You know when people say the photos just don’t do it justice? Well, in the case of New Caledonia (NC), quite the opposite; these pics make NC look a lot lovelier than it really is š.
I suppose it’s only fair to point out that the only place in NC I actually visited was the capital Noumea, and only for a couple of days, and … well … let’s face it, I only really went at all because it’s another country to tick off my list and I was in the area anyway.
But I’m afraid the best I can give NC is a large Gallic shrug and a generous meh.
Let’s have a quick tour round Noumea then, so that if you find yourself in NC, you skip it entirely and go straight to exploring the rest of the country.
In case you’ve never heard of it, New Caledonia is situated in the South Pacific, east of Australia and south of Vanuatu. It’s currently part of overseas France, governed under something called the Noumea Accord, which promises independence to the indigenous Kanaks in the event of a successful referendum. One such vote was held in 2018, with independence defeated 56.4% to 43.6%.
Further referendums are likely in both 2020 and 2022, subject to local legislative approval. It’s worth pointing out that, at last count, the Kanaks only make up around 39% of the population, with the remainder being Europeans, other Polynesian Islanders and some Asians.
I mostly discovered this by visiting the Musee De La Ville de Noumea on Coconut Square, a beautiful colonial building, housing some really fabulous exhibitions about both world wars, the nickel boom and a history of the French in NC.
And it was just as well that is was so interesting because the Museum of New Caledonia itself was closed for renovation. Of course it was š¬.
Neither in the museum, nor on my holiday generally, did I really get a feel for what life was or is like for the indigenous population. The Kanaks make up the majority in two of the three provinces of NC, so a trip to the other islands or to the north would surely give you a more multi-narrative experience.
Not only was I surprised at how … well … very French the country is (an entire floor of exhibitions in the museum is only in the French language), but I was also surprised at how touristy it is. NC seems to be firmly on the cruise circuit, and it’s an obvious destination not just from France, but also for the nearby Kiwis and Aussies.
What seemed to me to be a remote and adventurous tropical paradise, is really just the British equivalent of popping over to Tenerife, but with pastis instead of gin. Nothing wrong with some good pastis, mind you, and my heroic effort on that count was properly punished on the coach drive to the airport the next morning. I also managed to sample a few cheeky gins, including a very passable Negroni to match the sunset one evening…
This is a view from La Bodega del Mar, located on the peer, with great tapas and cocktails, although I was very disappointed to miss by only one day the local AD/DC cover band – NC/DC š
So what else is there to do in Noumea?
1. Visit Central Market, buy your souvenirs and then get yourself a croissant and a cappuccino and watch the world go by.
2. Check out Place des Cocotiers in the old town on your way to the Musee de La Ville De Noumea.
3. Walk on the promenade by the marina.
4. Take the water taxi to Duck Island for some snorkelling in crystal clear waters packed with colourful marine life. Actually, it really was spectacular and since NC is surrounded by a World Heritage Site lagoon, so I can only imagine how incredible the scuba diving must be.
By this point, you’re probably thinking how utterly spoilt I am to not love a place that looks like this. But it’s all relative, and it’s all about priorities, because there are just too many amazing places in the world to explore.
If you’re only going to visit the South Pacific once in your life, I don’t think New Caledonia should be your first choice, and maybe not even in your top 5.
But if you live close enough to explore more places in Oceania, head on over, give Noumea a cursory half day on the Tchou Tchou tourist train, and then venture out and tell me what’s over these hills…..
Most of the photos here are mine, except the Musee de la Ville which comes from their website, and the photo of croissants which comes from the free library, because these ones looked a lot tastier than the ones for sale in Central Market š
cheeky gin travels 