Nicky in Noumea

Leaving le Caillou and a ride in a helicopter

2011-09-11T07:11:00.000+11:00

It's 7am on a chilly Wellington morning. It's great to be home but I also miss the warmth of Noumea (and all our friends!). We'd love to go down to the beach for a quick swim right now!

Our last week in Noumea was a blast. A party the night before we moved out of our house, I jumped off a rather large hill and we all went for a heli ride.

Jumping off Ouen Toro was awesome. A friend and I had been walking past the parapenters for a long time and had even taken the number of a guy about year prior to our jump. We'd said we were going to do it and the week before we left Cin organised our jump.

The views from Ouen Toro are stunning. After a bit of a hairy start - Cin was seriously running across the tree tops to get going - the rides were gorgeous. I even saw a turtle pop it's little head up out of the water and dive back down. I think the best thing about it was the silence. You can only hear the whoosh of the wind as you swoop over the trees. And the trees look so different from above. The whole hill looks like it's covered in green cotton balls!

Next up in our crazy adventure week was a heli ride out over the lagoon. I had never been in a heli and had always wanted to so I was incredibly excited!

Max surprised us all by being completely cool about his ride. No fear at all, he marched across the tarmac to take his seat. Earphones on, big smile and we were off!

We went straight out to Amadee lighthouse. This is a beautiful structure, built in Paris and then shipped out in pieces to be rebuilt in Noumea. It marks one of the entrances to Noumea's reef.

The best part of the ride was buzzing the reef. The pilot took the heli down so low that we could almost feel the spray from the waves crashing under us. Then we whizzed along so fast that we all squealed in excitement!

The return trip took us past Ilot Maitre, where we had a gorgeous overnight stay a few months ago and Ilot Canard where I even saw a scuba diver under the water - bubbles expanding up above him!

It was a gorgeous was to say goodbye to this beautiful place. We all loved it and I thoroughly recommend a flight with Helisud.

The pilot was one of the coolest dudes I've ever met. He was a former French airforce heli pilot and chewed gum the whole flight. He even locked up the heli, said good bye to us and then climbed into his beautiful sports car to take off at a good speed to go home! Max was in awe.

Here's our little Heli-star! He hasn't put his toy helicopter down since we got home. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the present. We seriously loved it. Here's the you tube video!

How warm is it in July in Noumea

2011-07-04T10:47:00.000+11:00

I've noticed this question coming up frequently on google. Today it's sunny, 26 degrees in the sun and just about perfect. Last week it was rainy and felt cold at 18 degrees. If you're planning a trip here you could get a gorgeous time - or it could be a little chilly!

For sure, it's much cooler now than in December when you can barely walk around because of the humidity. It cools off alot at night and you need to wear a jumper outside. In the centre of the island it can drop as low as 10 degrees. Bbbrrrr.

We are packing bag and preparing for our big trip home. We will miss this place for sure. And all our friends.

I have my fingers crossed for a continuation of this lovely weather. We have friends arriving for our last week and they deserve some summer sunshine (albeit in winter)!

Stunning running

2011-06-24T15:58:00.000+11:00

I'm not a runner. I've always thought it was a bit silly to pound the pavements in search of some illusive endorphin high.

But - I'm becoming a bit of fan.

One reason is that it's stunning running here. We are lucky enough to have a palm-tree lined walkway that starts just near our house and follows the bays into town for about 6km.

My 30 minute runs have gradually extended and this gorgeous scenery was a great incentive to keep on running while I trained for a half marathon during the first few months of this year.

So maybe Noumea has turned me into a runner after all!

A fishy morning

2011-06-24T15:40:00.001+11:00

On a warm sunny morning, I love to go to the market. It's great to sit up at the 'Buvette' and watch noumea wake up over a cheeky pain au chocolat and a coffee. I have extended my gluttony and have moved on from just a coffee, to a coffee with a croque monsieur and now a coffee with a croque madame...and maybe even an orange juice - there's no doubt where my extra Noumean kilos have come from ;)

After breakfast, I like to see what fish is available at the market. Sometimes there are crayfish that are so big they seem almost prehistoric. Today there was lots of octopus and the snapper (vivaneau) looked big and delicious. The Council has just redone the fish market and now it's much cleaner. You can select your whole fish and then have it filleted in front of you - what luxury!

The morning's adventure continues with a stroll around the marina. Although it's a bit smelly and the water looks like nothing sane would choose to live in it - there's actually coral growing all around the water's edge. Take a walk around the water's edge and you'll be rewarded by seeing lots of coral, fish and often large black seasnakes cruising through the coral trees. This photo was taken standing on the pavement beside the marina, just looking down in to the water. Isn't it great! Max and Polly love it.

The New Zealand Military cemetery in Bourail

2011-05-01T15:34:00.001+11:00

Bourail is about 1.5 hours drive north of Noumea. It's a very sleepy little town with a good surf break only about 10 minutes from it.

It's also where the New Zealand war cemetery is, the final resting place of more than 200 kiwi soldiers who fought and lost their lives during the second world war. There was a large contingent of Kiwis who were stationed in Bourail and they fought up in Bougainville, Guadalcanal and other areas in the north Pacific.

The cemetery is beautifully kept, with gorgeous lawns surrounded by well-established trees. The whole area is nested into the foothills around Bourail and it's a very tranquil place. The gardener who carefully maintains the cemetery has worked there for more than 30 years and his passion is clear in the spotless gardens.

It's easy to forget just how far south the fighting came in WWII. There were no battles in New Caledonia but those in the Solomons were clearly pretty horrific and the Solomons really aren't that far from here.

The kiwis in Bourail seemed to have made the most of the lovely beach at La Roche Perce. There was an area known as the 'kiwi club' where off-duty service people could come and chill out over some well-earned brewskies.

The kiwis weren't the only service-men here. There were also Australians and 20,000 Americans. The Americans had a large base here and the infrastructure they built during the war is still used every day. They built the international airport out at Tontouta, sorted out the roads in and out of Noumea and today the suburbs of Noumea retain the names given to them during the war - such as Motorpool. The American hospital even remains, as the polyclinic which is now a small hospital, (mainly maternity) beside the beach.

Breaking many eggs to make a massive omelette

2011-04-30T16:06:00.006+11:00

This year Noumea had something very similar to an Easter show. The show is on every year around April 24 and it's out in Dumbea, a suburb of Noumea that has a beautiful river running through it and is surrounded by gorgeous hills.

The beautiful hills above Dumbea

I'm always surprised by the height and majesty of New Caledonia's mountains. There's so much more here than just pretty beaches!

So, on Easter Sunday we took Max and his best mate Murphy out to check out the rides. They loved it. We also loved the massive omelette making session that we walked straight into!

This is the stove which was moved across to the fire when it was time to cook the eggs

The omelette-making happens every year and is apparently a polynesian tradition - a nod to the fact that Dumbea has a twin-city in French Polynesia. The eggs are cooked on an enormous polynesian-style fire and when I say enormous, I mean HUGE.

So many eggs are cooked up that they use drills to mix the mixture and huge teams of people to break all those eggs. The chefs are all done up in fancy chefs hats and the whole thing is taken pretty seriously! We even noticed that each batch of mixture was tasted and seasoned very carefully.

The best part is that everyone gets to taste it. The omelette makers walked through the crowd handing out nice big plates of omelette with good crunchy baguette.

The Polynesian influence meant there was awesome drumming, stone-throwing, coconut tasting and lots of good-looking Polynesian men showing off their tattoos. Max got to have a cuddle with one nice young man...it's a shame his sister was less than willing.

Here I am with the final product. It was great.

One extra thought - when I got home there was an article on NZ Herald about the exorbitant price of the Easter show in Auckland. By way of comparison - yes, life is pretty pricey here but this show was a good value way to spend a morning. Less than $NZ3 to get in, less than $NZ6 per ride and the omelette...well that was free! And who says there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Ouvea

2011-03-27T20:06:00.001+11:00

Ouvea's a quiet place. The airport's small, the island's small, but it has a big history that makes it one of New Caledonia's quiet gems.

Most tourists (like us), go to Ouvea for it's stunning beaches and untouched feel. The local Kanaks live 'en tribu' in small villages that are well kept, with round 'Cases' - thatched huts with woven walls. Each village does seem to have at least one good solid concrete house too which must be pretty reassuring during a cyclone!

There's a handful of shops, one petrol station and one big long road that follows the beach along the island's length (40km). I think most people have a pretty much subsistence lifestyle - living off the abundant fish in the lagoon, lots of coconut, with a base of imported rice. People don't seem to have much but it seems that there's enough and no one looks hungry or as if they're living in terrible poverty. I found it somewhat humbling. I spent the first night grumbling because it was very hot, our ''case had no fan and Polly wouldn't sleep and got ravaged by mosquitos. But the next day we explored and were thoroughly wooed by the island's beauty.

But I said that Ouvea's a quiet place - and it is. It's almost like the people and the very strong soul of the island itself are all still licking their wounds after the 1988 Ouvea Massacre. Nineteen Kanaks were killed in a cave in the north of the island during a stand-off between the French gendarmes and the nationalist freedom-fighting Kanaks. The memorial we visited is chilling as you can see brothers and Dads and sons on the list of the dead - whole families destroyed. This happened less than 30 years ago, so of course the wounds still weep.

I got the sense that there's a bit of a division between those who want tourism, and the money it can bring; and those who want to preserve the island's traditional lifestyle. I understand both sides. I don't think I've ever been somewhere that has such stunning scenery and so little infrastructure. There's one fancy hotel but it's pretty discrete and a bit rundown. There are no buildings higher than two stories. We ate our dinners at snacks and were told what was available (fish and rice) and the owner was weaving the walls as we ate.

You need a car to explore and you have to have a bit of patience. No one will tell you if the place you're staying in isn't serving dinner that night - you must ask. There are no signs telling you where touristy sports are - for example, to see the 'Trou Bleu' where turtles come in to chill out you have to know to turn left off the road beside the metal pole (with no sign on it!). If you haven't come with food and don't have a car you'll have to hitch or walk a good 5+ kms from your accommodation to get to a place that will probably only be open from 8am - 12pm and 3pm-6pm.

