The Cocos (Keeling) A Jewel In The Indian Ocean

Surrounded by unbelievably clean Indian Ocean, The Cocos (Keelings) Islands are Australia’s best kept holiday destination secret. The shallow coral filled lagoon is only overshadowed by the leafy green palm trees and white sand that lines the beaches. Breathtaking beautiful sunset, a kaleidoscope of colors of the lagoons and fringing reef. Rhythmic sound of waves gently lapping perfectly white sandy beach, watching the golden sun slowly sinking into the Indian Ocean.

It is not the big things that make an impression. It is all the little one put together. Imagine yourself swimming with the dolphins or snorkeling with the manta rays. Or taking a trip to one of the many isolated islands when the tides are high. Exploring the islands on the bike, or just walk along the beautiful beaches soaking up the spectacular view of the Indian Ocean. The Rip is a narrow cut in the riff that allows current to flow into and out the lagoon.

The Cocos Islands, otherwise known as the Keeling Islands, are located on the External territory of Australia in the eastern Indian Ocean. This tiny horseshoe shaped jewel of the Indian Ocean is located some 2750 km north west of Perth in Australia, 900 km west of south-west of Christmas Island, its closest neighbor, and another island of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories, south of Indonesia and about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri Lanka. These islands are where the culture of the Cocos Malays reside.

The Cocos experience two main seasons which tend to overlap. The trade wind season from April/May to September/October and the calmer doldrums season from November through to April. Rainfall usually visits this sandy atoll in the evenings, bringing yet another glorious sunny day. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are made up of 27 islands formed on two isolated mid oceanic atolls surrounded by an azure lagoons. The lay in the path of the south-east trade wind, which ensure an extremely mild weather pattern throughout the year. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands has been a unique place for coral atoll research since the days when Charles Darwin visited the atoll in April, 1836. Fringing reefs are converted into barrier reefs and barrier reefs, when encircling islands are thus converted into atolls, he wrote. It was the only coral atoll he had ever visited to support his theory.

Named first "Cocos Eylanden" in a manuscript map drawn by Hessel Gerritsz, they were re- named The Cocos (Keelings)" after sighting of the group by Captain William Keeling in 1609 during one of his homeward voyages from Java to England. Although he did not record it in his journals, they remained uninhabited until 1826, when Alexander Hare, an English adventurer established the first settlement. From then on the people of Cocos cleared all the native vegetation to plant coconut trees where they extracted the oil from the coconuts to sell and trade as copra. In 1827, John Clunies-Ross settled on the islands with his family and brought a large abundance of Malays with him to assist in the harvesting of the coconuts for copra. Declared a part of the British Dominions in 1857, the responsibility for supervision of the island alternated between the government of Ceylon and Singapore. Eventually in 1978 the government of Australia purchased the majority of the islands from John Cecil Clunies-Ross. The majority of the land was transferred to the Cocos Island Council. On the 4th April 1984 the Cocos Malay residents, as they are often called, live on Home island together with descendants of the Clunies-Ross families, voted to become part of Australia. Only two of the islands are inhabited, the Home Island where the majority of indigenous Cocos-Malay people reside and the West Island which houses most of the Australian workers.

Few groups in the world today are as little known or understood as the Cocos Malay inhabitants of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. They are also considered to be the most remote islands in the world. Theirs has been a world sealed off from the outsider by geography, history, politics and language. Few outsiders have lived among them and very little has been recorded of their cultural practices and tradition. This tiny society has been held together for eight generations by its very isolation, shared economic endeavor, strong family loyalty, a deep commitment to Islam and an unique version of the old "Trading Malay" language of the East Indies.

Today the cornerstone of Coco Malay society and the focus of each individual life is the religion of Islam. A vast majority are Sunni Muslim, which make about 57 percent of the population. The Cocos people have been described as Muslims since the first settlement. Throughout the year a large number of ceremonies are held at various houses for a wide range of family celebrations. These include house blessings, welcomes, farewells, boat launchings, remembrances of deceased relatives, circumcisions and other family events.

The biggest celebrations of the year for the Cocos Malay people is Hari Raya Puasa, the day that marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of the Holy month of Ramadan. Just like many other cultures, the Cocos Malays have their own dress code. The women wear a Baju Kurung, which consists of a loose tunic. The baju is worn over a long skirt or the sarung. Even now, it is still worn in its original loose form, especially when attending funerals where the white baju is normally worn as a sign of respect. This attire is also worn on Fridays to show respect for the day as well. Women also will wear a Kebaya (Arabic abaya or cover). On the other hand men will wear a Baju Melayu which is a loose shirt worn over a sarung or a pair of trousers, and then they will wear a songkok on their headdress.

The first group of settlers brought to the islands by Alexander Hare whose family then owned the Islands, were predominately Malay with number of people of Chinese, Papuan and Indian descent. It is believed the party also comprised a few African individuals. The people came from such places as Bali, Bima, Celebes, Madura, Sumbawa, Timor, Sumatra, Pasir-Kutai, Malacca, Penang, Batavia and Cerebon. They were described by subsequent visitors to the islands as Muslims speaking Malay – the trading lingua franc of then East Indies. Despite their disparate origins, the Cocos Malays people achieved an identity of their own within one generation of settlement. The "Cocos-born" have their own mosques, their own leaders and their own ceremonies. Today, the Malay dialect spoken by the Cocos- Malay people is an unsophisticated oral language. It contains words that reflect diverse origins of these people and their history of sporadic contacts with outsiders.

A big part of the Cocos Islands are the coconut plantations, which is how most of the islanders earn their living. Even though many of the islanders fish and have their own gardens, most of their food has to be imported, along with all of their fuels and consumer goods. The two staples off the Cocos Malay diet are fish and rice. Most of Cocos fish are fried, although some are boiled and some curried. Rice is not grown on Cocos and has always been imported and it is still felt that no day should pass without at least one good meal of fish and rice. The Cocos Malays people have shown a remarkable flair for accepting new cultural elements in their relatively short social history and blending them with tradition of their own.

GETTING TO THE ISLAND
Sunday and Friday from Perth International airport, from Australia.
There are actually two atolls that make up Cocos, only one of which is inhabited. There’s North Keeling Island and South Island. South Island is the inhabited one and refers to a collection of smaller islands. The three significant ones are Direction Island, Home Island, where the Cocos peopole reside and West Island, where the white Australian population lives.

Unlike most holidays island destinations the Cocos (Keelings) Islands do not have huge resorts, shopping centers, restaurants, gift shops or organized activities. Tourism is uncomplicated and simplistic which enhances it beauty and the islands uniqueness. West Island is ideal to explore by bike and travels along palm fringed roads and tracks and take in the natural beauty of the island and enjoy the peace and tranquility of this unspoiled tropical paradise. Surrounded by the unbelievably clean Indian Ocean, the Cocos (Keeling) are a haven for water based activities. Renowned for its diverse marine life of beautiful fish, corals, reef shark, huge wrasse and parrotfish.

THE COCOS (KEELING0 ISLANDS IN BRIEF
Total area 14 sq km land
Two main islands the West Island and Home Island
Population: 800 out of which 700 are the Cocos people
Economy: Coconuts are the sole cash crop. Copra and fresh coconuts are the major export earners. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply
Climate: Pleasant, modified by southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year, moderate rainfall
Fresh water resources are limited to rainwater and accumulations in natural underground reservoirs