NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA

NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

 

New Caledonia is a territory of France.  It was a penal colony from 1864 until 1904.In 1870 there were twenty two thousand convicts sent from France.  There were also 400 women and 300 orphans.  The orphan boys were raised to be laborers and the girls were raised to marry and populate the island with the French. The convicts were used to build the town and the buildings are still being used today along with the new architecture. This is the best kept secret for the rich and famous. It is expensive to live here but a quiet crime free paradise. It is said to be the “Paris of the Pacific”.

 

It was an Allied Pacific Naval Base during WW II. The one thing that is different from the other places we have visited is it was not made from a volcano.  Many million years ago when the tectonic plate broke up the continents, New Caledonia broke off from Australia. It is an island 480 kilometers long and 90 kilometers wide. It is cigar shaped and 259 thousand people live here.   One hundred and sixty seven thousand people live in Noumea alone and there are twenty four thousand boats and yachts. They sail to New Zealand and Australia. They import 99% of their produce but they are third in the world for mining and exporting nickel.

 

During a tour of the city we were taken to a very French restaurant for wine and cheese.  It was very elegant.  We were glad we were not paying for a dinner there, though.

A tender from our ship.  It is how we have to go ashore sometimes when there is no port.

Noumea in the background. Notice the yachts. 

WWII gun.