Despite all this, it's simply stunning. A divine place that I wouldn't hesitate to revisit. I would love to understand it better. It has so many layers of culture and history that I would just love to unpeel. To do that, I suspect you have to work hard to create some confidence and you'd be rewarded enormously.

Look at these blues. Look at the sea. Look at 40kms of pure white unspoiled beach. I will be dreaming of it often.

Ouano Surf Camp and four years old!

2011-02-28T13:00:00.001+11:00

We've been past Ouano Surf Camp before but we'd never spent the night there. Which is a bit silly given that it's only slightly over an hour from Noumea.

What a spot! We are so glad we decided to spend Max's fourth birthday there.
There are well-equipped bungalows with clean bathrooms and air-con, wickedly funky safari tents, and a big campsite that's right on the beach. Oh - and a pool that looks right out over the water. There's also a restaurant that does good pizza and you can catch a taxi boat out to surf on the reef. Nice.

It's great value too. A bungalow is CFP8000 (about $NZ100) and it has a double and two single beds with a view straight out to sea. Actually, you can lie in bed with the doors right open and look over the tips of your toes, to the beach. For that level of beach view, it's a steal by Noumea standards!

We came armed to the teeth with insect repellant, coils, long trousers and every other trick known to man to avoid the beastly mosquitos but in fact we got lucky and they really weren't too bad. We were able to sit outside and watch the sun go down. We ate our dinner outside - caught some 'squitos but it was fine.

And look at the sunset...

Reflections on Cyclone Vania

2011-02-02T21:12:00.001+11:00

With Cyclone Yasi roaring its way towards North Queensland's coast, it seems like the right time to be grateful that our little cyclone was just a baby. A bit of wind, a lot of rain and some time without power. In comparison with Yasi - it was bit like someone blowing a pesky mosquito off their arm.

Vania took a long time to cross over Noumea. It actually did a big circle just north of us and we were in the eye for about 2 hours. It was so very quiet and our whole house slept - so nice! We lost power early and realised just how important the radio is. We listened to the updates every hour or so and giggled at the wonderful presenters and the fabulous feeling of community as people called up to provide updates on what was going on in their quartier.

And then the coup d'ouest came (big westerlies) and the storm was over. All of Noumea left their houses to clean up the mess, which wasn't too bad, and go swimming in the rare waves at the Baie des Citrons.

A few blown down trees, some slips from the rain and boats on rocks. Not too bad at all. Finger crossed that's all we get during the cyclone season - we just need to get to the end of April!

A morning at Ilot Maitre

2011-01-30T22:26:00.003+11:00

We took the kids and Max's best mate Murphy out to Ilot Maitre this morning. The winds were predicted to pick up in the afternoon so we went out on the early (8am) boat to the enjoy the morning calm.

It'a about half an hour in the big Escapade Ilot Maitre boat. The boys loved sitting up in the big chairs and peering out the windows to watch the bubbles as the boat plowed its way over to the Ilot.

We've been out to the Ilot a few times. There's a pretty little snack (with very slow service) and even a well-equipped playground. You can set up under the trees and just stretch out on the sand to soak up some rays and enjoy the gorgeously clear water. It's a reserve so there are lots of fish and turtles. I've also seen rays and even a cunning little octopus hiding in the rocks.

The island is known for it's sea snakes but I didn't see any today. Normally they curl up under the wharf and sunbathe on the rocks. It's always a bit of a buzz to have one of their little heads popping up beside you when you're snorkeling.

The boys had a gorgeous morning, playing with their new friend Allan and jumping around Polly. They had lovely pruney fingers by the time we'd finally got out of the water.

Next time we'll be more organised and bring over a pram so Polly can sleep and we'll spend the whole day. It's stunning!

Vania - continued

2011-01-14T10:25:00.000+11:00

10.30am and she's really blowing.

We're still only on orange alert and it sounds like the cyclone is losing intensity. I'd hate to see a category 5 storm - this one's already very impressive.

We're all inside, the wind sounds like it's about to take the roof off but we feel very safe. Luckily the power's still on so we're keeping the kids amused with dvds.

The trees outside are getting well and truly buffetted but so far all looks pretty good outside. No flooding and only a bit of debris around. We'll be hanging on for the next 12 hours!

Cyclone Vania

2011-01-13T13:20:00.002+11:00

Well, it's a cyclone according to the NZ websites but still a strong tropical depression on the French ones.

Whatever it's called we've already got weather that resembles an oddly warm Wellington Southerly. Lots of wind and some impressive rain. We're on yellow alert which means there's 'cyclonic activity' in the area. The Loyalty Islands sit out to the east of the Mainland and they are on the next alert level. They will probably go up to the highest alert (cyclone about to hit) this afternoon. If the current forecasts are right, in Noumea we will probably get the nastiest of the weather tomorrow. Hopefully it will curve away and we'll just get tickled by the edges of the cyclone.

So what do we do when this happens? Well, we're all stocked up with candles, water and yummy food. I'm trying to think of ways to entertain the kids inside for a couple of days. The petrol stations are really busy as everyone's filling up and in all the supermarkets people's baskets are full of water and torches.

Down at the beach I spotted a few guys in the water with surfboards. It looked like a lot of fun. Normally the beaches here have absolutely no swell as we are protected by the reef. Maybe I'll drop Charlie down at Anse Vata for a surf after I pick him up from work tonight.

It's actually a bit exciting!

Isle of Pines revisited

2011-01-10T22:12:00.000+11:00

We said we'd be back and we were.

We spent a couple of days before Christmas there and it was heaven to be able to laze in the water in the heat that hit mid-December.

Staying at the Kou Bougny was nice. We were six and there were four of us all lined up in a row like little mummies on the top floor of the Case. I thought we'd melt without airconditioning but the fan actually did the trick. I think the nicest part of the Kou Bougny is its restaurant which is right on the beach. The hotel's little odd because the accommodation and the restaurant are separated by a road but you get used to that.

A cruise boat came in on the last day and we all had breakfast and took bets on how they were going to get all the cruise people off the boat and onto the island. They came down on the lifeboats! How cool is that. Not being too keen on sharing that stunning beach with however many hundreds of people are on one of those cruise ships (I think this was the Pacific Dawn), we took off for the Natural Aquarium.

It was great to go back up to the Natural Aquarium. Polly loved playing in the shallows and we all cracked up at a family who decided to don life jackets for the walk in...It's only 10 minutes by the way and we did it with mum and dad and the two kids! The tide was pretty high but the water only came up to mid-thigh. There were lots of little fish to keep us company as we waded over from Chez Regis.

The Tour of Caledonie

2011-01-10T21:19:00.008+11:00

WIth the countdown to our exit from New Caledonia underway, it's time to stop talking and start doing. So the first thing we've done this year is take the little Fiat out for a big spin. Here's a little summary of what we did...

Noumea to Kone
3 hours
The drive takes you up to Bourail and then you're nearly there...really...just another hour to go. The West Coast is pretty much the same. The road gives you some glimpses (so very tantalising in the heat) of the lagoon but largely goes inland. The mountains of New Cal rise up on your right and the road stretches out in front. The only real excitement is waiting for the next nutty driver to overtake on a blind corner, pull over with out indicating in a 110 km/hour zone or just sit on your tail until we slam on the breaks. Ha ha!

So what's in Kone? To be honest, not much. It's a town that's booming with the new mine being built. The mine's impressive, with a massive new coal electricity plant, and a HUGE conveyor belt that will dump the nickel-filled soil in front of the smelter. And it takes up a big corner of a very pretty beach...I wonder how that will look in ten years time?

Kone to Poum
2 hours
With the kids in the car we were cruising. The road winds up and over the hills and the vegetation gets stragglier and the landscape gets rockier. Suddenly, the road drops down and you're right outside Poum.

We stayed at the Malabou Beach. It was perfect. A nice little beach, very good service (so very rare in New Cal), and lots of stuff to do.

We loved the kayaks and the pool. The restaurant was fine, with an evening buffet. For us (and the kids) the best thing was the fresh pasta cooked on demand. Nothing flash - but who wants flash with two under five year olds?

The bungalows are nice and some have great views. We all fitted nicely. Well, the kids thought it was nice - mum and dad could do without having the kids sucking on their toes at 3am...

Poum to Poindimie
5 hours

We did this day really slowly because it was stunning. I hadn't really appreciated just how big New Cal is before we looked out over the massive plains up the north. From there, the road narrows down and seriously winds up and over the Col d'Amos.

And wow - the views from up there are gorgeous. The East Coast has fabulous waterfalls that crash down from the mountains (highest at 1600m) and into the sea.

There are white sand, palm tree-lined beaches and all along the road are little stalls selling fresh fruit and soapstone carvings. Everyone waves at you as you pass by and people stop to chat. It is just so laid back and just about my ideal picture perfect place for a pacific holiday.

We stopped to buy stuff and take a dip at the bottom of the spectacular Tao Waterfall. It was breathtaking.

Our little fiat did us proud. I was nervously counting the kms as we neared Hienghene (and the petrol station is 12 kms after Hienghene, just to double my nervousness...). We didn't fill up in Kone or Poum so we were running on vapour by then. That didn't diminsh the fun of crossing the Bac de la Ouaieme. There's no bridge, so you get ferried over on a little barge. Fantastic!

Poindimie to Noumea
5 hours (including a wee barf from max and lots of sanity stops)

Man, it can rain on the East Coast! It was pouring when we left the very picturesque Chez Simone's. We all squeezed into her new but traditional-style bungalow. The place is gorgeous with little paths and carvings all over. We felt like we were in a warmer version of NZ with all the pungas around us. I would have loved to have spent a few days up there with no kids! This picture is taken from the balcony of her bugalow. Lush.

The trip back was long. The car's a bit smelly now but we had fun. A stop at the Saturday market in Bourail for some tropical flowers, brochettes and for Polly to play hide and seek under the tables was a good move. The local ladies loved her...I was a little less happy about chasing after her in 33 degrees.

