Mais c’est Francais! New Caledonia
After months in Fiji with most of our time spent off the beaten path by choice, it was an unexpected surprise by joy that Nouméa presented itself in such an energizing way. We had forgotten how much we enjoy immersing ourselves in vibrant city offerings.
The infrastructure is enviable, the bakeries do not disappoint, Chinatown vibrates with color! Loved the fresh market steps away and the huge grocery store, wow! All the various cultural centers presented with world-class architecture, nature reserves and museums, we visited some more than once. The lovely, clean marina and our delightful neighbors. All around us, the indigenous wood carvings, street art and protest art. And that included remnants of melted metal of burned buildings and pavement scars where cars were burned to block roads. Curfews and travel restrictions were still in place due to the Troubles. Outside of the city, we found a forest hiking trail center perched high above huge ranches that look like aussie stations out back. Further out, small islands inside the reef offer short getaways for locals and yachts in transit alike. Pristine white sand beaches lightly sliced with krait tracks... In the crystalline water, ramoras swim with the odd reef shark and those curious kraits (sea snakes that are also land lubbers), oh my!
It was a perfect stop over on our way to Australia and we leaned in to the time on shore as we waited for a good window to cross to Coffs Harbor.
Slide show from our New Caledonia stay