New Caledonia
Table of Contents: Regions / Cities / Culture and History / History / Climate / Geography / Economy / Travel to New Caledonia, visa requirements Flights to New Caledonia, airtickets By boat / New Caledonia attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Talk / Shopping, New Caledonia souvenirs / Costs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / New Caledonia nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Get around / Rent a car / Catch a bus / Hitching / Work / Voluntary service / Stay safe / Stay healthy / Respect / Contact More from Australasia: Australia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea More from Oceania: Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Midway Islands, New Zealand, Polynesia |
New Caledonia (French:Nouvelle-Caledonie) is a dependent overseas territory of France lying in the western Pacific Ocean, in the Coral Sea, to the east of Australia and west of Vanuatu. The territory consists of the main island of Grand Terre, the archipelago of the Loyalty Islands (Iles Loyaute), and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls.
New Caledonia offers stunning beaches, mountaintop fondue in chalets, camping, amazing snorkeling and diving, and fabulous French food.
Regions
New Caledonia includes:
- Grand Terre - The main island. It is one of the largest islands in the Pacific. The barrier reef lying off New Caledonia is second only to the Great Barrier reef in size.
The main tourist destinations are:
- Île de Pins - Was one of the few places in the Pacific with trees tall and sturdy enough to provide replacement masts for ships.
- Loyalty Islands (Iles Loyaute)
Cities
- Noumea is the capital city.
- Hiéngène, on the Grande Terre
- Bourail is the farmer town.
Ports and harbors
Culture and History
The people of New Caledonia are split into three major groups:
- the native Kanaks
- French citizens working in Noumea
- descendants of French prisoners and settlers
There is a general move towards independence in New Caledonia and it was decided in the Nouméa Accord that the territorial Congress will have the right to call for a referendum on independence after 2014, at a time of its choosing.
History
Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was in the French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864.
The islands have been an overseas territory of France since 1956.
The 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s seems to have dissipated. A referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014.
New Caledonia has a national holiday for Bastille Day on 14 July (1789)
Climate
New Caledonia has a semi-tropical climate, modified by southeast trade winds. It is often hot and humid. The islands are subject to tropical cyclones, most frequent from November to March. During winter (April to August) the daytime temperature is around 22 degrees. The water may still be warm, but it often feels too cool to really want to go swimming.
Geography
The main island of New Caledonia is one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean and its terrain consist of coastal plains with interior mountains. The highest point is Mont Panie (1,628 m).
Grand Terre is rich in minerals, and is an important source of many ores. There is a mountainous interior green with subtropial foliage. The outlying islands are coral based, and have stunning white sand, and sport palm trees.
Economy
New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years, the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, the substantial financial support from France and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. The situation in 1998 was clouded by the spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower prices for nickel. Nickel prices jumped in 1999-2000, and large additions were made to capacity. Strikes in the building industry in 2001, which lasted four months, adversely affected many other sectors of the economy. French Government interests in the New Caledonian nickel industry are being transferred to local ownership.
Travel to New Caledonia, visa requirements
Flights to New Caledonia, airtickets
Air France provides direct flights from Paris. Regular flights are available from Tokyo, as New Caledonia is very popular with the Japanese. There are also flights from various Pacific nations, New Zealand, Australia, and SouthEast Asia. However, there aren't many flights overall, so beware of availability. There is little or no competition on routes, so be very wary of high flight prices.
By boat
Noumea is a popular port of call for people sailing around the Pacific. Though most dare not sail during cyclone season.
New Caledonia attractions and sightseeing
- Jean Marie Tjibaou Center, a gift from the French Government. The architect was Renzo Piano, an Italian architect.
- Botanical garden
- Wandering along the waterfront in Noumea - Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata.