So we came home with a pack full of stinky clothes, a full memory card on the camera and a nice relaxed attitude to 2011 and all the great stuff we'll do.

On y va!

After work swims

2010-12-18T17:15:00.005+11:00

A swim and a spot of SUP at 5pm. Perfect!

Crevettes

2010-12-18T17:01:00.005+11:00

The other day I swung past the Market to see whether they're open on Christmas Day. For me, Christmas Day is the 25th - here most of the celebrating (and more importantly eating) happens on the 24th. Yes - the market's open on the 25th. We will be deciding on our meal on the 25th, it will depend on what goodies have come in on the boats that morning.

As I was there, I couldn't resist buying some prawns for dinner. This time I made a delicious nasi goreng. My prawn-shelling speed has increased enormously since we arrived. Now I can get a kilo done in under 10 minutes.

This year the prawns are a bit late and somewhat smaller than usual. I'm not sure why, but they are still absolutely delicious!

Bon Appetit!

Shades of blue

2010-12-07T06:43:00.004+11:00

The sea and all the shades of blue really are gorgeous here. I was just looking over my blog and realised it had been a while since I'd included some lovely sea pics. So here we are.

The Ile of Pines, the Marina beside the Market in Noumea and Lifou. If I had a few more free minutes every day I would find myself a good little possy to settle down and watch the changing shades of blue of the ocean. Some days I have to stop and savour the colours and just revel in the delight of living in this little corner of the Pacific!

I particularly like the one of Charles on the beach in Lifou. Yes, he's in his work gears. This was taken on a work trip - not a bad day in the office!

Quickies and Fast Food

2010-12-02T16:02:00.004+11:00

Before we came to Noumea I struggled to imagine what it would be like. Everyone told me that it was super expensive and the shopping was awful - but the brochures described Hermes and L'Occitaine en Provence shops. Hmmmmm....

And to be honest my first trip to town was a bit of a shock. Beaten up old pavements, decrepit looking buildings. I remember telling my sister that I felt like I'd got off the plane in a tropical version of Gore. Yes - Gore in Southland, NZ. A friend's son had a small tanty when he realised his parents had brought him to a place with no...get this...escalators, and asked him to live there!

Two years on and I really enjoy my shopping trips in town. I've got used to it. There are no big malls which is great. I know the shops I want to go to and I will go straight to them. I've gotten over the fact that the prices are astronomical and now a shop is a real treat for something that I really need (or want). I shop differently to how I did at home. And I buy a lot on line!

Rather than focusing on what's missing, it's great to enjoy the warm breeze and linger in the Place des Cocotiers watching the guys doing hiphop and the ladies in their beautiful bright mission dresses.

And after a bit of shopping with the kids in tow - a challenge with strollers, dodgy pavements and shops that are all over the place - a bribe is often necessary. Fastfood works wonders.

Yes - there is a MacDo. It's expensive and there are two. An alternative is the Frenchie version of MacDo - Quick. Now I really don't like Quick for the food but it's a great place to have here. Look where it is! And the playground is the best indoor playground in all of Noumea. A great place to park up on the Terrace, lock the kids in the playground and soak in the view. Bliss.

Femmes Funk

2010-11-02T20:39:00.005+11:00

This post is a bit late but things have been a little busy. Well, no more so than usual but somehow sitting at the computer and blogging seems to come at the bottom of the list - which even here in paradise consists of running kids around, cleaning up after them, trying to devise dinners that don't end up mushed into the floor, the chair and the walls, and all the other wonderful things a mum has to do.

So - a few weeks ago was Femmes Funk. It's a very funky little festival. This year one of the headline act was Ladi6. We were excited about going to see bit of good kiwi hip hop (well - I was anyway).

The festival used to be at the Tjibaou Centre which worked really well. Now it's at the Centre Culturel du Mont Dore. It's nice but I reckon the Tjibaou was better. A little village is set up so you can boogie your way from zone to zone and taste some tasty treats too. We loved the kids zone which had lots of painting options and good playdough, complete with garlic crushers to make spaghetti squiggles. Max will never look at our garlic crusher the same again.

Despite a massive rainstorm on Sunday we had a lovely time and really made the most of our weekend pass. The boys loved it! Check out their dance moves.

Halloween!

2010-11-02T20:16:00.004+11:00

Last year we were driven slightly nuts by trick or treaters. We were completely unprepared for the onslaught of beautifully dressed up, albeit slightly pushy kids. I had bought a small bag of lollies just in case but by the fifth group our supplies were finished - by group 55 we were going crazy!

This year we knew what to expect. After a bit of humming and haaing we had a few friends for dinner and let the kids distribute our large stash of treats to the local kids. They loved it! They also got to hear ghost stories in the garden in the glow of our beautifully carved Jack-o-lantern - thanks to Charlie - and run around like crazy things. All in all, a fantastic way to spend a busy evening.

And a word of advice to anyone moving to Tuband - prepare for Halloween. Your doorbell is likely to ring deep into the evening.

And you might even hear some creepy laughter....

Stand Up Paddling

2010-09-13T14:43:00.006+11:00

I have been enviously watching people, on gorgeously still evenings as the sun goes down, doing a bit of stand up paddle at Anse Vata beach. It looks so calm. Gliding over the water, chilling out. With the two kids in tow it's often difficult to find the time to get out and try new things though.

So this weekend our afternoon sleep was cut short. We'd been invited by some friends to come down and try it out with them Just the kick start we need. Eh Hop - off we went.

It was so much fun! Charlie went first and showed off his surfing prowess. I followed and after paddling around and getting used to how it feels, I managed to stand up and even steer (a bit, sometimes into some unsuspecting swimmers...).
We'll be doing more of this fun sport.

Here's a pic of Charles having just got in the water with a lovely lady showing him how it's done.

La noumeene

2010-09-13T14:17:00.005+11:00

Sunday morning was hot and still. I'd had a reasonably big night out on Saturday and was feeling the effects of my very strong Maitai followed by a few glasses of vino. BUT - it was the big day. The fun run. Pink T-shirts on - it was time to run 'The Noumeene'.

It's just a little run - 4kms but made challenging by the fact that it always seems to happen on a gorgeous day. By Sunday's 8.30am start it was already creeping from mid to late 20s. Arrgghhhh!

In fact - it was fun. It's a buzz to run with lots of people and the Noueeme is run to raise awareness about breast cancer, so it's women only. A great excuse to leave the kids with the hubbies. I started out with two girlfriends and ended with another friend. Lovely to have someone to push you into a little race at the end!

Eating out with littlies

2010-08-13T09:26:00.005+11:00

Last night we ate out. We seem to eat out reasonably frequently here. Max is a superstar in restaurants (good behaviour in exchange for hot chips) and it's generally really fun taking them out. The trickiest thing is finding restaurants that open early enough for our kids, who are usually in bed at around 7pm. Most places don't open until 7pm and often the service is pretty slow meaning we're not out of the restaurant until 8.30pm - which spell disaster for the kids.

So here's a list of the places we've found so far that open early and don't get all snippy when you walk in with a three year old and a baby in a mountain buggy!

La Case - Baie d'Orphelinat (ph 28 24 24)
This place starts serving food at 6pm. They just have a basic menu that early but it includes pizzas that have a yummy thin base and good salads. It's generally pretty quiet then and I love sitting outside with a great view over the Bay.

Fun Beach - Anse Vata beach (ph 26 31 32)
Open from 6.30pm. We ate here last night and were really impressed by the service which is often less than friendly in Noumea. They even carried the buggy down the stairs and into a prime spot overlooking the water. The food came out quickly and was yummy - not super-flash but very tasty and we had a great family meal.

Creperie Le Rocher - Behind the Surf Hotel at Anse Vata Beach (ph 25 3575)
I love sitting up here and looking down over the Baie des Citrons. I really think it has one of the nicest outlooks in Noumea. It's meant to be open all day from Tuesday - Sunday from midday to 10pm but ring and check. I've called and been told a few times that dinner doesn't start until 7pm. The crepes are delicious and it's so nice to wash everything down with a yummy glass of cider. There's space outside for the kids to run around too.

Le Bout du Monde - Baie de Moselle, near the Market (27 77 28)
Classic French-style Brasserie. The proper menu doesn't start until 7pm but they have a good all day snack menu that changes regularly but often has tartines, salads and you can usually order something simple for the kids. The highlight for Max is the boat on the grass in front of the Terrace. He can play on that for ages while we wait for food - which can take a while.

Along Beach - Vietnamese at Anse Vata (ph 28 28 84)
Delicious Vietnamese that's open from about 6pm. It's in the little shopping complex at the far end of the beach so kids can run around safely on the grass in front of the restaurant. It's always busy here, but you can always get takeaways and go and sit at a table on the beach if it's full.

Wow - that's quite a list! There are also some good Italian places and the burgers at Le Fare at Anse Vata beach are good value and substantial. Breakfast is good here too - ahhh breakfast! I think that will have to be covered in another blog!

Bon Appetit.

Campin' on Ilot Tenia

2010-06-25T20:59:00.004+11:00

Last year we went to Ilot Tenia and I swore we'd be back. Sure enough, a year later we did go back and it was great.

With, not just one but now two, kids in tow we set off for two nights of delicious isolation on our deserted paradise. Camping on Tenia was carefully described to us as a 'real caledonian camping experience'. This means there are no shelters, no ready-made bbqs, no electricity and no toilets. It's you, the island and the mountain of stuff you take over on the boat with you!

This was our first camping trip with two kids and a new tent but we were looked after somewhat by our experienced happy camper friends who'd organised the trip. Three families with young kids was great as the kids did entertain each other (although Max needs to learn that playing does not involve destroying every sandcastle made) and had fun together.

We went over with Bout d'Brousse. The company had changed hands since last year but the guy who's bought it was a dude and they still have the fast yellow zodiacs. He was very friendly (and speaks good english) and didn't bat an eyelid at us bringing a 7 month old baby with us. She ate alot of sand. He dropped us off and checked we were good for water at the end of day one and - as expected - it was pretty exciting to be left on the island at the end of the day. Just us, some decent wine and a yummy dinner to cook.

