South Pacific 8

South Pacific (part eight)

New Caledonia

Our short trip from Tanna (Vanuatu) took us through the Loyalty Islands to await the right tide and safely negotiate the Havannah Pass into the main island's lagoon. Once through, the weather suddenly deteriorated and we found ourselves rounding a headland with a reef close by, 25 knots on the nose and very steep waves. We shelved all ideas of getting to the marina that day and turned as soon as possible into the Baie du Prony and headed for sheltered Bonne Anse. Once anchored, the rain stopped and we were soon aware of birdsong all around (scarce in the Pacific Islands). From this anchorage we could appreciate Cook's naming of the country, the rolling hills and bays reminding us of the mountains and lochs of Scotland - only the temperature was somewhat higher. We made it to Port Moselle in Noumea the next day, where we had to give up our popcorn and honey to the quarantine ladies; to keep our eggs we had to boil them, limes had to be peeled, and the tomatoes cut up! Our time in New Caledonia was short but in the 10 days we spent there we were able to see the contrast between the lifestyle in the French-dominated sophisticated capital city with modern shops and other amenities, and those of the Kanaks living in thatched huts in the small outlying villages with roadside stalls (selling fruit and locally carved figures). Each village appeared to have a 'Grande Case' or main hut adorned with a carved totem pole on top. When we visited the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre in Noumea there were examples of the different styles of huts found around New Caledonia's islands, as well as other items of Kanak heritage which we enjoyed examining in detail. The Centre's architecture is arresting, designed by Renzo Piano (designer of the Pompidou Centre) and has a lovely situation on a promontory in the Baie de Tina. There is a lovely walkway - le chemin Kanak- which weaves through native plants and trees interspersed with carvings representing Kanak myths and customs.

The Tjibaou Cultural Centre.

The remarkable Tjibaou Cultural Centre in Noumea is modelled on traditional hut designs, and blends into the forested promontory on which it sits. The rather curious unfinished appearance gives it a natural feel and is designed to suggest the gap that still exists between the old and new cultures that share the island. You can see an example of the structure in the picture on the right.

We shared a hire car with Larry and Barbara of "Santana" to travel round the island: in spite of the rainy weather we were glad we had been able to see the amazing rock formations along the north-east coast, as well as crossing the Ouaieme River on the country's last river ferry.

Our time was not completely spent having fun: one main task was to get our Australian visa, which involved getting an expensive chest X-ray as well as proving our financial status; with hindsight and information from other yachties we realise we would have done better to make our applications either in Fiji or Vanuatu. However, in due course, we did get visas valid for 2 years, but necessitating leaving the country every 6 months. We did not sample many of the culinary delights of New Caledonia since food seemed very expensive compared to Vanuatu: the local market was full of good things but how could we pay the equivalent of US $2.00 for a papaya after 15p in Tanna? We paid a visit to the Meteorological Bureau high on a hill with a fantastic view of the city of Noumea, the marina, and the sea right out to the reef. Our object was to check that the weather was right for the passage to Australia. The equipment was impressive and the courtesy of the French staff impeccable: they peered at various computer predictions and gave us their best advice....and so it was time to bid the country "au revoir".