City tours
- Snorkeling, diving, windsurfing
- Îlot Canard just outside the Anse Vata is a good place for beginners
- Aguille de Prony is an amazing underwater structure in the Prony bay south of Noumea
- relaxing, tanning, and generally doing nothing
- Baie des Citrons and the Anse Vata are common beaches at the Noumea peninsula
- Îlot Maitre has a resort. This can be reached by taxi boat from the Anse Vata, and by boat from the Baie de Mouselle
- Numerous other tourist resorts can be found throughout the Grande Terre and Île des Pins
- eating French and local cuisine
- hiking, camping
- Parc Rivière Bleu in the Yaté region south of Noumea
- Joining a hiking group is generally a good idea, since you then can really enjoy the great scenery without fear of getting lost, or having to stick with conventional tourist spots....
Talk
The official language is French, and it is difficult to find English speakers outside of Noumea. In Noumea, French, English, and Japanese are widely spoken at hotels, restaurants, and shops. To enjoy a place like this, you should really endeavour to learn some French.
Shopping, New Caledonia souvenirs
The cartoon series La Brousse en Folie and Le Sentier Des Hommes by Bernard Berger will give you an insight in the local culture and tradition. The comics are written in French, the former imitating the local accent and grammar (or lack thereof)
Other than that, plenty of conventional souvenirs shops may be found throughout Noumea.
Costs
New Caledonia is very expensive, since much of the food needs to be imported. There is no culture of bargaining either and attempting such might cause offence.
Good restaurants and cheap meals
- Bougna, a traditional meal among the native Melanesians, which consists of some form of meat, pork, chicken, fruitbat, crab, etc, along with roots such as yams and sweet potatoes. This is wrapped in banana leaves and cooked under hot rocks heated in a fire.
- Coconut crabs
- Fruitbats
- All fruits here seem to taste very good
Buy food from local markets, which are common to almost every town.
Restaurants are expensive. You can eat quite well for about 10EUR at a couple of joints opposite the library in town. For travellers on a budget, you'll need to observe what the Kanaks do for the best deals.
New Caledonia nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
Try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava
You can recognise a Kava bar by a red light outside and dim lighting inside.
It is about 100CFP compared to 500CFP for a beer, so about a fifth of the price.
You drink the Kava immediately once you've purchased it and then go off to a dark bench to chill.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
There are many places around New Caledonia that are affordable and in good condition. All you have to do is search around and you will find somewhere to sleep within your price range.
Get around
Rent a car
Cheapest are:
- Red point (requires drivers above 24 years of age)
- Loco-a-choc
Catch a bus
The buses aren't too bad and go pretty much everywhere, but they aren't frequent.
Hitching
It is possible, but not advised. Around celebrations there are many drunk drivers on the roads.
Work
Voluntary service
Volontariat Civil à l'Aide Technique (VCAT). Conditions: you must be French or from another EU-member state or a country belonging to the European Economic Area. You must be over 18 and under 28 years old (inclusive). You must not have had your civic rights revoked by a court or have been convicted of certain offences.
Stay safe
New Caledonia is fairly safe.
- When snorkeling, one should avoid direct contact with poisonous sea urchins, as well as avoid sustaining scrapes from coral structures, which tends to cause irritations and swelling.
- A seasnake known locally as the Tricot Rayé has a potentially lethal venom, but the snake is not aggressive when left alone, and only attacks when threatened.
- There are sharks, though rarely Great White Sharks. They can be quite big mind you and basically avoid shark attacks by:
- Not having caught (bleeding) fish near yourself
- Facing the shark, so that to the shark, you look large, vertical and difficult to bite
- There are NO crocodiles living in New Caledonia. Rogue individuals have been observed on the island no more than twice within the past 200 years. Probably swept out from the Solomon Islands.
Stay healthy
Iodine or a similar disinfectant is invaluable to fight off small infections, which quite commonly occur in most sores and scratches.
Some mosquitoes carry the dengue fever virus. There is no vaccination for this. Consult a doctor for more information, and see the Wikitravel article.
Respect
The locals are pretty friendly. Make sure you know a bit of French before you leave, so you don't mistakably offend anyone.
Contact
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