When I first started planning our visit to Nouvelle Caledonia there were only four entries in the Servas list. However Heliene had moved to Martinique and I never did hear from one couple.
Katrine (Katy) replied very promptly and was very warm and welcoming. We arranged to spend our first two nights with her and Bernard.
It was a great relief to be picked up at the airport by Bernard and driven to their home near Mont Dore. Tontouta is one hour from Noumea.
I sat in the front passenger seat and didn’t see much except the road ahead, as I was paralysed with fear, sitting on the “wrong” side of the car. Bernard did his best to converse with me in French and occasionally to Linda in English in the back (turning around to do so!), while driving fast and furiously towards Noumea.
We could have caught the local bus or shuttle to Katrine’s office in town, but it was so much better being able to off load our bags, have a bite of French bread and cheese and a little siesta, before Bernard drove us into town.
Grande Terre was surprisingly green and mountainous.
Their house was at the top of an incredibly steep hill, with a gorgeous cliff top view. Impossible to go for a walk, but Bernard was a gracious chauffeur and took us into town each day.
The first few days were also surprisingly cool. We ate dinner cocooned in woollen shawls, beside a cheerful brazier on the terrace. BBQ’d canard and local fish, pate de fois gras and baguettes. Yummy! The swimming pool didn’t appeal at all.
Katrine’s mother was from Melbourne and her French father had his own travel company in Noumea. She grew into the travel trade and works in the centre ville at Tropic Travel. Always a warm welcome, a cold drink of water, a coffee or a toilet stop whenever needed. We often met up for lunch and tried out some of the nearby cafes frequented by the locals.
My favourite was the Cafe d’Austerlitz, just near the visitor centre. Cheap (relatively speaking), popular with both French and Melanesians, and cheerful. Try the Vietnamese soup at lunchtime.
Katy later proved invaluable, sorting out a very comfortable and affordable room with kitchenette, at the Anse Vata Motel. I would have enlisted her help to organise all our accommodation if I had known. Her local knowledge is invaluable.
The Youth Hostel is at the Top of the hill overlooking Noumea. Fantastic views but a punishing walk up the infamous steps. It was a stop gap for us before we went to the Ile des Pins. Clean and cheerful, and again relatively cheap, but maybe a bit too Spartan for us mature travellers.
We did have a twin room with communal bathrooms. I would have been quite happy for a few days if I had been on my own, except for the difficult access.
The Ile des Pins was wonderful, unspoilt, undeveloped and with very little to do except relax, explore, swim and snorkel and try not to worry how large my next bank card bill would be.
We stayed at the Relais Kuberka in a bungalow. I expected at least a kettle and toaster but we had only a TV and a fridge. Take a kettle next time. The staff did supply me with, “deux tasses de l’eau chaud” each time I was desperate for a cup of tea. But it wasn’t ideal. I think next time I would stay at the Kou Bugny Hotel, which had an inclusive off season deal, not too much more, and we would have been closer to the beach etc.
The Hotel Ouré would be my pick if I wanted to splash out, the food there was superb. For example goats cheese and apple, wrapped in bacon and grilled, eaten by the edge the lagoon, magical.
Stay at Kuto or Kanumera Bays. The other places are far too isolated and inaccessible, unless you want to go diving, have a car, or just laze in the sun.
Don’t hire a bike from the Kou Bugny. A near fatal mistake on our part. I am surprised we survived the ordeal of the ride to Vao. Their bikes are desperately in need of an overhaul. The car we hired on the last day was fine, (once a pirogue builder at St Joseph’s Bay had shown me how to get into reverse gear!)
Back in Noumea, Linda chose to have some days on her own at Anse Vata, while I spent the weekend with Monique and her three children at Riviere Salée. Her husband Jean-luc was in New Zealand with his students, so I spent the weekend speaking French with Monique and the family.
Again at the top of a hill with a lovely view. It was interesting to participate in family life, kids coming and going, to sports, movies and sleepovers, or slumped in front the of the computer or TV. Just like Kiwi kids! Young Jeremy and I played a duet, on his guitar and my ukulele, Stand By Me.
Monique took me to the market on Saturday morning where she stocked up on fresh produce and sea food while I checked out the craft stalls. Of course the hand made ukuleles caught my attention and I had to carry two ukuleles home.
Lunch was crevettes (local king prawns) one plate sautéed au natural and one done in pastis. Magnificent, what a treat!
She also cooked me porc au sucre for dinner which was also delicious.
After some confusion over plans for the afternoon, Monique drove me at breakneck speed over the mountains to the Riviere Bleue. We needed to get there before 2pm, when the last entry is allowed.
Indeed the lake was blue and the earth red, just like in Queensland. Some views over the water could have been in the southern mountains of New Zealand. It is easy to see how Grand Terre was once part of Gondwanaland.
Nothing much to do except tramping, kayaking or mountain bike riding in this paradise/wilderness, but that wasn’t for me, so we headed home for a cuppa!
I was glad we didn’t get stressed out by trying to hire and drive a car on the mainland, to explore the south or north. There is nothing much outside Noumea, in the south anyway.
The last few days at Anse Vata were very relaxing and the good weather continued, calm, warm and sunny. We spent our last afternoon at Ile aux Canards, just a short taxi-boat ride off the beach. Don’t go at low tide. I found the snorkelling difficult but the shoreline was teeming with brightly coloured fish.
In the shallows a melee of turquoise fins flashing out of the water was an incredible sight.
The Pacific Sun looked magnificent as it steamed into view on a glassy sea. What a beautiful way to end our stay.
Dinner with Katrine and Bernard at an Italian restaurant on our last night was a special occasion to dress up for. I indulged in escalopes de veau followed by créme caramel. I was in heaven!
Our drive to the top of the hill overlooking Anse Vata by night was magical.
The best things we took to Nouvelle Caledonie were muesli bars, two placemats with sets of plastic cutlery and a sharp knife, little bottles of hand sanitiser and Linda’s woollen shawl.
I found New Caledonia very French and I had plenty of opportunity to speak French, which is why I wanted to go there. I am surprised it took me this long to discover just how French and how lovely it is, and only two and a half hours from Auckland. SO often overlooked by Kiwis in the rush to visit Australia. I shall return.
