Kiribati to Nauru

Posted on by Valneufeld
Morning departure from Kiribati – parked behind Air Kiribati plane
Dylan fuelling the ferry tanks
I will share some shots of this beautiful atoll
Fishing boats just before we left the atoll and onwards to Nauru – The islands are so remote. We were thinking on our way – This densely populated island of wonderful people and a rich history and culture so remote in the middle of the massive Pacific Ocean.
And our first view of Nauru.

Nauru has an interesting history. It is a tiny island country and the world’s smallest republic.

At the Nauru airport
Rugged beach in the day when the tide is out
We drove around the island – in the interior there was a lagoon
Old phosphate mine.

Nauru at one time had the richest phosphate resources in the world – thanks to the large population of seagulls using the island as a resting spot. Mining operations began in the early 1900’s. The government of Nauru gained control of the phosphate operations in 1970 and in the 80’s for a time, Nauru was one of the wealthiest countries in the world – per capita By the 20’s the phosphate deposits were being exhausted and Nauru experienced a severe drop off in earnings.

There have been repairs made in the mining infrastructure and there continues to be mining of the primary phosphate deposits and secondary deposits.
There appeared to be fossils in the rock – I was later reading that phosphate rock is a sedimentary deposit that often contains the fossilized remains of ancient aquatic animals and fish
Phosphates up close.
The distinct landscape on top of the island.
Phosphate rock with trees growing out of it
The tide in at the end of the day and kids swimming in the warm ocean

Tomorrow – Solomon Islands…

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