LONELY ISLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1931, Page 2

LONELY ISLAND

PACIFIC CABLE BASE. A HEALTHY LIFE. .SYDNEY, September 1.0. ’ The sailing Of the Union Company's freighter Waihomo for Fanning Islam! on Ttiesday lost reghlla some interesting facta resardlng that tiny hut important cable base in the inid-parifle. For years Bhinn have made periods pa-1 ppljs under cantract- with the Paeifi'c"Cable Board; hut with the Bailing of the Waihemo the contract ceased and will not he renewed, Interest in Australia and New . Zealand will pot cease, however, as the staff at the cable station is composed entirely of Australians and >je\v Zealanders. The inhabitants of thp Island use Australian currency. Fanning Island is, in'fact, the one place outside the Commonwealth at the ..present Time where Australian money is accepted at ifs face .value.

Fanning Islgnd / wa/s aiiuexed by Great Britain when it was found that | it- jay in the line of the Pacific cable. When the cabje had beep made. a repeating. station was constructed on the Island, some distance' to. the north-west /.of' the : original setjtlement, which had been-’built on Jhe entrance to the lagoons. 1 With the exception of a, small area, given, over to the cable, station, the.whqleref the Island is taken up by a,coconut plantation, British oiyned. In formation/the-Island, is a typical atoll, comprising a.roughly circular reef of about thirty milgs in circumferenoe, and half a mile' across. at its widest point. As in the case of all atolls, sand 1 has eoUected ; above' the arid tropical vegetation has taken root ih the sand. At no point is this groupd more thap; nine feet above sea-level, The lagoon, formed/ by the reef is n niass' of- coral shoals; hilt trading sohooperi at© able/’to find anchorage in it near the .efiiinpel which connects It with the open, sea,

The cable station staff comprises twelve engineers and operators, Sevan have/wives resident on the island, and there, are a ■ illunber of children, Four j oir five Europeans om the 'plantations j complete the’ white population. In addition, there are about 150 natives employed as servants or on the plantation. By means Of np-to-date wireless installations the inhabitants are kept in touch with the outside world. Modern bungalows are electrically lighted- and equipped with electric refrigerators. A clubhous©, contains billiard tables and a well-stocked library, and there is a -tennis-court. -The settlement also boasts a post °A' ce a savings bank. Life on the island is very healthy. The temperature various only slightly throughout the yefir; there is only about seven minutes’ variation in the length of daylight, and the bracing south-east trad© winds blow across the island all the year round. Large fish are found and provide the angler with excellent sport. The presence of sharks does not deter swimmers, as the monsters, well supplied with fish, have never been known to attack man. With the assistance of soil brought as ballast by copra schooners, the station staff has even induced tropical fruits to flourish and provide them with tasty desserts. Each man is required to spend two years at the island; but- the conditions are such that no one is really aaxious to leave.