How do you get to Montebello Island?

The only way to access the Montebello Islands is by boat, with fishing charters operating from Karratha. Atomic tests were carried out at the Montebellos in 1952 and 1956. Due to slightly elevated radiation levels on Trimouille and Alpha Islands, visitors should restrict their visits to one hour per day.

What are the islands north west of Australia?

Montebello Islands, Australian coral islands in the Indian Ocean off the northwest coast of Western Australia, 60 mi (100 km) west of the Dampier Archipelago. The largest of the uninhabited group are North West, Trimouille, South East, and Hermite.

Where was nuclear testing done in Western Australia?

Montebello Islands
From 1952 to 1963, the British government, with the permission of the Australian government, conducted a series of nuclear weapons development tests in Australia. The testing occurred at Maralinga, South Australia; Montebello Islands, Western Australia and Emu Field, South Australia.

Are the Montebello Islands safe?

The Montebello Islands remain a nuclear radiation risk more than half a century after British bomb tests in the area, yet increasing numbers of people are risking their health by straying too close to the danger zones and even camping there.

How long does it take to get to the Montebello Islands?

The road distance between Perth and Exmouth is approximately 1,270 kilometres [794 miles] and is characterised by long stretches of straight road (50 – 60kms) running through semi-arid desert and will take approximately 13 – 14 hours to travel safely.

How many islands are off WA?

There are over 1,000 gazetted islands off the coast of Western Australia.

Are there kangaroos on Heirisson Island?

Heirisson Island is nestled between the suburbs of East Perth and Victoria Park on the Swan River. The island is an important part of the City’s Nyoongar heritage and a beautiful oasis of calm in Perth, full of kangaroos.

Is maralinga still radioactive?

Despite numerous cleanup efforts, residual plutonium and uranium remains at Maralinga. Plutonium is a radioactive element mostly made by humans, and the weapons-grade plutonium used in the British nuclear tests has a half life of 24,100 years.

Is Montebello Island radioactive?

The Montebello Islands remain a nuclear radiation risk more than half a century after British bomb tests in the area, yet increasing numbers of people are risking their health by straying too close to the danger zones and even camping there. They are also the site of British nuclear testing in the 1950s.

What religion is Cocos Island?

Islam
Islam in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is the majority religion. As of the 2016 census, 75% of the population were Muslim. The large Muslim population is due to the migration of labourers who were brought to Cocos (Keeling) Islands and to Christmas Island of ethnic Malay and Indonesian origin.

Can I live on Cocos Island?

Only two of the islands are inhabited. West Island – where the airport is located – is where most tourists choose to stay, and you’ll find a selection of holiday homes, upmarket bed and breakfasts (such as ninetysixeast) and holiday complexes (such as Cocos Castaway).

How many islands are on the Montebello Islands?

Montebello is Italian for “beautiful mountain”, and what better place to tarnish with deadly nuclear fallout. A total of 174 small islands make up the archipelago which lies approximately 81 miles off the Pilbara coast of Australia. It is believed the indigenous Australians populated the islands until about 5,000 BC.

Where are the Montebello Islands in the Pilbara?

Located off the Pilbara Coast 120km west of Dampier and 139km north of Onslow, the Montebello Islands Marine Park covers more than 58,000 hectares of ocean and over 250 low-lying limestone islands and islets.

Why are the Montebello Islands important to Western Australia?

The islands form a conservation park administered by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation, and it is likely that the shallow waters around them will become a marine conservation reserve. The islands were the site of three nuclear weapons tests by the British military in the 1950s.

Where are the no fishing areas in Montebello?

The three no-fishing sanctuaries are in the north around North West Island and Primrose Island, in the south from Hermite Island to Ah Chong Island, and at Willy Nilly Lagoon, stretching from Brooke Island to Delta Island.