"I lived on Nauru for 6 years" a Nauru Travel Page by jskelly

I Spent 6 years here as a child of an expatriate NPC mine employee. A difficult place to grow up as a young teenager, but an experience I would not replace. It was the first place that I experienced abject racism because I was white, but you have to know the history to put this into perspective. I would love to come back to this place to revisit parts of my child hood. The Nauruans have a hard history to follow, and and even a more difficult recent past to come to grips with. So much money, and so little governance - they could have done so much. Having said this I believe every destination is what you make of it. If you want sandy beaches and pina coladas don't come to Nauru; but if you want a real experience that is of your own making then come to Nauru. The people are what you see, and if you ask, they are the salt of the earth. Sure they don't understand how to cater for tourists, but can you blame the fact that they don't sell their Island as a tourist back water (see Fiji). If you want to walk into a non-comercialised culture and experience it for what is is, then Nauru is your thing. Each and every travel experience is what you make of it.
And damn, the fishing and diving is extraordinary - I mean really fantastic. If you have not experienced visibility of 150-200 feet you haven't dived. When you get 100-150m off of the reef it is almost a 1 km to a1 km & 1/2 straight down. If that doesn't get your juices flowing, you don't know how to dive. It scared the *** out of me!, and it should light you up as well. Take the time to find out who can take you to the best drop off's.

To answer the critics, no!, I do not have any arrangement with any one on Nauru to promote their island as a destination. I lived there and know that there are aspects of Nauru that make many other destinations simply a tourist 'junket', - your choice.

May be I will see you on the beach at Anibare or doing that crazy thing of diving off the "high wall" at the 'boat harbour'. You should see the 'Westerly Season" if you think you have the balls to hang on to the mooring rings anchored to the reef, when the waves crash in! If that doesn't persuade you to take out personal insurance, nothing will!

Well hell, I don't care any way! - definitely a unique place.
If you want to ask me any questions, my E-mail address is j.kelly3@uq.edu.au