Travel Agent Runaway Bay

New Caledonia

When a “famil” [familiarisation trip] became available in 2007 due to my specialist status, I jumped at the chance to join over 100 other travel agents to find out more about this country. Most of the people I had spoken to had been to Noumea before but only on a P&O cruise and I was no exception. Even though the cruises do offer shore excursions the time restraints made seeing much more than the centre of town or the hotel strip difficult.

I came away full of new enthusiasm for this country which is a unique blend of French and Melanesia, both culturally and historically. To make it even more attractive is that it is only a short 2 hour flight from Brisbane, so perfect for a weekend getaway. It is different from other South Pacific Islands as it does not rely on tourism for its main economic source as it is rich in minerals especially copper and nickel.

There are plenty of things to do and see close to the city when you have the time. Who can resist a fresh baguette from a French patisserie especially smothered in pate / foie gras and washed down with a glass of French or Australian wine. Yum! Hard to drag yourself away from the food delights to visit the Noumea Museum, Tjibaou Cultural Centre and the lookout. Still they were also worthy of a visit.

We did a day trip to Amedee Island. Only 40 minutes by boat from Noumea, it is a very pleasant place where we went out on a glass bottom boat, saw sharks being fed, climbed the stairs of the lighthouse, swam amongst sea snakes and generally relaxed on the beach. A delicious BBQ and a fire dance show were included. A great way to get into holiday mode.

All the agents were allocated a side excursion while in New Caledonia and mine was to Mare Island. It’s one of the three Loyalty Islands and full of natural wildness. A short flight takes you there and we visited Warriers leap, the Hole at the Bone caves, a marine reserve natural aquarium amongst other things. The colour of the water was stunning.

The best part of the day was when we turned up at one of the few accommodation facilities on the island for lunch. It was a fabulous place for a honeymoon / couple getaway although some may have found it a bit too rustic. One of the two rooms was a hut perched on a rock accessed by a wooden bridge and was just large enough for the double mattress to fit on the floor. But the natural beauty of this bay was a delight. You could certainly feel as if you were the only people in the world staying here.

To top it off, the meal the owner cooked us was the best we had during our whole stay. Fresh lobster caught that morning was so delicious, fish that melted in the mouth and a tangy Tahitian salad. The taste buds were jumping for joy. We dined in other great restaurants back in Noumea which also had exotic and wonderful menus but sometimes the simple things are the best.

Our last night in New Caledonia was on tiny Duck Island, just a 10min water taxi ride away. Fabulous for a group gathering as can have sole use for functions. The party had a pirate theme so was lots of fun with most people dressing up as we were forewarned. My beard was a last minute addition and was a piece of husk from the inside of a fallen coconut. Charming I’m sure!!

New Caledonia – More than just Noumea from a cruise ship. Try it. I reckon I will get there again.