G’day. Welcome to the Cocos.

How good is this?: You board a Cobham Aviation Services (formally National Jet) plane in Perth, Western Australia, fly for 5 hours over the Indian Ocean until you’re about halfway to Sri Lanka, then land on a coral atoll and stroll through immigration with a wave of your Australian driver’s licence – no passport needed because you’re still in Australia! Yes, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an Australian Territory. The TV is Australian. The phones are run by Telstra. Even the cops are Australian.

More to come soon ...