We had a great time. Camping with two littlies is not at all relaxing, but the spectacular surroundings make it all worthwhile. It did make me laugh that this beautiful picture of Polly in pink was taken at 5am. She had been very successful at keeping everyone awake for a good part of the night...hmmmm.

If you ever camp on Tenia remember to bring a shovel and brush - within 10 minutes of the tent going up it was filled with sand. Funny for a little while but the joke starts to lose its sparkle when you're trying to sleep with sand up your bum, in your eyes, under your knees and in your hair!

Hotel Banu in La Foa

2010-05-17T15:13:00.004+11:00

This place is just a gem - yummy food, eccentric owners and decoration that was started in the 60s and just added to since then. The Hotel Banu has a funny mixture of bungalows and almost dorm-style accommodation and it even has a pool out the back. What I like best about it, is that it's right on the main street and as soon as you walk in, you feel as if you are in the heart of La Foa. The coppers come in for their lunch, the locals, the tourists - everyone.

The front bar is covered in hats - we added a NZ Defence force one in to the mix. You could spend an hour in there checking out where all these hats have come from. Walk through to the (airconditioned!) restaurant and you come into a mix of 60s/70s/80s kitch that is a little overwhelming and very entertaining. Go out the back and there's a little garden (complete with garden gnomes) and a row of toilets that Max thought was hilarious...

As already mentioned - the food is delicious. And you can stop by for a plate of hot chips for the kids or a delicious slow-cooked stew that will fill you up for the rest of the day. We opted for a classic old roast chicken - copious and yummy.

I think you could go up to many of the people having their lunch in the Banu and have a fascinating chat about the history of New Caledonia, 'Les Evenements' during the 80s and all of the many things that have spiced up this place's history. Everyone here greets you with a smile and I reckon that each wrinkle on their faces comes with a tale.

If you're passing by La Foa, stop at the Banu - even if it's just for a coffee - it's totally worth it.

A Half Birthday

2010-04-08T14:48:00.002+11:00

Can you imagine being a half? Polly is!

And when you're not even one you can get away with Bunny ears...

Green - I got tagged!

2010-04-08T13:06:00.012+11:00

So, a few weeks ago Marie hit me with a green tag. I've been a bit slow on the uptake but here we go. In this game you need to:
1. Say who tagged you and link to their blog;
2. Post 7 pictures of the colour you've been tagged and say why you've chosen these pics;
3. Tag 7 other people and give them a colour (I'm only going to tag one person...)
We have a picture of Max in his green hoody. It's his favourite - warm, funky and very cool.
Flax in Charlie's garden in Gizzy. Only 7 years ago this whole area was paddocks with sheep grazing on it. Now it's all slowly being replanted with natives. Each time we go back I'm struck by how fast it all grows and how beautiful it is. It's what NZ should look like.

A Tony Sly jug. He makes delicious pottery in Raglan. It's worth going to Raglan for the surf, scenery and his seconds shop ;)

The beautiful pacific fabrics in New Caledonia. I loved this more modern print.

The grass that needs to be cut. We'll do it this weekend with our new whizz-bang lawnmower that took a week to assemble...

A local avocado - they're huge and sometimes a little watery, sometimes delicious. It's a bit like playing avocado lottery.

Finally, the sea in Poe. It's green, turquoise, white, blue and everything in between. Gorgeous.

What a beautiful colour green is!

Now - I'll only Tag Angelique. She shall have red!

Happy birthday Max

2010-03-16T10:30:00.003+11:00

We've been in New Zealand hence the lack of blogs of late. The return home has been a blur of 'La Rentree' (the big french term for the return to school after the holidays), broken down car, some magnificent and some magnificently crappy weather and a birthday. I reckon the birthday was the best.

So - Max is a little concerned about school and puts on a bit of a performance every day but here's one pic of him sneaking his nounours into his bag (still his well loved cow) before we leave. I've also found him sneaking other little bits and pieces into his bag like a dummy....

Operation birthday was fantastic. Lots of kids running around our place like crazy nutters, a howling wind to rock all the pictures from the walls and a great cake. I also enjoyed partaking in the french habit of having a little champagne to celebrate - no excuse necessary for me to be popping the top off a bottle of pop!

Now we've got some wet and windy weather as Cyclone Tomas and Ului whip up the Pacific. Hopefully Ului will do what the Americans are predicting and heads off towards Australia. The Frenchies are a little less optimistic and have it heading down our way. It's a long way from us at the moment so we will see towards the weekend. My fingers are firmly crossed for it to head away - we have a weekend away planned.

Scrumptuous Sarramea

2010-01-25T12:46:00.006+11:00

I love Farino and Sarramea. Whenever we want to have a weekend away I start lobbying to go there. I know it's a bit boring to go back to the same place all the time, but each time I arrive I take a big breath in, and out, and feel the good karma of the place wrap me up nice and warm.

They are two little settlements snuggled into the hillside about 1.5 hours drive from Noumea. From Farino you can look down the hill and out to the sea. Sarramea is a little bit deeper into the hills and slightly more enclosed. Sarramea is overlooked by the impressive Plateau de Dogny, a 5 hour walk that is on our list of must dos (without the kids) before we leave.

Normally a trip to Farino includes a lunch at Mamie Foglianis for a no holds barred feast of oysters, game and taro. It's set beside a river and is chilled out, good value and delicious.

Our Christmas trip was a bit of a blow-out. We stayed at the very nice (almost swanky) Hotel Evasion. Our Bungalow fitted the whole family and was very comfy. Max loved having his own big-boy bed and being able to watch TV in bed. We regailed ourselves with two delicious meals - one in the restaurant en famille; one more romantic one on the balcony of the bungalow. The food was absolutely delicious. The hotel also has very pretty pool beside the restaurant and a spa pool which we enjoyed and I imagine would be bliss in winter having finished the Plateau de Dogny Walk.

On the way home we stopped and picked up some delicious pineapples. I chuckled at the roadside stall, unmanned, with tin that said - please put your coins in the tin - thanks. Go the faith in people being honest. I guess that's just part of the Sarramea vibe.

Having a baby in Noumea

2010-01-19T14:36:00.004+11:00

When we realised I was pregnant with Polly we had a quick discussion about where I would have the baby. We had already checked out the hospital here when Max had a brief stay soon after we arrived. Although the children’s hospital looks a bit rough, we found the staff great and the care was excellent. Certainly – we were seen quickly and I reckon we’d have waited a lot longer to be looked after in Wellington. So despite the brief temptation of a trip home to welcome our new bubba we decided pretty quickly that this bubba would be a little Noumean – how very exciting!

Once we’d confirmed that I was indeed pregnant it was time to find an obstetrician. Although there are lots of doctors here and we’ve always been surprised by how quickly you can get an appointment with a specialist, there aren’t masses of female obstetricians. Luckily I was put onto a great lady who had comfy rooms and was totally fabulous throughout my pregnancy.

What I learned was that the way it works here is that you can choose to have your baby in the public or the private system (or a mixture of them both). If you do it publicly, you have all your appointments at Magenta hospital and you have your bubba there too. In addition to the hospital at Magenta, there are two private clinics: Clinique Magnin and the Polyclinique de l’Anse Vata.

The Polyclinique looks like it should have been shut down in WWII. It’s a collection of old buildings that originally made up part of the ‘Pentagon’, the American base here during WWII. Despite its decrepit appearance I have only heard good things about the care here. And one of the big advantages of it is that you can walk from your room, over the street and sit on the beach with your newborn – how gorgeous.

Clinique Magnin looks a bit flasher than the Polyclinique and is closer to the centre of town. Again, the care there seems to be great. At both Clinique Magnin and the Polyclinique there’s an operating room so if things get hairy you can have a caesarean right there.

I had my baby at the public hospital. I chose the hospital because it has the neonatal unit and childrens' hospital, so if anything is wrong with your bubba this is where they come. There’s a slight risk you can end up in one of the cliniques with your bubba in the hospital if bubba has a bit of a rough start.

I was followed by a private obstetrician and had to swap over to the public system for the last 6 weeks. I definitely felt more like a number at the hospital, but the doctors were clearly very competent and I knew I was in extremely capable hands (the midwives were also great). I did, however, miss the nice continuity of care with the same Lead Maternity Carer that you have in NZ.

Despite the heavily graffitied toilets and pretty basic waiting areas, the hospital felt much the same as the old Wellington hospital where we had Max. One advantage though was that I had my own room for the entire 5 days (yes – you heard right FIVE days for a second bubba!) that I was in. I was entitled to my own room for the first 3 days and then I had to pay a supplement to keep the room for the last 2 nights. Nowhere can guarantee a private room but you can request one and everyone I know who’s had a bubba here has managed to get their own room. If you don’t get your own room, the worst you’ll get is a double room – not so bad. And by the way – everyone can stay in for 5 days regardless of how you delivered your baby!

Some things were totally different to Max’s birth. My kiwi midwife didn't weigh me once during my pregnancy - here I was weighed at every appointment, and the Doc even peeked at the scales a few times to check I wasn't telling any fibs! I had a difficult delivery, which meant my bubba was whipped away and I didn’t see her until the day after she was born. You are encouraged to breastfeed but there’s no assumption that you will. If you do decide to bottle feed, your bottles are made up for you and sit in the fridge with your name on them so you can help yourself when need them. If you're knackered, the midwives will offer to take your baby at night. They will look after him or her and you are encouraged to make sure that you get to have a proper rest before you head home. Vaccinations were also interesting. There was no question asked – no consent forms…bang she was vaccinated against tuberculosis and hepatitis B. I’m not sure I completely agree with the degree of control that many of the doctors seem to take here…at least I know they know their stuff.

