Noumea, New Caledonia - 1 of 2 PRIVATE TOUR

We went to Normea, New Caledonia, the capital of this French overseas country founded in 1854 as Port-de-France.

In 1774 British explorer James Cook discovered New Caledonia but not many settled here until the French took possession in 1853 and soon made it a penal colony and relocating many of the various Kanak tribes, their culture, weaving, engraving of natural materials, music and dance (Kaneka) and 28 languages. There was not peace among those here until 1988, after civil unrest in the 1980s. Noumea with 2/3 of the population being very different with its French sophistication and flair than the cowboy like lands and life of the West Coast here. New Caledonia has a mix of Asian and other Oceanian origins making the Country an incredible melting pot of people today.

The “challenge” we had today was that it was Easter Monday and almost everything was closed. In addition, we hired a private tour, as sometimes happens, this one was more of a local driver rather than a tour guide and spoke very little English. The good news was that it was still Passover so all the great looking French restaurants that we passed were closed. She did find one French bakery open … I walked in, smelled and walked out.

First, we drove up the hill “Ouen-Toro” and along the park which took us the top of a 420’ summit over the lagoon to see the view and observe the Amedee lighthouse in the distance. We saw 2 cannons at the top (see photos) installed by the Australian army in 1940. There was also a memorial honoring the allied troops that protected New Caledonia during WWII.

After strolling around the area and taking some scenic photos, we drove down the hill and by Anse Vata Beach. There were many nice-looking hotels, bars, stores and restaurants here but they were mostly closed today. Next, we drove by Lemon Bay and then Orphelinat Bay. After that, we drove around Coconut Tree Square, a large esplanade with a pedestrian walk that is very popular in the middle of the city. Then we passed Peace Square-anti-independence leader Jacques Lafleur and leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou at the signing of the Matignon Accords on June 26, 1988, bringing peace to the region after civil unrest in the 1980s. We also drove past the statue, made of nickel to represent New Caledonia’s being a major producer of nickel, with up to 30% of the world's known reserves (accounting for roughly 90% of its exports and employing about a quarter of the workforce). That was the end of our tour of this city and island worth coming back to in the future.

It did look like a very quaint capital with a mix of businesses and quiet beautiful beaches and lagoons. Maybe someday we will be back …. you never know. After our “tour” we decided to go to the WWII bunker built in 1943 and now a museum which looked very interesting and we were told was open today … we walked there and it wasn’t. Oh well, next time.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of my favorite TV programs that is supposed to take place here and the reason, I knew of New Caledonia at all. McHale’s Navy (1962-66) with Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Joe Flynn, Bob Hastings, Gavin MacLeod and lots of famous guest stars whose plot revolves around the crazy exploits of the misfit crew of PT-73 stationed in New Caledonia.Read more