Atkinson is the old colonial clock tower, and the oldest surviving structure in the city from the days when it was called Jesselton.

Once a year, generally in the first week of September, Bird'n'Nature week participants will be invited in small groups to help catch Abbott’s Boobies high in the rainforest canopy, assist to colour-band Brown Boobies and monitor their colonies on the remote and secluded rocky coasts. Participants will work with our internationally renowned guides to study the nesting biology and foraging ecology of Christmas Island Frigatebirds and Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Depending on interest and demand, there will also be opportunities to assist in the colour-banding of Christmas Island Goshawks, a Christmas Island Hawk-Owl survey, seabird identification workshops, territory mapping of Island Thrushes and closer looks at the island’s other wildlife. And of course there will be the chance to search for a few of those rarities for which Christmas Island is so famous. Nightly seminars will showcase the results of all the seabird research (revealing the wanderings of the majestic Abbott’s Booby, CI Frigatebirds and more), the status of the endemic landbirds, the rarities of Christmas Island, and the marine and terrestrial ecology of the island.

The extraordinary rock formations and caves of Al-Qara are, perhaps, the most prominent landmark of the region and deserve a day trip of their own. Wandering through the maze is pleasant any time of year - the caves stay cool during summer, warm throughout the winter months and the mountaintop offer unobstructed views of the beautiful palm oasis beneath. The legend has it, these caves is where Judas ended his life after the biblical betrayal.