After you go home, and I was desperate to get home as the food was terrible, there is nothing like the wonderful follow-up care we have in NZ via Plunket and midwives. BUT there is lots of help, you just need to know where to get it. You can have your baby weighed and get help with feeding/crying any other general problems at your local PMI (Protection Maternelle et Infantile). The Magenta PMI is open from Monday to Friday from 7.30am – 11.00 and it’s in the hospital beside where you sit waiting for all the obstetrician appointments. You can book an appointment some days and on other days you can turn up without an appointment to have bubba weighed. The planning changes every month so call and check (25 66 66) before you go. There’s also a PMI at the CAFAT in Receiving and out in Montravel and Mont Dore. The nurse at the PMI at Magenta is totally charming.

If you have questions at other times you can also call a midwife. There are quite a few private clinics and they will come out to your home if necessary. I saw a lovely lady called Christine Caze. She’s also a Sophrologue and her rooms have a nurse, a dietician, osteopath and a naturopath. You can also just pop by and weigh your baby yourself if you need to which is nice. Their number is 28 55 93. The rooms are on the rue d’Austerlitz.

I wished I’d asked more questions throughout my pregnancy. I made some assumptions and was a bit taken aback when they weren’t right, like I thought that the obstetrician who takes care of you would automatically deliver bubba – not so; and I thought I’d be on weekly appointments for the last 3 weeks or so – nope. The most frustrating thing is that everyone’s so used to their own system/care/advice that I got a few startled expressions and odd comments when I did things differently - like swaddling bubba or not taking her to a paediatrician for every vaccination! You’ve got to be strong and listen to everyone and then make your own decision….hhhmmm isn’t giving birth a fabulous lesson about life – in so many ways.

Christmas craziness

2009-12-23T22:00:00.003+11:00

Tonight was the boys' night out. They took off to have burgers and chips for dinner and go for a ride on the Christmas santa train. It meant a late bedtime for Max but he took it all in his stride.

He came home full of stories about the funny man in the white car (who Charles hadn't noticed...I've no idea what he did), chocolates and a little girl. No mention of Santa Claus. The night time trip around Noumea in the little train ended with a visit to 'La maison de Pere Noel'. It's a regular house, not far from where we live, that is decorated by a lovely lady who is completely nuts about Christmas. Everyone here goes nuts about her over the top decorations!

I think this picture sums up pretty well why Max didn't catch a glimpse of the dude in the red suit. Mr Claus was at home but all of the kids of Noumea were out to visit him - we're be incredibly thankful that we don't live on this street. Chaos!

Three months old (et tres sage)

2009-12-23T21:44:00.006+11:00

Our little New Caledonian is 3 months old. She's awesome. She's so big that she's off the top of the French growth charts. At 7.5 kilos (I kid you not), she gets a lot of attention and the top of her Michelin man-style legs get squeezed everyday by passers by. Her response? Well, she smiles of course!

I love all the new vocabulary that has to be learned when something new happens and you living in a non-english speaking country. A new baby as meant learning how to say that you're in labour, that it hurts (I knew that one), how to ask for an epidural...hmmm and that was all before she'd even arrived. One of the nicest things at the moment is the statement I've been getting lots lately 'Elle est sage' - literally that she's wise, but translated better as she's a good baby...happy, smiley and a good sleeper. And yes, very wise!

Coconut grasshopper

2009-12-02T14:41:00.007+11:00

So, I was locking up the house the other day when I looked over my shoulder and jumped so high my head nearly hit the roof. What was checking me out? A coconut grasshopper. It was ginormous!

I actually didn't know what it was, but by the power of google I quickly learned that New Caledonia's grasshopper is one of the biggest in the world and, unfortunately, threatened with extinction.

Despite it's fearsome appearance, it gets its name from the fact that it eats the leaves on coconut palms and it blends in perfectly. It can reach up to 20cm long. It's not something you'd like to find snuggled up next to you in bed at night...

We let him be and he disappeared overnight. No doubt he's feasting on one of the nearby coconut palms!

A ten dollar cappucino...Noumea-style

2009-11-22T21:14:00.003+11:00

This has to be the weirdest cappucino I've ever seen. I was served it last week in one of my favorite cafes here. It reminded me know why I basically don't drink coffee here and will be straight off the plane and into a cafe as soon as I get back to NZ.

Yes, it was hot. Yes, that is a straw. Yep, it tasted awful!

The very wonderful CNC

2009-11-19T12:45:00.003+11:00

Although Max was pretty confident in the water last summer, that was with the help of his floaties. Given the amount of swimming that goes on here, it was time to get rid of the floaties and make sure that Max learns how to swim for real.

I dithered a bit before booking him into lessons at the Cercle des Nageurs Caledoniens. It seemed expensive - involving us all joining the club so we both Charles and I could swim with Max, but it means we can all go use the wonderful pool(s!) whenever we want and the lessons are fantastic.

Max looks forward to his lessons at the 'beach' every Saturday and has developed quite a soft spot for his lovely teacher (and especially the 'gommette' or sticker he gets at the end). Charles is in charge of Max and has done all the lessons so far. I have been the lady of leisure, enjoying a coffee in the great cafe beside the pool - very relaxed! Polly? Well she relaxes in her car seat and sleep through all the excitement. All in all, it's a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

Greeny fingers

2009-10-18T13:19:00.004+11:00

During the winter we got so sick of the uninspiring veges on offer that we decided to plant our own vege patch. In fact, Charlie's dad put most of the seeds in - which has proven interesting as he didn't mark things up so it's a great surprise when a plant starts to fruit and we have to guess what it is.

Max asks every morning if he can come out and water the plants. Hopefully the vege patch might entice him to actually eat some veges...but that might be asking a bit much!

Here are some pics of the tomatoes, lettuce, herbs and our wonderful bananas. Oh - and the two other little things we've managed to grow!

Et voila - notre jolie petite Polly

2009-10-10T12:28:00.002+11:00

Here she is. She had a bit of a turbulent entrance into the world but she's perfect and very beautiful. Max loves giving our lovely little New Caledonian/Zealander cuddles.

Good value things to do here

2009-09-16T10:19:00.005+11:00

It's expensive in Noumea. Some things are expensive and avoidable - like the NZ$ 20 loaves of imported kiwi bread (I'll admit to caving in a few weeks ago and relishing the having a vogels toast for a week or so) - but you need to buy toilet paper (NZ$18 for 9 decent rolls) and fruit (NZ$12 for a pineapple in the market) and the odd bit of meat (NZ$30 for a good sized non-organic chicken). I seem to blow most of our budget on food...

But!

There are good value things here. Like champagne ($NZ40 a bottle from a small producer) and delicious cheese and yummy bread ($NZ 2 per baguette) - the list goes on. You can also have an introduction to windsurfing with a teacher and board rental for an hour down at Anse Vata beach and it only costs $NZ 20. Or you can head out to Kuendu beach (you can even catch the bus there from Anse Vata) and spend the day on the water slides.

A trip to the market is lots of fun and it's free - although you might be tempted to check out the little cafe and have a yummy fresh orange juice. If you're there in the weekend, you might also be tempted by the homemade sorbets that are sometimes on offer out beside the car park. The coconut ones are delicious and only a few dollars.

Of course - it's free to swim and snorkel and go for a stroll in the warm breeze on the beach. Ok - it's sunny outside and time for me to go and enjoy it. A la plage!

Duck Island

2009-09-16T09:32:00.007+11:00

One of my favourite day trips in Noumea is Duck Island. Actually - it's not really a day trip, it's a five minute blat in a speed boat from the beach over there. Somehow it feels a long way from Noumea though. You jump off the boat, splash on to the beach and find yourself a good posi for chillin'. Ahhhhh bliss.

There's a little snack with funky carvings where you can buy a beer and a toasted sandwich if you feel like it - or a more substantial feed. If you want a deck chair with an umbrella you'll need to fork out some cash - I think it's 2000 per day and 3000 for a larger fare - but you can avoid that by bringing your own stuff and parking a bit further around the island. It's very laid back.

The snorkelling's great. It's protected from the wind and there's a nice array of coral. There's also a resident moray eel who I have enjoyed following around on a few occasion and lots of tame fish who will come up to you and just about tap you on the mask to say hey - come over here and check this out!

We went out a few weeks ago with my nephew. He enjoyed going for a snorkel with Charlie and I dipped the bump in the warm sea. The boys also tucked into some food at the snack. A good way to while away some time as we wait for this baby to make her appearance!

Spring is in the air, along with the kites

2009-09-06T08:01:00.003+11:00

It's suddenly warmed up here. The evenings are warmer and the beach is getting more and more tempting.

The people who are making the most of the changing seasons though are the kite and wind surfers. At the far end of Anse Vata beach, behind the Meridien is the spot where all the gun kite surfers go. The afternoon winds are strong and it's cool fun to sit and watch them fly. When I feel like a touch of holiday buzz Charlie and I head to the Phare at the Meridien to sip on a yummy drink and watch the kites go.

Charlie did a kite-surf course a few months ago. The aim was to get it done before baby was due but in fact he was stymied by the lack of wind in winter. So he got to have a few goes out at the back of Ilot Maitre - the safest place to learn - with warm, knee deep water. Unfortunately, after too many weekends of waiting for the wind to pick up, he only got half way through his course and probably won't finish. So I don't think we'll be seeing Charlie down with the guns behind the Meridien any time soon. Now we know that it's worth waiting for Spring to learn to fly.

Noumea is one of the best places to world to kite surf. Here's a pic of the sun going down on the kites, with the Phare Amadee in the background.

The Isle of Pines

2009-08-17T15:38:00.008+11:00

Wow - it's been more than a year since we arrived here in Noumea. With baby two about to arrive, and Charlie's parents over for a visit, we decided to take a few days out over on the Isle of Pines. Which was stunning.

It's mid-winter here and when I booked the tickets and hotel the agency asked me if I was sure I wanted to go in the deepest, darkest, depths of winter. Well, being a good kiwi girl at heart that just seemed like a bit of a challenge...would the weather be ok? We did get a bit lucky - and winter here is pretty tame. We lounged beside the still blue sea at about 23 degrees and in the sun it was up around 25. It was fabulous. We didn't spend much time in the water - I only did one snorkel in the natural aquarium but it was the perfect temperature for walking around and lounging too.

