Island of the Hungry Ghosts

A two-day police search has ended with the

discovery of a man's body at the bottom of a cliff

on one of the islands remote beaches.

Authorities have not released the man's name

but it is believed, he was a detainee in the offshore facility

on Christmas Island, for more than five years.

The department of border control says service providers staff

have reported what they called, an illegal maritime arrival

escaping the centre early on Saturday morning.

The department confirmed the man's death on Sunday evening

and said the matter is now being investigated by the Coroner.

Reporting for Nation Australian radio.

- The sand that we use in the boxes…

it's what we consider to be the smallest particles of earth.

You imagine that every grain of sand that we see

you know, used to be part of rocks, mountains, formations

and now they're down into their finest form.

- How does the sand feel, is it cool or warm?

Yeah?

I think it's, it's, it's, like cold.

Cold. Yeah.

Does it feel soft or hard or sharp or

gentle?

It feels…

I like the sound, you know.

The sound

Yeah, because I guess the sound

you know it reminds me

of the waves.

- Hmmm Yeah.

I think.

Go with your feeling.

Go with your feeling.

- and that doesn't mean you have to keep moving.

- If you feel like that's enough, then that's enough.

- But if there's a another feeling like that you're drawn to, try to follow it.

Hmm.

- What do you notice as you look at your picture?

Hmm.

What do you notice?

I think this is the life that we left behind.

Hmm.

- When you look at this picture, all of it.

Does it feel complete for you?

- Or is there something missing or is something in the wrong place.

Have a good look.

(Discordant tones join the forest sounds)

(Discordant music becomes as loud as the rainforest)

- Park Space, this is Parks Two. Do you receive?

Hey Parks Two, do you copy?

- Can you give us an update at Ethel beach, mate?

Inaudible

Alright thank you.

On your way back can you do the red sign

and just put on Ethel is closed. Thank you.

Copy that.

Wow.

Mama crabs.

Yeah mama alright.

You can tell like.

This one here carries a lot more than the other ones.

Come here.

They're so much smaller.

Smaller, but see how big they are?

Yeah, I say another day or two… tomorrow.

Look at this mom as well.

You see they can't cross the road.

Umm.

We need to find something so that they can cross.

Maybe if we look around for some Timber or whatever.

Ahh, so they can cross across it.

So, make a bridge. Make a bridge for them.

Otherwise they're not going to get across.

Watch out crabby.

Just put it anywhere.

We're making a bridge for them.

Oh no. They're so fast when they're little.

Yeah.

- We just, as much as we want to do

we're just helping them out that's all.

Poppy must be tired she's still asleep.

Yeah.

Good morning.

Look at the mommy.

Mama, look at the mummy.

Hmmm.

Look.

Mummy.

What's the mummy doing?

Working.

Working.

Yep.

Just like your mommy.

I think Papa's coming.

Quick.

Why?

He won't see us.

Oh no, my foots out the bottom, ahhh.

Just like me.

I can't get my foot in.

'We can turn there.'

'We can't camp next to the Detention Center.'

'Why?'

'We're not allowed to.'

'Oh.' 'Yeah.'

'Why?'

'The Detention Centre has people that guard the gates

because people that are staying in there are not allowed to come out.'

'They can't come out.'

'No. Not unless the guards say they can.'

'Oh.'

'How minutes you can stay?'

'What do you mean?'

'How many minutes?'

'Can the people stay?

Sometimes they stay for a couple of months.

Other times, for years.'

'Years?' 'Yeah.'

Good thing we wore jeans.

Yep.

Let's hop on the mountain. See if we can find any pumpkins, Alby.

- What's happened to the world-famous pumpkin hunter?

Just too early for them.

- No there's one hiding here. I'm sure of it.

Very gently and slowly Alby.

- Do you know this could be almost 70 years old this crab.

It's like your granddad or your grandma.

Come on girls, let's go.

Yeah, but we haven't had dinner yet darling.

Can you imagine what these robber crabs have seen in their lifetime.

Nope. Humans?

Yeah, they saw the first people that arrived on the island.

Well, if they're up to 100 years old, they'd have seen the first people.

'When you put your hands in the sand' it's to follow what feels right

and to keep going with what feels good.

If something doesn't feel okay that you stop for yourself.

You don't wait for me to stop you. Yeah.

- Okay. Does that make sense?

- Yep. Yep.

So, any questions so far.

- What sort of sand it is? - This is sand from the beach.

- Awesome. - Yeah, sand that I collected.

- I don't know if you've ever been, out on Christmas Island.

- But this is from Muriel Beach. Have you been to Muriel beach before?

No. - No, it's a very very small Beach

and you can only get to it when the tide is out, when the water is out.

Ahh okay, is this in Christmas Island, Muriel beach?

- Yeah, yeah. Yeah…

- So I collect it there, I wash it and, prepare it for the tray.

Hmmm.

Ok it's

like, in a, peaceful country.

So there's no fight.

Everything is okay and

the community live there.

They're secure and the country is secure. Hmmm.

They can have this nature, grain and all the time

because, in this country no one had a

like no other problems, security problems.

That's why it's nice and beautiful grew up every day improving.

But in a country is all the time fight like my country.

I don't remember one day of peace in my country

every day everything happening.

- You don't remember one day No.

Of Peace

Like, you know, every night news is

not good.

Like every day innocent people get killed.

And also the country goes like this

no nature like

it's all sand and the buildings destroyed and you know.

So.

The difference between this and this is

too much.

Yeah.

It's really hard for me, like

I never been away, one lunch or…

breakfast or dinner.

I always, always at home, around family

eat together, and you know.

But now it's like it's like almost, nearly four years.

Like

like I didn't celebrate anything with them.

It's a bit hard.

Yeah, but it's good. I've got friends now.

Keep me

in touch and, spend time.

Yeah.

- I can just hear how precious, your family are to you.

Hello. - Detention ops.

Oh hello, it's umm, Poh Lin here.