictionalized story about Leonardo da Vinci. It was one of the biggest disasters in the history of London theatre. The Nauru government lost £2 million.

Phosphate mining continues today, however is only expected to last a few more years. The phosphate is separated from the limestone before being shipped overseas for use at fertilizer. The devastation caused by the mining is staggering. Jagged forests of coral pinnacles are a haunting legacy. The mined land is uninhabitable.

Nauru is more recently known for its detention centres. Built in 2001, they were Australia’s ‘Pacific Solution’, housing refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Syria. About 1900 refugees passed through the gates. The detention centres are no longer in use, however about eight detainees have elected to remain on the island. They’re been welcomed by the Nauruans.

The old Japanese prison

Like all these Pacific nations, this peaceful little country has been affected by the war. Japanese forces occupied the island between 1942 and 1945. About 1200 Nauruans were deported to labour camps in Micronesia. In a jungle clearing we came across a rusted anti-aircraft gun. Nearby was the overgrown ruins of a Japanese prison.

By 1945, there were less than 800 Nauruans remaining on the island. With a drastic decline in population the country instigated Angam Day. Angam means jubilation in Nauruan. The holiday, on 26th October, commemorates the time when the population reached 1500, the minimum necessary for the survival of Nauruans. The day is affectionately nicknamed the ‘day to make babies’.

Phosphate cantilever in the distance

The soundscape for Nauru is the crow of roosters. Nauru must have the world’s highest concentration of chickens. Outside our tiny house is a caged rooster. He’s a fighter, Cyndrae tells me. Cock fighting is family entertainment in Nauru. What other pastimes are there? I asked. Cyndrae warmed to the conversation. There’s pass the burning pandanas fruit. Whoever gets burnt loses. And then there’s the orgy game. Though these days they don’t play that so much, as many babies were born with birth defects. Having sex with your cousin wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Scouting around for some more, er, conservative entertainment, a few of us ended up at a LGBT-friendly Kava and Karaoke Bar. Kava, I learnt, is the key to conquering the world’s problems. In the corner, a ciggie in one hand, a bottle of Kava in the other, sat Lance. He was massive, as many Nauruans are. Someone handed him the microphone and suddenly he became Elvis, crooning melodic ballads. Kozay, one of our guides, joined him in a duet. It was spine-tinglingly good. Contenders for ‘Nauru’s Got Talent’. A night to remember.

Sunrise over the pinnacles

It’s not every day you can say you’ve walked around an entire country, but in Nauru it’s the thing to do. A 19km ring road encircles the island. We began early as the sun rose over the limestone pinnacles. All those who commenced the walk completed it, however one person missed the finishing point and kept on walking. ‘Hey, that’s Ros, she’s doing another lap!’ said our guide. The Nauruans were in awe of me. They didn’t know about my poor sense of direction.

Today, 12,000 Nauruans rely on Australia for food and water. Bring sustainable isn’t a consideration. Mining has left most of the land rocky, barren, and unsuitable for vegetation. Power shortages are common. The island’s abandoned vehicles and rusted equipment serve as a reminder of Nauru’s prosperous past. Though the future is uncertain the Nauruans are a happy and optimistic. Against all odds they’ve survived on this barren little island. Somehow they’ll continue to do so.

Fact File

Fly with Nauru Airlines  

Ros Freeman travelled at her own expense and would not go anywhere unless Kirsty at Flight Centre Eastgardens booked her flights. 

Disguised as a mild-mannered corporate employee,

Ros lives a secret life as a world traveller and adventurer

amassing a count of more than 150 UN-recognised countries.

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