The best parts of the trip were probably the walk up the river to the Natural aquarium. It's only a 15 minute walk, but it feels like an adventure because you can't the see inlet when you start. It's glorious walking out and seeing the water open up in front of you. We lunched at the Meridien afterwards (Laughing at the reaction of our guests to a $NZ 50 hamburger - it's amazing how you start to become immune to the silly prices!) and decided that our accommodation at Oure Lodge was way nicer.

Oure Lodge is at the far end of a beautiful sheltered bay. I loved walking through the gardens around the bungalows with Max, chatting to the cat and watching the butterflies come and play chicken with us and enjoying the shade of the banyans. We'll be back with bubba two, to show her this lovely place!

Putting roots down here

2009-08-03T19:18:00.005+11:00

I always think it's nice to leave a house with a little more soul than when you moved into it...we're staring here early. A lemon tree was put into the garden a few weeks ago and Max loved digging the hole with daddy, watering the new tree and running around outside in his gumboots. Next on the list is a herb garden and vege patch. We just need to find a way to kill all the snails here first! It's wet and feels cold (17 degrees at night, 22/23 degrees during the day) and the snails are loving it.

We also welcomed ourselves to our new pad with a little housewarming brunch. There were probably more kids than big folks here and the resulting chaos of kids outside and adults inside watching the rugby (NZ lost...) was very entertaining. Hopefully there will be more little parties like that one - this place seems to just soak up lots of people.

Finally, we went to a wedding that had me scratching around in the wardrobe for something suitable to dress me and the bump. The trusty pregnant wedding dress did the trick - even covering this large little baby!

Things have been busy with the France-Oceania summit. I'd hoped for a little visit from Mr le President and his wife (I'd have been out at the parade checking out her chic clothes!) but it wasn't to be. For me, aside from having an absentee husband for a few days, the biggest impact has been all the protests, road blocks and even more strikes than usual. Hopefully our trip to the Ile of Pines next week won't be affected. Our fingers and toes will all be crossed!

Dugongs!

2009-07-04T06:28:00.002+11:00

A few weeks ago I got very excited by the arrival of some dugongs at Anse Vata beach. This is right opposite work and a great place to watch the sun go down, so when we heard they were there (and almost up on the beach they were so close) we all headed down for a look. It was very cool to see these lovely big animals popping up out of the water to have a look and then getting back down to business on a tasty patch of seagrass. I planned to don a mask and snorkel for a closer look but moving house got in the way. Next time.

What's the haps?

2009-06-28T19:37:00.004+11:00

It's been a long time. With bubba two moving from a croissant to a brioche and now a great big loaf of molenberg....things have been a bit crazy. We've also bid farewell to our wonderful view and moved into a great new house that's in a new subdivision in Noumea. It's a big maze of houses, all built in a similar style, all with red roofs! Wonderful suburbia and I can almost imagine Kevin Spacey popping his head over the fence and singing 'Don't rain on my parade' a la American Beauty... it's great.

We love watching max run around the garden, take his ride-on out for a spin and generally enjoy all the space. The area's also very close to the beach so we can whip down there for an evening swim when the sun comes back...Coup de ouest today...bleurgggh (wind and rain)

Making the most of the space

2009-05-18T16:27:00.002+11:00

We live on the third floor of this apartment building and I had a chuckle as I walked down the street the other day and turned around to see this.

Max's swing seems pretty tame when you're on the balcony but I think this shot explains some of the amused expressions I've noticed on the neighbours faces during swinging sessions of late!

A weekend in Yate

2009-05-18T15:37:00.005+11:00

A few months after we arrived in Noumea, we made our first trip to check out the Southern coast. We drove down to a little place called Yate and stayed at the Gite Iya. There's not much in Yate - a petrol station with a shop and a cafe (which is shut at the moment because of a dispute over the recent change of ownership) and a few little gites. It's beautiful though - with a river running out to the sea and a coastline that runs from high hills straight into the sea. It's pretty different to the much tamer west coast.

The Gite Iya has a little restaurant, a camp site with basic facilities and a few bungalows. We had a little bathroom off the side of our bungalow but no hot water and the electricity seemed pretty intermittent. It was all we needed though as the sea breeze kept us cool and the sea was gorgeous. The campsite is right on a sheltered cove that had some good snorkelling. The reef drops off at the end so you can be quite close in and still see some impressive critters.

We drove home the long way, taking our recently bought car over the mining roads. That was a bit of a mistake...the map we had didn't show that the road was only packed down red dirt! Actually - the road was fine, aside from a few scrapes to the bottom of the low-sitting Renault... We were treated to some magnificent views of the Pacific, the old mine at Goro that's now rusting into the sea and a few glimpses of the new, mega modern mine at Goro. It still hasn't started production but will be mining and processing nickel on site. A first apparently - and pretty controversial! A while ago there was a sulfuric acid leak that apparently wiped out a river...I almost feel sorry for New Caledonia where the people will forever be weighing up the pros and cons of sucking out the minerals from their land. Moolah vs nature...

A trip to Ilot Tenia

2009-05-03T16:46:00.005+11:00

This was a long weekend and we made the most of it by heading up the coast on Friday and jumping in a boat to go out to Ilot Tenia. We started the day reasonably early and were on the road soon after 7am. After heading up to Bout d' Brousse at Bourake (about 1.5 hours from Noumea) we got into a fast zodiac out to the island.

Although Max and his good friend Murphy both had a bit of a squeal on the way out there - they soon chilled a bit and by the end they were both telling us stories about how the boat went WHEEEEEeeeee!

The island's a marine reserve and the snorkeling was great. Lots of big fish and a beautiful coral reef. I think the array of coral really showed what a healthy, living reef looks like. We were pampered by Bout d'Brousse, with a great covered area to picnic in - they'll even turn the bbq and cook up a steak for you if you bring it up.

Next time we'll bring our gear and camp up there. It would be a spectacular place to wake up!

Anzac in the sun

2009-04-27T20:45:00.007+11:00

Anzac Day's a busy time for Charlie. On the 24th he took off early in the morning in a French military Puma helicopter to go up to Bourail for one of two commemorations.

The first was in Plaine des Gailacs, which sounded small and lovely and the second was in Bourail where the NZ war cemetery is. I think that both were very moving things to have been involved in. I didn't go - not being too keen on the 2-hour drive to get up there...lucky for some to get flown around New Caledonia in a heli!

I did go to the actual Anzac Day dawn service. This year it was organised by the Australians and they decided to do a proper dawn service for the first time here in New Caledonia. It was great - with lots of kids getting involved and a good spine-tingling last post.

We took Max down and he was extremely well-behaved - led on by his good mate Murphy (who's got 5 months on him!). We had an interesting chat with a lovely old French war veteran who's 88 and he got out his photos of the batallions he had fought with - he's now the last remaining man in the photos.

Let's hope these two little boys never have to fight in a war like he did...

What's left of the old...

2009-04-14T13:29:00.006+11:00

There's not much of the old colonial architecture left in Noumea. Most of us live in newish, not very attractive (let's say 60s and 70s) houses and apartments. Not everyone though.

Some little treasures remain, tucked into the valleys of Noumea and in the old part of town, the latin quarter - so named as it used to be a swamp - which had to be crossed to reach the more salubrious houses in Mont Coffyn. So it was in Paris that you had to cross the Seine to get to the Quartier Latin on the Left Bank. Hmmm - the link seems a little tenuous to me, but nevertheless the old area is still referred to as the Quartier Latin.

I enjoy a stroll around this little area because it's a mishmash of different styles and shops and the home of some great boulangeries! I also like to check out some of the lovely old places that have survived here. There aren't many places like these left in Noumea and I hope those that are left are protected. They're just gorgeous.

Raining cords at Easter

2009-04-12T12:58:00.004+11:00

Well, I remember Easters in Dunedin when I was growing up being wet, wet, wet. And here's it's monster wet, wet, wet! It is the rainy season so it's to be expected, but we have quickly realised that without our no-fail amusement park for Max - the beach - we need to suss out some alternatives...pronto!

We took off this morning to check out the open day at a little farm called 'Le bonheur est dans le pre' just outside Noumea. There's a great network of farms, little B&Bs, cafes and restaurants here - that's an extension of the French network 'Bienvenue a la ferme'. The one we went to today was very cute, with lots of animals to check out, a playground and a little tearoom. Perfect. Except for the rain! We'll be back. Max made me laugh when he spied a cow from the car and exclaimed 'Pig, pig'.

Happy Easter everyone, enjoy the holiday and all the good food. We just tore into a delicious poulet roti - Yum!

Escaping the Caillou

2009-04-01T19:21:00.002+11:00

Finally, eight months after we arrived here, we left the Caillou for ten days of laxing and shopping on the Gold Coast. We have family over there and although I have enjoyed previous visits, the most recent one was one of the best. Why? Because it was cheap, cooler than here and taking a 2 year old to fun parks is absolutely hilarious.

We also giggled at ourselves and our fellow passengers as we checked in. All the bags going onto the plane were curiously soft, light and clearly empty. People head over to the Gold Coast from Noumea just to go shopping. When we were doing the rounds of the shopping malls we were somewhat surprised by the amount of French we heard spoken. Clearly a lot of New Caledonians shop over there...and that might explain the abysmal shopping here. I guess that no matter how hard you try to protect your economy by taxing imports, people will just do the sensible thing and shop elsewhere - even if tickets for air travel are exorbitant. I can assure you that we had to sit on our cases and wrestle with the zips on the way home!

But - aside from all that - the trip was great. We loved Seaworld and Max is still asking for ELMOOO. A few days chilling in Byron Bay were just lovely and I revelled in walking along a pristine beach with waves crashing beside me and a cool sea breeze in my hair.

So now we're home again. It's been an interesting week with our first cyclone warning and a car that wouldn't start when we arrived at the airport at midnight and is still 'en panne'. I have to admit that I'm loving driving the Subaru we're currently renting. This will be the first and the very last Renault we own... vive les Japonais!

He's Choo!

2009-03-10T12:30:00.007+11:00

Max is two. When we ask him how old he is, he holds two fingers up around his nose and says 'Choo'. Very sweet.

