Noumea, New Caledonia

by Meg Corbett

I recently spent three nights in New Caledonia with a friend of mine. I left Oz not really knowing what to expect. I wanted temperatures over 25, sun and stunning, crystal clear oceans ... and yep, that's what I got.

The flight to Noumea lasted just over 2.5 hours which made such a tropical climate seem a little surreal at first. I didn't expect such a large change in climate and lifestyle after travelling such a short distance. We spent most of our first day indulging in the 'touristy' aspects of the island.

It was a gorgeous day. Warm, sunny and really very relaxing. The people of Noumea move at possibly the most leisurely pace I've ever experienced ... so you are left with little choice other than to simply relax. Slowly but surely we ventured around the capital picking up a little French on the way ... 'bonjour ca va? ... 'bonsoir' ... that's about all the French we needed to successfully communicate with a local population seemingly used to foreigners who don't speak a word of their language!

Noumea is very quaint, rustic and easy to traverse. The beaches are lovely but my attentions were more struck by the vast greenery of the mountainous inland. It was quite awesome. The evening was just as you would hope during a balmy summer. A slight breeze, warm air and dinner by the water. However, word of warning - make sure you understand currency conversion BEFORE you leave. I did NOT and during a night of indulgence - just a little under the influence of a bottle (or two) of wine - I sat at a bar, guessed at the prices and alcoholic content, and ended up with a $80.00 shout for just two drinks! My bad!

Note to self: a French champagne, rum and strawberry liqueur mixer IS simply divine going down ... BUT at the end of the night, a vodka and cranberry WILL leave you with enough euro-francs to sustain the rest of your getaway!

Anyhoo!

Day two we took a 20 minute domestic flight to the Isle of Pine, a small island just off New Cal. This place was heaven. I didn't want to leave. I've never seen water so calm. I've never seen one ocean in seven shades of blue at any given moment, I've never seen sand that white. The island is populated with enormous Pine Trees,( you really expect that they should be palm - thus the name!), which gives it a wonderful and strange uniqueness. A local took us out on a Catamaran and I was fortunate enough to see huge turtle out in the ocean - now there's a first! After lunch it was time for a little exploring and swimming and wide eyed wonderment that a place like this exists so close to Australia.

Before flying home on our third day we checked out the local markets and picked up some really great handmade nik naks for our mates at home (and ourselves), though we left the plethora of gaudy moo moos on the racks!

New Cal was a great place for a little getaway when all you want is to slow down for a while and take in a culture that is foreign, really friendly and welcoming. This place had all we needed in stunning surrounds, warm beaches and an injection of sunshine when it can't be found at home!