SEEMINGLY adrift in the enormity of the Indian Ocean, the remote Cocos Keeling Islands sit atop the remains of ancient volcanic activity and offer a remarkable walking opportunity. And despite the fact they’re geographically closer to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, these idyllic isles located thousands of kilometres from the WA coast are actually an external territory of Australia.
First sighted in 1609 by Captain William Keeling of the East India Company, the islands have had a turbulent history. English Merchant Alexander Hare – infamous for establishing a harem – was the first settler in 1826. Soon after, Scottish trader Captain John Clunies-Ross arrived on the islands alongside his family with the intention of settling the islands. Under Clunies-Ross’s rule the islands soon became a powerhouse of copra production which continued until the 1980s. The legacy of this industry is
