If you’re in Australia but you’re looking to get away from it all, you can’t get much further away than the Cocos (or Keeling) Islands. While these islands and islets form part of Australian territory, and the law applied here is generally Western Australian law, the islands themselves are located in the Indian Ocean. That relatively remote location has helped to keep its beaches and water pristine, such that the beach designated as Australia’s most beautiful, can be found among the Cocos Islands. While it may take some time and effort to get there, clearly, it’s worth the trip. We asked our friends from our fave auto shop to check the place out.
Beaches and Military History
Again, the beaches and surrounding water in the Cocos Islands are stunning. With palm tree branches swaying in the wind, soft white sand underfoot, and water of a rather astonishing shade of blue as far as the eye can see, it’s no wonder people call this place paradise. You can walk along the beach, or swim in the clear ocean water. For those who are interested in military history, there are also plaques set up with information on the Battle of Cocos, which took place in the First World War.
Amazing Diving Spots and Marine Life
The Cocos Islands have more than twenty diving locations, and some of these feature sunken ships as well as other remnants from past wars. Marine life is abundant here, so you can potentially come across turtles, dolphins, manta rays, eels, angelfish and sharks, while underwater. In fact, this is a great place to go diving, if you’d like to see larger marine animals, though this will involve deeper dives (around 100 feet). If you’re willing and able to go that deep, you might find yourself witnessing hammerhead sharks getting cleaned by smaller fish (angelfish, etc.). There might be reef sharks, huge schools of barracuda or snappers, and much more. This can be an excellent destination for more advanced divers.
When people call the Cocos Islands paradise, they mean it. It has amazing beaches, beautiful ocean water, and a treasure trove of marine life for divers to observe and photograph. If you’re looking for adventure somewhere far away, this might be your ideal destination.