Discover the delights of New Caledonia | Otago Daily Times Online News

Besides the vibrant colour, character and cuisine of Noumea, I was keen to spread my wings beyond the capital for some island treats and hinterland adventure. A must-do is a trip to the Tjiabou Cultural Center to learn more about New Caledonia’s indigenous people: the Kanak people. This architectural masterpiece was designed by decorated Italian architect Renzo Piano and funded by the French government. The center is built in a beautiful, wooded area on the bay on the Tina Peninsula, just 20 minutes from Noumea. The center is topped by 10 towering curved and arrow-shaped steel and timber structures, inspired by traditional Kanak Great Houses. They are all connected by a processional path.

Their traditional equivalents are located behind the main structure, which are equally fascinating for their stately height and cylindrical beauty. Piano’s beautiful statement architecture is home to a wealth of traditional Kanak artworks and tribal relics. I also took a guided walk around the center on the Kanak trail, which offers numerous insights into traditional gardens, full of native New Caledonian flora, and the Kanak creation story. Walking this path vividly reinforces the symbolism of the plant world in the Kanak universe. The center also pays tribute to pro-independence Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who was murdered by a separatist radical in 1989 after Tjibaou signed a peace settlement with France.

For a remarkable day trip you will never forget, head to Blue River Park, in the Grand Terre region of the South. As I trekked east over the mountains from Noumea, admiring the vast mangroves that are strictly protected, I enjoyed an enlightening day out with Francois Tran, the Bear Grylls of New Caledonia. His impressive, entertaining and passionate knowledge of the park’s geology, botany and birds is extremely compelling.

This immense park, founded in 1980, extends over 22,000 hectares. The forestry and mining activities that were established here at the beginning of the last century have left some clearly visible remnants on the site, but Mother Nature has reclaimed her rights. The exceptional range of native plant and bird species, hidden in the ocher earth of the south, is breathtaking. But first the geology. This deep red terrain is rich in minerals – not only nickel, but also copper and iron. Francois gave me a beginner’s guide to the local geology, with his familiar collection of rocks.

The landscape alternates between shrubs, dense forests and wetlands. An artificial dam, completed in 1958, provides electricity for the national grid. There are numerous photo opportunities, including a walk across the beautiful old wooden bridge, originally built to carry timber and minerals across the Blue River. Near the Pérignon Bridge lies a natural wonder: the drowned forest. White trunks, stripped of all vegetation, pierce the silent lake. This petrified landscape is worthy of a film set.

Speaking of filming, the rainforest area of ​​Blue River Park is where Madeline Falls and the Blue River, surrounded by a Jurassic-esque landscape, were extensively used as the backdrop for the 1999 BBC series. Walking with dinosaurs. On foot with Francois we hiked several trails and he introduced me to some of the ancient giants and botanical wonders of Blue River Park. Francois commented: “New Caledonia is a living museum of ancient plants and trees.” And a return to Gondwanaland. Iconic for New Caledonia are the various conifers, such as column pine, one of the fourteen Araucaria species that still thrive here and are hundreds of millions of years old.

Ditto for the Wollemi Pine, a close cousin of Kauri. The park is home to a thousand-year-old, forty-meter-high gigantic Agathis lanceolata tree – yes, a kind of Kauri. I stood at the base in awe. Francois told me he saw the oldest known kauri in New Cal. It is 3500 years old, but not publicly accessible and very protected. (Tane Mahuta is 2,000 years old.) Along with kauri trees closely related to our own, New Caledonia is home to a close cousin of the kakariki and the fantails, as if Zeelandia has left its calling card. New Caledonia and New Zealand are connected by a colossal undersea ridge that stretches over 1,700 kilometers.

I was also captivated by the amazing plant life that thrives in Blue River Park, including wild carnivorous plants that live to eat insects, such as the Nepenthes Vieillardiior pitcher plant. My favorite sighting was that of the Xantostemon Aurantiacus, a triumphant red and yellow flowering delight. After a hearty barbecue lunch, I was captivated by the vibrant blue of the namesake river as we wandered more trails and enjoyed the amazing pools at the river’s edge.

