Most of the South Pacific cruises out of Australia include a stop at Noumea, capital of New Caledonia. Some people rave about this "France in the Pacific", but this small bear has been there 3 times now and won't bother getting off the ship next time. New Caledonia is the source of around 25% of the world's nickel and Noumea is its main port. There are all sorts of industrial plants visible as you sail in, and the ship is normally docked in the industrial port. That means you need a shuttle bus into town. Search "Noumea" on the blog and you will find photos of the city from my previous visits in 2014 and 2015. There is always a tugboat ready to help the ship to dock safely. Mostly, they are not needed as modern cruise ships are extremely maneuverable and can dock themselves, but the tugs are there if something goes wrong. There are dozens of barges and tugs moored around the harbour. One of the beaches on the outskirts of the port is a graveyard for old craft, mostly barges, tugs and small coastal trading vessels. The industrial harbour area looks dirty and messy, in fact Noumea outside the tourist areas looks dirty and messy. Around the city, particularly in the tourist areas, parks and markets, there are many colourful trees and shrubs to provide contrast.
Labels: cruising, new Caledonia, Noumea
# posted by Bart Bear @ 9:57 am
