Nauru, the world’s third smallest country consisting of just one single island. Very unique, compared to its archipelago Pacific neighbours! Previously, Nauru was one of the richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, thanks to its extensive phosphate mining, which ultimately led to the decimation of the land, making it unusable for farming…
Nauru is better known today as the home of Australian migration centres. And for being one of the far flung destinations that country counters flock to via island hopper planes to get their passport stamps and selfies before jetting off again.
I’m guilty of the latter, and though there isn’t really a huge amount to do here, I did spend the whole day walking around the country (the main tourist activity) to make sure I saw it in all its glory. And made some pretty whacky observations along the way.
Nauru loves a sign
There are hundreds of signs all over the island. Giant, colourful, in-your-face type signs. You can’t walk five steps without seeing a sign like this. The large majority are about not smoking, or health issues, or littering. But there are also loads that mark your entry into a new region of the island. Or the Nauru flag. There are just loads of signs.
Public health issues
Linked to the above, many of the signs highlight public health challenges around obesity and non-communicable diseases. Nauru has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, largely due to a diet high in imported, processed foods brought in after the land became unfarmable. There is also a really high prevalence of cardiovascular illness and diabetes. The signs were an interesting way to try and combat some of this.
No Capital City
Nauru is the only country in the world that does not have a capital city. There was no real ‘centre’ of Nauru, it was largely just lots of regions one after the other. Pretty unique, though a bit disorientating.
Phosphate mining scars are everywhere
It’s actually quite sad seeing the landscape totally decimated. The beaches are basically unusable due to jagged rocks everywhere, and agriculture is sparce. Even heading up to the highest point on the island, you find yourself in or among disused phosphate mines. It was quite a contrast to countries in the South Pacific, which are generally green and lush, with lots of goats and cows roaming around.
Nowhere to eat
Ok there were places to eat. But not many. We walked for 7+ hours and had to go off-course to find somewhere to grab lunch. I didn’t spot any cafes or restaurants along the coast, and the only place we found for dinner was the hotel restaurant.
So many convenience stores
Honestly so many. Every 15 minutes we’d spot another one. And not just your typical soft drinks and snacks type place. These stores had clothes, cushions, kids toys, all kinds of stuff. Super convenient. Though I do wonder if these were just… the stores, and there aren’t really any other places to buy things…
No wild dogs
This was apparently a big problem 5 years ago, so I expected to have to dodge wild dogs while doing the lap of the island. Some of the group carried preventative sticks to scare them away. But no wild dogs emerged. Rumour has it there was a big push to deal with the large wild dogs packs that used to roam the coastline and scare people away…
No cows, but spicy beef is a hot fave
This one I don’t really get. There are chickens wandering around, but chicken often wasn’t available. Fish also isn’t very popular here. But beef, yes. Despite seeing no cows during 7 hours of wandering the island. I guess the beef is imported from Australia?
Everything is open on Sundays. But no alcohol.
This one surprised me. Not the alcohol part, but the ‘everything open’ part. In many other Pacific countries, everything is closed on sundays, even convenience stores. Here it was a different story. The no alcohol part hit hard when there was no cold beer waiting at the end of the 21km whole-country walk… but at least we could buy water along the way and order a coke when we finished.
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