Ashmore and Cartier Islands
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Ashmore and Cartier Islands are a territory off the northwest coast of Australia.
Understand
These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. This is a difficult travel destination due to restrictions on access and being in the area of illegal boat movements.
Understanding its location is a useful reference point for understanding boats and their passage between Indonesia and Australia. Monitoring of, or patrolling of the location is, in all probability, a part of the Australian government's policies of controlling illegal immigration.
Understanding its location is a useful reference point for understanding boats and their passage between Indonesia and Australia. Monitoring of, or patrolling of the location is, in all probability, a part of the Australian government's policies of controlling illegal immigration.
Talk
There is mostly no-one to talk to given the islands are uninhabited, although you may come across Australian officials speaking English or Indonesian fisherman speaking Rotinese or other eastern Indonesian languages.
Get in
It is a protected area. A permit from the Australian government is needed for civilians to set foot on the islands.
By plane
No landing strip availableBy boat
Not relevant due to statusBuy
There are no facilities on the islands
Stay safe
Noting status of water supply, and low lying nature of the islands, best to keep away.
Stay healthy
The wells that may be available have cholera present.
Go next
If due to an accident you find yourself in the area of these islands and their reefs - the Indonesian island of Roti is 144 km north, and Australia's north west coast is over 300 km to the south.
- Indonesia
- Australian mainland