New Caledonia’s Gallic legacy adds to its tropical charm. Needra D’Souza finds a French connection on our doorstep.
The first suprise on a trip to New Caledonia is the journey there: it’s only two-and-a-half hours. In less time then it takes to get to Darwin, Perth or even New Zealand, you’re in a mini version of Paris — only warmer, more relaxed and with less-chaotic drivers.
When most people visit New Caledonia they opt to head straight down south to the capital, Nouméa, not straying much further away save for the odd spot of diving (New Caledonia is ringed by 1600km of coral reef). With its sidewalk cafes, plush hotels, ritzy boutiques and très chic residents, Nouméa does offer you a great taste of the Côte D’Azur without the jet lag.
Win a holiday to New Caledonia
But for those who want to take a more intimate look at how the local Melanesian culture has combined with the French, or just want to travel off the more familiar tourist path, then you need to head north to find out what other surprises the rest of New Caledonia might bring.
The best way to experience the north first hand is to get behind the wheel of a car. Well-maintained and sign-posted roads and few cars means mastering the art of right-hand driving isn’t as intimidating as it might be if you were in the ‘real’ France. The main island (Grande Terre) is 400km long and divided by a central mountainous range which splits the vegetation from lush and tropical in the east to dry and grassy in the west, making for a drive of great diversity. As we descend into a valley topped with very low-lying cloud, it seems like we’re driving through an enchanted forest of lush green, with beautiful native flowers and a rippling pond.
Another New Cal surprise was the temperature. No searing, stifling, sticky heat. Low to mid 20s in the cooler months and late 20s in the warmer months (it rarely gets above 30ºC) — ‘eternal spring’, the locals call it. The main language is French so unless you speak one of the 30 Kanak dialects, you will need to dust-off your mercis and bonjours.
After staying overnight at Hôtel Tontoutel we set off the next morning, hugging the west coast to the town of Bourail, sailing past an array of Renaults, Citroëns and Peugeots and returning the waves and smiles of the local Kanak people. Bourail is home to a great museum which gives you a glimpse into the history of New Caledonia from the time it became a French penal colony in the mid-1800s. Once they had served their time, reformed convicts were given a small plot of land to farm and a wife from the local convent prison hand-selected by the mother superior.
Bourail is also a great place to stop for lunchtime supplies. We decided to have a real French picnic lunch and buy a delicious range of pâté, cold meats and cheeses from the local supermarket and fantastic fresh baguettes and pastries from a blink-and-you-miss-it patisserie called Caramel. With a bottle of vin rouge for those not driving costing the equivalent of $6, it makes for the most delicious ‘fast food’.
From Bourail we head to Koné and then cross to the east coast village of Touho. The road across the mountain range has some tight corners but no deadly hairpins. And it is here that you really notice the changes in vegetation. The central mountain range keeps rainfall to the east which means the west coast is surprisingly like Australian coastal areas, albeit greener — laden with low-lying grasses, shrubs, even eucalypts, with some land used for farming. By contrast, the east coast is lush and tropical. Fruit trees like banana, papaya and coconut line the roads, along with palm trees and every colour of bougainvillea you could imagine.
Our drive continues to our home for the next few days — the town of Hienghène. We stay at Club Med Hienghène, a pretty resort in the style of a relaxed country club, with Melanesian-inspired guest bungalows. Facilities include swimming, tennis, snorkeling, mini-golf, horse riding and kayaking. Meals can be enjoyed either in the restaurant or on the large deck overlooking the beach.
From here you can take short trips further north. The drive is a spectacular coastal drive: the twinkling turquoise waters of Hienghène’s natural harbour, waterfalls and a journey across the Ouaïème river on a car ferry. Oh, and if you spot a cricket pitch – that’s for the women! Cricket is really popular among the local Kanaks and played mainly by female locals.
Back at the resort, if you’re keen to taste more Melanesian culture, the resort can organise for you to enjoy a traditional bougna. Fresh crab, coconut milk and a selection of root vegetables are wrapped in banana and coconut leaves and then cooked over hot coals for three hours. The food is wonderfully tender and served on a table set under palm trees on the beach, accompanied by fresh fruit, cheeses and salad.
So, if you’re trying to decide between the traditions of Europe, catching a few rays on a tropical island or escaping to the countryside, bear in mind that in New Caledonia, you can have it all in under three hours.
The Open Road and Air Calédonie are offering NRMA Members the opportunity to win a fantastic four night fly-drive holiday to New Caledonia for two adults, worth $2706*.
The Open Road and Air Calédonie are offering NRMA Members the opportunity to win a fantastic four night fly-drive holiday to New Caledonia for two adults, worth $2706*.
The prize includes:
There are two ways to enter:
Call 1900 956 175** OR write your name, address, phone number and NRMA Membership number on the back of an envelope and post to: The Open Road New Caledonia competition, GPO Box 6106, Sydney, NSW 2001.
You can enter as many times as you like. Competition closes 31 December 2004. Prize is available until 30 June 2005
*Includes all government taxes and levies. **Calls are charged at 50c per call (inc. GST), higher rates apply from mobile phones. If you require connection to the 1900 number please contact your telephone provider. NSW TPL04/11200, ACT TP04/4353.
4WD
