Friday, February 15, 2019
Lost Landing at Lifou
Lifou is a different sort of island to others I have seen. It is an ancient coral reef that geological forces have raised up to around 60 metres above sea level. That means the island is almost completely flat and surrounded in most places by cliffs. There are no rivers on the island, all of its water comes from ponds and wells. Unfortunately, I didn't get to set foot on the island. Passengers had started to transfer to shore in the ship's tenders, but after the first few trips the wind strengthened, the sea got rough, and everybody was called back to the ship. You can see cliffs in most of the photos. From the ship, the most interesting buildings were two churches. The most impressive is Notre Dame de Lourdes. It sits right on the top of the cliffs outside Easo, where the cruise ships anchor. The other church is St Francis Xavier, built in 1898 and now badly vandalized. Next time I get a chance, I would like to see more of this island and its geology.
Labels: cruising, new Caledonia, South Pacific
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Noumea Harbour
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
Friday, March 16, 2018
The Royal Refuge Cave
Since the Oldies are not taking me traveling anywhere new for a few months, I will catch up on some past travel photos. Here is a different sort of place that I visited during our day on Ile des Pins during our New Caledonia cruise in 2015. It is a cave, or, more accurately, a grotto where a native queen called Hortense hid for several months during a tribal war in 1855. There is a track from the carpark down through jungle to the grotto. A small stream runs through the grotto and the floor is muddy and slippery. I was glad that Dad was carrying me, because Mum would have had harsh words to say if I had come back with muddy fur. Deep into the cave you can find the flat rock where Queen Hortense slept. I found a smaller rock shelf higher off the floor where small bears could sleep if they ever needed to. It is not much of a cave as caves go, but worth a visit because of its history. Most tours of the Ile des Pins include a stop here.
Labels: cruising, new Caledonia, South Pacific