Because he was two, and becasue we love him lots, he had two cakes - one at creche, and the other (the digger cake) at his digger party.

For his party we invited some of his friends to a little celebration at Kuendu beach. Everyone brought diggers to play with and went in for a swim too. It was a lovely morning. We even managed to make pass the parcel work with a small group of 2 and 3 year olds!

The lighthouse visitors and their lunch

2009-02-23T13:59:00.011+11:00

Phare Amedee (or Amedee lighthouse) is one of the most popular and pushed touristy day trips in Noumea. We'd been a little bit reticent about going - our imagined images of a screaming, overheated toddler and a crowded boat full of hot, bothered tourists put us off.

We're way too cynical. We had a fabulous day! It was hot and Max had one little tantrum - but a quick spin around the island in his mountain buggy (how can this iconic company be going bust?) with a dummy to suck on had him sorted out in no time.

The lighthouse is a 45 minute boat-ride away. Max spent the whole trip saying 'bateau' and pointing at each and every part of the boat. We arrived and were amused by the massive fish that circled and thrashed about as they were fed bread from the wharf. The water is a breathtaking range of blues and so, so warm.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the trip was the way the trip's organised. We have been frustrated and often angered by the lack of customer service and generally non-tourist friendly attitude here. But this was fabulously well organised. The team were full of smiles, helpful and the whole day was slick. We were entertained by tahitian dancing, fire dancers, well fed and wined - with delicious prawns, salads and yummy treats.

Best of all, Max slept for 2 hours in the afternoon. He was tucked up in his buggy in the shade of a few coconut palms. The only thing that broke Charlie and my bliss as we swam, read and chilled out was the interesting visit of a friendly tricot raye...a very pretty little sea snake!

Bugs and crawlers

2009-02-15T16:49:00.002+11:00

The landscape in New Caledonia looks like Australia - it's red and scrubby. So cos it looks so much like Australia (and probably broke off from the Ozzy continent) I thought there would be lots of snakes and bugs here.

BUT - there aren't any snakes. There's a sleepy boa that lives out on the Loyalty Islands but that's it! There are some freaky centipedes and some big spiders but nothing too nasty. Here's a pic of an impressive spider that we had a good look at on Mare.

Cruisin' in da love boats

2009-02-15T08:23:00.003+11:00

At least twice a week we're graced with the presence of an exciting and new cruise boat here in Noumea. Town fills up with Ozzy tourists - wandering around, loudly testing their high school french and making hilarious exclamations about the high prices. It's a bit a of a giggle being in town on a cruise day. The cruisers are easily identifiable by the brightly coloured tags around their neck. We've seen a few looking hot and bothered not far from here - looking for the beach, a bit lost but determined to walk. Midday lost in the burbs of Noumea isn't the most pleasant experience! Best to head straight to the beach or out to an island I reckon.

The cruise ships are massive and loom over the town like a brand new hotel hitched up to a watering post. It's great watching them come in first thing in the morning. They swing by our place and then head into the port for the day. They leave early in the evening and often go to the Loyalty Islands. The view from the boat as they head around the bays must be spectacular.

I've become a bit obsessed with the whole cruise ship thing while we've been here and now I'm trying to find out if we can wangle our way onto a cruiser and head over to Australia on one. I'd never been even the slightest bit interested before - but now I think that a few days on one would be great fun!

Leon's dead...

2009-01-31T21:22:00.003+11:00

A headline in the local paper the other day read that 'Leon has joined the big fishy heaven in the sky'. And I read it, gasped and said - Oh no! People have been visiting the aquarium and leaving flowers and cards. Leon almost seems to have a little bit of a Diana quality to him. It's not every fish that can generate this type of reaction!

Leon was a star attraction at Noumea's aquarium. He lived in the biggest tank - which is huge and like a giant wall of glass with lots of fish behind it - and he cruised around, watching the people watching him. He was a napoleon fish and Max was a little bit scared of him because he was sooooo huge. He was 21 years old and had lived most of his life in the aquarium... Apparently he was great mates with the divers who came into the big tank - cruising in for pats and recognising the different divers. I hope the fishy heaven is good to him. We will miss him alot.

Check out the pics here. Type leon into the search engine and you can see him in all his splendour....

Let's go to the Park

2009-01-27T19:32:00.003+11:00

Noumea has the best parks. At the bottom of the hill we live on is the digger park - so named by a friend because of all the roadworks and accompanying diggers that took up shop beside it last year. Now that the road works is finally finished, I guess it should be called the boat park because of the great view out over a marina beside it. Max now says 'bateau' when we arrive!

I love this park because it's a one minute drive and a five minute walk away. It's shady and has great playground equipment. Everything's coded by age group (not that Max's mate Murphy takes any notice of that) and has good soft, squishy stuff under it to make falls slightly less of a saga.

A little further afield is Ouen Toro park. It's snuggled into the hillside and has serious adventure playground equipment for bigger kids. It's a great place to hang out in after a swim at Anse Vata. It's funny because parts of town are so run down...but some smart councillor has set aside some serious cash for the parks. I say, two big thumbs up!

Long time, no blog

2009-01-26T13:17:00.005+11:00

Yes - I've been silent of late. The main reason why I've been so slack is that I have a job! I'm working at the SPC. It's a great organisation that does all sorts of things all over the Pacific like health awareness programmes, working on preserving fish numbers (I almost said preserving fish - which would be wrong!) and generally working to bring different and very diverse nations of the Pacific together. Here's the website www.spc.int/corp.

It's not for long, just a short contract that began in November and finishes next week. I'm gathering statistics on things like child mortality, life expectancy and import/export figures. I've enjoyed being in a workplace again. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up some more bits and pieces while i'm here.

Oh - and this is what's on the opposite side of the street from work. Lots of people store their kayaks at the SPC so they can take them out for a paddle at lunchtime. What bliss!

New Year and noodles

2009-01-11T20:56:00.006+11:00

So, it was December 30th and we were in Mare. We were idly chatting about what we might do for New Year's Eve and given that we were in a hotel without a car, a nearly two-year-old and no restaurants within 9 kms - we would be eating in the hotel. Right? Well, maybe not.

On the 30th, a sign went up announcing the New Year's Eve dinner. It was a buffet - a pretty copious buffet by all accounts, with crab and prawns and roast pork. Lots of food and unfortunately a price to match. As we stood by the door to the restaurant, our eyes scanned down to the price...CFP11,500. That's $220 kiwis - each - before we'd even had a drop of vino. Ouch!

So we asked if we could eat something from the regular menu - but have it on the lovely balcony in our room. They checked, verified again - the answer was no. CFP11,500 was the only option. They knew they had us sucker tourists by the nads.

Or so they thought...

We were also a good 5 kms from the nearest shop, dad reckoned he could walk it, first thing before it go too hot. He took off at 6am and at 7.15am he joined us for breakfast. It had got hot, the shop was further than we thought and he'd had to turn back. This was now becoming an Odyssey. And Charlie took over Homer's part.

We thought he'd take a bike...but he was smarter than that. He stalked reception for a few minutes and happened to hear that a car rental guy was taking a car back. Charlie hitched a ride with him to the local shop (think over-sized dairy on steroids). Sweet.

Charlie bought us crackers, cheese (camembert in a pop-top can), chippies and cashew nuts for our entree. Our main was 2 minute noodles (complete with bowls and plastic spoons) and desert was fresh mango. It was all washed down with some very drinkable bottles of red. Perfect. He hitched another ride home.

We had a hilarious night slurping our noodles on our lovely balcony overlooking the sea. And the total cost of the evening was about CFP 1000 ($20) each. Sweet as. Here are some pics of Mum and Dad with the noodles and Homer himself, enjoying a beer in 2009.

Bonne Annee a tout le monde!

Recycle your car

2009-01-04T13:54:00.002+11:00

When we arrived here we put all our bottles, tins and other re-usables aside to be recycled. The piles grew for a few days as we searched for the recycling bins. We couldn't find any, but as we were staying in a hotel we thought that it was just the fault of irresponsible hotel management who couldn't be bothered allowing the guests to recycle. We were wrong.

There's very little recycling in Noumea. One area (Mont Dore) started recycling last year. In the rest of Noumea it's not possible to recycle your everyday waste - at least, not unless you drive out to Mont Dore. It is changing though. The first little steps have been taken. Now cars, batteries, tyres and used oils can be recycled. Hopefully more stuff will be added to this list during 2009.

It still feels weird to throw out glass. I do keep some in case a wave of Nigella-ness crashes over me and sends me into a frenzy of pickling, but I end up throwing a lot out. It's a pity because this little place is so fragile. If anyone has any ideas for how to reduce and reuse send them my way!

Over the sea to Mare

2009-01-03T16:22:00.009+11:00

Last week we had our first trip in a plane out of Noumea. It was very exciting heading out to Magenta airport, the first step on our trip to Mare. Forty short minutes later and were cruising over the large, flat, green (and strangely holey) island. Let the holiday begin!

We stayed at the Nengone village hote l (the only hotel on Mare) and we thoroughly enjoyed our very comfortable bungalow - complete with flatscreen TV, aircon and delicious views out over the sea. In fact - it almost felt a bit posh for us...so we weren't too upset when Max stepped in and trashed the poshness in true almost-two-year old style!

The hotel is nestled around a lovely white sandy beach that had some lovely coral to snorkel around. It's super-calm because the reef protects a little lagoon that is an astonishing range of different shades of blue. We had plans to walk to the Shabradahn beach and go kayaking and explore beyond our little haven - but it was HOT (30 degrees plus in the shade) and the food, Max and general holiday mood meant we put those plans on hold for our next trip ;)

So - how was the food? The best thing was the coconut crab that Charlie and my mum ordered one night. They got one MASSIVE beast, complete with the necessary tools, to crack into, gnaw on and generally tear apart as comprehensively as possible. Yum. The crabs actually spend most of their time on land and have pinchers so big that they crack open coconuts with their bare claws (kinda like tearing of tights with teeth...) and they eat so much of the mighty coconut that they actually taste of coconut. Wow. So Mum and and Charlie spent nearly an hour working their way through the crab while Dad and I watched, tasted and pointed out difficult little bits they'd missed.