But there was still a highlight to come: a personal encounter with New Caledonia’s national bird, the cagou. Blue River Park’s fearless conservation efforts have seen a stunning comeback from the brink of extinction for this emblematic bird. Curious and flightless, and similar in size to a kiwi, this curious bird is active during the day and feeds on insects. After walking into the woods, it wasn’t long before a few cagou answered François’ calls and stumbled over to see what all the fuss was about.

They let out a cry like the barking of a small dog. These very photogenic crested birds have beautiful red eyes, long orange legs and beaks and blue-gray plumage. A few decades ago there were only sixty known cagou left, but thanks in large part to this park’s stimulating conservation efforts, there are now more than 2,000. Make an appointment with Francis Tran and the Caledonia Tour Company for an immersive day immersed in the treasures of the nature. Blue River Park is a revelation.

New Caledonia’s World Heritage-listed lagoon and reef is a colossus. Le Parc Naturel de la Mer de Corail, or ‘the Natural Park of the Coral Sea’, covers over 1.3 million square kilometers and is the second largest nature reserve in the world. This marine park is bigger than Alaska, twice the size of Texas and three times the size of Germany! For a short and fun dip in that crystal clear lagoon, with all its water attractions, why not visit some of the islets just off the coast of Noumea?

I enjoyed an incredible overnight stay at Doubletree by Hilton Ilot Maitre Resort. Beautifully situated in a marine reserve, this attractive island resort has some serious bragging factor, as they’re accented by New Caledonia’s only overwater bungalows. Plus, these luxury lagoon bungalows are New Zealand’s closest overwater bungalows – and unlike other overwater offerings in the South Pacific, they won’t cost you anything. Just a 20-minute boat ride from Port Moselle in Noumea, Ilot Maitre is an astonishing island escape, with all the trimmings, surrounded by the lazy, benign waters of the lagoon.

A spot of snorkeling here is repeatedly worth it, as the status of a marine reserve boosts the water show. Best of all, the lagoon is full of green sea turtles. Over the course of an hour of snorkeling in the lagoon, I came across a dozen of these graceful mammals. The resort ticks all the boxes with a sparkling outdoor pool, golden sand beach, plenty of activities and excellent on-site hospitality. Adjacent to the swimming pool, Restaurant l’Escapade serves an extensive breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner, which required enormous self-discipline not to indulge in total gluttony.

Speaking of gluttony, the local seagulls are like a pack of trained robbers, who will dive with lightning speed onto any table where food is left unattended. But the piece de resistance is undoubtedly the unfolding chain of overwater bungalows, fanning out into the lagoon. The panoramic overwater bungalows are lavishly designed and generously sized, with direct access via the stairs to the lagoon. Enjoying a sunset in such an environment is more than dreamy: it is delirious.

Another Noumea fan favorite is a day trip to Amedee Island. Depart Port Moselle aboard Mary D Seven, a fast ferry that takes you to the coral islet and outer reef in 45 minutes. The water sparkles in the bright sun, while the island’s historic lighthouse towers above the water. In 1861, because of the many shipwrecks of boats entering the lagoon, Paris ordered the construction of a lighthouse for Noumea. A French engineer from the workshops of the Eiffel Tower in Paris began work on this glorious, gleaming white monument in 1862. At 56 meters high, it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the world.

It was taken apart and shipped to the colony, where it was reassembled and built on the island. For the ultimate view, climb the 247 steps of the cast-iron spiral staircase to the lighthouse balcony, where you can enjoy views over the beautiful lagoon. A tropical lunch buffet is all part of the package. I enjoyed poisson cru, fresh mussels, pulled pork, sweet potatoes, spicy pickles and crispy baguettes in a great celebration of Franco-Pacific cuisine.