We'll go back to Mare - maybe to camp or stay in a gite and get to know some of the friendly locals. Our day in a little rental car was just a taster for the next trip!

Noel!

2008-12-28T06:18:00.005+11:00

Christmas has been and gone and today we head off for a holiday in Mare - the largest of the Loyalty Islands.

We ate masses over Christmas - a lovely pork roast on Christmas eve and prawns, pepper-seared tuna (spicy on the outside and rich, red and raw in the middle - mmmmm) and grilled vege salad for lunch on Christmas day. Max started the day with his stocking, beautifully made by clever Angelique, and we finished the day with a leisurely swim out at Kuendu.

My parents are here and they have assured us that their stay with us reminds them of the years we spent in living in Singapore in the 90's. I'm not so sure about the similarities - but I can see that the heat, Christmas flame trees and some of the interesting smells that waft up from the gutters all evoke memories of life in Asia.

Last night we treated ourselves to dinner at a local restaurant. Max, being a 7pm bedtime boy, is normally left at home with our trusty babysitter when we go out. Last night he came with us. He was a superstar - buoyed by the crooning santa who sang old French classics along with (actually a few seconds behind) an old hurdy gurdy mouth organ. Very tacky but hilarious. Rather than a sled, sleigh or other means of transport, Santa rocked up in a van with 'rent a santa' emblazoned on the side...I guess Santa's got to earn some money for all those pressies for next year!

That sun again

2008-12-17T21:10:00.002+11:00

It comes up, it goes down. We watch.

Wednesday Playgroup

2008-12-17T18:59:00.006+11:00

A few weeks after we arrived in Noumea, the english speaking play group was set up by a lovely lady who's been here a few years. Everyone's welcome and the kids all run around like crazy things for an hour or so before dinner time. We have made some fantastic friends through play group and we were sad when one of our friends had her final playgroup today before heading home tomorrow (blame the financial gloom, doom and low nickel prices).

Normally play group involves lots of chatting under the shade of the mango trees and the occasional dose of refereeing between the kids as they gear up towards dinner time! Recently, there was a Christmas BBQ down at the beach at Anse Vata. We went with our friends Kate and David who were visiting. It was such a treat to go out for a swim with Kate while Max paddled with his dad in the shallows. It was a lovely day and I think we all looked rather glam...

Strawberries

2008-12-09T21:02:00.003+11:00

When I think tropical - I think pineapple, coconut and mango. Before coming to Noumea I'd never have thought strawberries...although I might have thought milkshakes!

When you drive from Noumea out to the airport, or when you go for a Sunday drive out to Paita, there's a mandatory stop - Les Fraisiers de Paita. They do the best strawberry milkshakes in town and at the moment they have massive platters of big, delicious strawberries. I reckon that strawberries are one of the best things about Christmas.

So on Sunday we headed out to Dumbea for a swim in the river - the swimming hole we went to was a bit crowded, but the river is beautiful. Max lost it and had a massive sleep in the car so on the way home we stopped for cheeky shakes. Here's the evidence...

Les Jeudis du Centre Ville

2008-12-04T21:28:00.005+11:00

On Thursdays, Max and I jump into the car (actually - Max climbs into the car now) and head off to the early evening market to meet Charlie after work. Every week there's a different theme, most often it's a different region in New Caledonia. I like the Loyalty Island evenings the best. Everyone comes over from the islands with their stuff to sell: home made cakes; carefully tended plants; woven baskets...heaps of stuff! There's also masses of food. We've tried taro, chouchoute, lots of different nems and samosas and even little beignets with vanilla pods inside them. One evening there were huge crabs for sale - they sold out really fast except for one little stash. These were let out and a crab-catching contest took place...catch your crab and you get to take it home. I was too put off by the massive pinchers to get in the ring with the crabs!

In the lead up to Christmas, there will be some Christmas markets. I can't wait to see the crazy things on offer.

The sunsets just get better

2008-11-30T15:24:00.003+11:00

The shepards will be rubbing their hands together with glee...

Sunday swims

2008-11-30T14:50:00.009+11:00

There's too much choice! Most Sunday afternoons Max wakes up from a sleep and we head off to the beach. But before we leave, it often gets a bit tense - which beach should we go to? There's the Baie des Citrons - which is sheltered, warm,has a delicious icecream shop to visit after a swim but can get a bit busy. Or, there's Anse Vata - a bit windy, but less busy and another delicious icecream shop nearby. Then there's the Meridien beach - more sheltered than Anse Vata and it has fantastic kite surfers to watch. Finally, there's Kuendu which is a little drive away but is a wide shallow bay where you can just let kids go. We love to wander over the pathways that link up the overwater bungalows there. It feels like we go on a little holiday without leaving home when we go to Kuendu.

Most often the icecream wins. Here's a selection of pics from some of the beaches. Recently Anse Vata has been our beach of choice. Max seems to be a magnet for the local kids and some of these little girls taught him how to do the perfect squeal a few weeks ago. Long

after we've washed off the warm, salty water we're being regailed by that squeal!

My favourite place in Noumea

2008-11-24T12:37:00.007+11:00

Coming into the Tjibaou centre is like taking a deep breath and then slowly breathing out. It's quiet, calm and really does feel like a blessed little place. The trees seem to lean over it and say 'yes you can walk through here around my ankles and my tall branches will keep anything bad at bay'.

It's a cultural centre, a venue, a cafe, a picnic spot, a shop...it's lots of things, and it's my favourite place.

The centre is named after, and built in remembrance of, Jean Marie Tjibaou who was instrumental in the development of Kanak identity during the 1970's and 80's. He was killed by an independence fighter in 1989 while taking part in a ceremony to remember those killed in the 1988 Ouvea massacre. I'm still learning about the history here. Here's a very interesting article if you'd like to learn more about what happened.

But the Centre - Wow! It was designed by Renzo Piano, who also designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris (You know the one - it's all pipes and inside on the outside). It's beautiful, impossible and just about perfect. Sitting on a peninsula, the buildings almost seem like huge wings, rising up out of the mangroves.

The Centre was built as part of the Noumea Accords - the agreement between France and New Caledonia that secured a certain amount of peace in the late 1980s and lays the foundation for New Caledonian independence. It's a showpiece for Kanak culture - with a lovely Kanak path, beautiful Kanak cases from each of the provinces and it's full of stunning artifacts from throughout the Pacific. There's even the Te Papa cow made out of corned beef tins! You've got to love it.

Sunset in paradise

2008-11-20T13:34:00.000+11:00

Charlie took this photo from our balcony of the sun going down last week. For those of you who are dithering about coming over to visit us - does a G&T with this view tempt you?

The roundabout that isn't

2008-11-20T13:13:00.000+11:00

Whenever I give people directions to our place, I tell them to come up the hill and turn right at 'the roundabout that isn't a roundabout'. It looks like a roundabout, it has arrows that tell you to go around it like a round about, and has five roads leading onto it - but isn't a roundabout. Why not? Because you don't have the right of way on it - which means you have to give way to anyone on your right who isn't on a stop sign. In France, you give way to all traffic on your right (unless they have a sign telling them that they don't have the right of way) even if you're cruising down a straight road. It's a bit nerve-wracking.

The roundabout that isn't, is clearly confusing to everyone here and there's a lot of stop-starting and hand signalling (not always so polite) as people work their way around it. There's also a fair amount of glass strewn around it at least once a week so it pays to be careful. The only ones who seem to be happy with it are the taxi drivers - don't get the rules wrong in front of one of them or you'll definitely get tooted and sworn at!

Surfing on the Caillou

2008-11-18T14:36:00.001+11:00

A few weeks ago we headed up to La Roche Percee for a weekend of surfing. Well, Max and I were the support crew - Charlie headed up the surfing. The spot we went to is about 1.5 hours north of Noumea. It's one of the few places that's not completely protected by the reef so, when the swell's right, it's a beach break.

We stayed at Nekweta surf camp. It's a chilled little place run by Manu (and his girlfriend) whose family has lived in New Caledonia for generations. He's passionate about the environment and has put an enormous amount of energy into raising awareness about the fast-disappearing turtle population (an 80% drop in the number of turtles coming ashore in the past 10 years) and will talk to you about the current threats to our environment. But he's not all doom and gloom, and the Nekweta surf camp is a beautiful example of a culturally and environmentally sensitive place to stay. Manu also provided us with a fascinating take on the social situaiton in New Caledonia - he told us stories of taking food up to the villages when people couldn't get into town during the events of late 1980s. In Bourail there were no shots fired - a stand-off took place with the disputing factions at opposite ends of the bridge.

But aside from that - the surf. Charles had a great time. It was big ask for him to get surf-fit in one trip but he loved being out at the reef and did catch some waves. Max and I got a little frustrated by a rainy weekend but loved exploring our beautiful case (Melanesian style house) and the river behind the beach. The only really annoying part of the whole weekend was the mosquitos! I lost count of the number bites I got. Three weeks later, I still have scabs to remind me the importance of finding some good insect repellant! Any suggestions?

Summer and ciggies

2008-11-12T12:54:00.000+11:00

Summer's finally come to Noumea! It's hot and surprisingly non-smoky. Why the lack of smoke? With the arrival of summer came the departure of cigarettes. The 'Regie du Tabac', the government department that buys the cigarettes for New Caledonia and then sells them on to the shops (taking some money for tax on the way) is on strike. All over town the shelves in the tabacs are empty and there are signs outside bemoaning the lack of ciggies. Maybe this, and the fact you can no longer buy booze after 4pm on Friday and Saturday is the explanation for the crazy 5pm driving... Or maybe it's just the heat. I've been chuckling at the face of the odd tourist in the supermarket who tries to buy beer - and is refused; and then tries to buy ciggies - and there are none...Qu'est ce qui ce passe dans ce pays qui est 'presque' la France?

Good job we don't smoke. Now - time for a swim!